Poor color vision

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Lifestyle and home remedies

By Mayo Clinic staff

Although there are no medical treatments that can correct inherited color vision problems, most people find ways to work around their poor color vision. For example, you can:

  • Memorize the order of colored objects. If it's important to know individual colors, such as with a traffic light, memorize the order of the colors.
  • Label colored items that may need to match other items. Have someone with good color vision help you sort and label your clothing with the proper colors. Have them suggest which colors go well with others, and sort your clothes in your closet or dresser drawers so that colors that can be worn together are near each other.
References
  1. Barrett KE, et al. Vision. In: Barrett KE, et al. Ganong's Review of Medical Physiology. 23rd ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2010. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=5240281. Accessed Dec. 15, 2010.
  2. Color vision deficiency. Genetics Home Reference. http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/color-vision-deficiency. Accessed Dec. 15, 2010.
  3. Color vision deficiency. American Optometric Association. http://www.aoa.org/x4702.xml?prt. Accessed Dec. 15, 2010.
  4. Gobba F. Color vision impairment in workers exposed to neurotoxic chemicals. NeuroToxicology. 2003;24:693.
  5. Robertson DM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 22, 2010.
  6. Komaromy AM, et al. Gene therapy rescues cone function in congenital achromaptopsia. Human Molecular Genetics. 2010;19:2581.
DS00233 Feb. 5, 2011

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