Colorblindness, or color vision deficiency (CVD), can occur due to several factors:
- Genetic causes: Most common form, typically inherited on the X chromosome
- Aging: Natural deterioration of color vision over time
- Eye injuries or diseases: Damage to retina or optic nerve
- Medical conditions: Diabetes, multiple sclerosis, or certain medications
The most common types include:
- Deuteranomaly (reduced green sensitivity)
- Protanomaly (reduced red sensitivity)
- Tritanomaly (reduced blue sensitivity)
Complete color blindness (achromatopsia) is very rare. Most color-blind individuals can see some colors but have difficulty distinguishing between particular hues, especially red and green.