Color Blindness: Treatment Overview

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Treatment Overview

There is no medical treatment for color blindness that is inherited. Some acquired color vision problems can be treated, depending on the cause.

Color blindness that is acquired may sometimes be improved by surgery. For example, if you are having trouble seeing colors because of cataracts, surgery to treat the cataracts may improve color vision. If the problem is caused by a side effect of medication, color vision may be improved when that medication is stopped.

There may be some things you can do to help compensate for a color vision problem.

• Specially tinted contact lenses and eyeglasses may help you see differences between colors. However, these lenses do not provide normal color vision and can distort objects.
• Glasses that block glare (with side shields or wide temples) are helpful because people with color vision problems can see differences between colors better when there is less glare and brightness. A person with color vision problems can actually see better when the lighting is not bright.
• If you do not see color at all and rely on rod cells for vision (rod monochromatism), you may need to wear tinted or dark glasses with side shields, because rod cells work better in dim light. You may also need corrective lenses (glasses or contact lenses) because vision using only the rod cells is less clear and sharp.

Color vision problems cannot be prevented.

Last updated:	October 31, 2007
Author:	Robin Parks, MS
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Carol L. Karp, MD - Ophthalmology
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC