Have you ever been shopping in the mall and noticed someone wearing colors that dont match in any way, not even in the sense of fashion? Next time you see this, if you were to ask the person wearing the colors, chances are they will not be accurate about the color. That person may not be committing a fashion crime but instead is someone who is color blind.

A lot of people are unsure what colorblindness really is. When there is a defect in the cone receptors in the retinas of the eyes, it is called color blindness. Being unable to see one color, or shades of one colors, or not being able to see color at all, are all indicators of color blindness. It is believed that it is a genetic trait and it appears that more males are affected by color blindness than females.

Almost all people who are colorblind see some color. For someone to see no color at all is quite rare but not unheard of. Color blindness is a result of a cone defect, a condition where its difficult to distinguish specific colors. The absence or of color-sensitive cells in the retina is what causes it. The retina is the nerve layer at the back of the eye that converts light into nerve signals. Green/red color blindness is the most common type but there is also yellow/blue in which there is no test to check for it.

Color problems are with certain color combinations such as yellow on green, green on red, red on green, blue on red, red on blue, and red on black are the most common type of problems with those who have color blindness. The best thing to do if you think you may be color blind is to take a test. A picture composed of different colored dots is shown during a color blindness test. The nurse or doctor determines a person may be color blind based on if a person can't see the picture or number within the dots. The bad news about color blindness is that it cannot be treated. Tinted eyeglasses can help some but will not treat colorblindness.