Héjvakság

Héjvakság is a term used in Hungarian to describe a specific type of color blindness. It refers to an impaired ability to distinguish between certain colors, most commonly red and green. This condition is a form of dichromacy, where an individual has difficulty perceiving two of the primary colors.

The most prevalent type of héjvakság is deuteranopia, a green-weakness, and protanopia, a red-weakness. In both cases, individuals may perceive reds and greens as similar shades of brown or gray. Less commonly, tritanopia, a blue-yellow weakness, can also be considered under the umbrella term héjvakság, although it is distinct from the more common red-green deficiencies.

Héjvakság is typically inherited and is much more common in males than females. This is because the genes responsible for red and green color vision are located on the X chromosome. Women have two X chromosomes, meaning they have a backup copy of the gene. Men have only one X chromosome, so if they inherit a faulty gene, they will have the condition.

Diagnosis is usually made through a series of color vision tests, such as the Ishihara plates, which use patterns of colored dots to reveal color deficiencies. There is currently no cure for inherited héjvakság, but in some cases, specialized lenses or filters can help individuals with certain types of color vision deficiency distinguish colors better, though they do not restore normal color vision.