Most color vision problems are inherited and are present at birth.
People usually have three types of cone cells in the eye. Each type senses either red, green, or blue light. You see color when your cone cells sense different amounts of these three basic colors. The highest concentration of cone cells are found in the macula, which is the central part of the retina
Inherited color blindness happens when you don't have one of these types of cone cells or they don't work right. You may not see one of these three basic colors, or you may see a different shade of that color or a different color. This type of color vision problem doesn't change over time.
A color vision problem isn't always inherited. In some cases, a person can have an acquired color vision problem. This can be caused by: aging, eye problem, such as glaucoma, injury to the eyes, side effects of some medicines.