What is Albinism?

Albinism is a genetic disorder in which one’s eyes, skin, or hair (in some cases one’s eyes alone) have little or no pigmentation. Questions such as; how widespread is albinism? How does it affect an individual’s daily life? What can help those with albinism to live with their conditions? Are what we are going tackle in this article.

Albinism isn’t just seen among dark-skinned people, it can also be found among all races, nations and people. It is estimated that the case of albinism is as vast as it affects 1 out of every 20,000 persons. The defective genes for albinism can be passed on for generations without any of its telltale signs being manifest. Some seems to features the word albinism to 17^th century Portuguese explorers. As they sailed along the West African coast, they sighted both black-skinned and white-skinned people. Assuming these represented two different races, they called the black Negroes and the white albinos (Portuguese for black and white in that order).

People nowadays don’t seem to care about the case of albinism. Though for most light-skinned people, mild exposure to the sun results in a tan since a pigment called melanin is produces to protect the skin. Albinism patients doesn’t have melanin to protect their skin, hair or eyes, so, without pigment an albino’s skin is easily sunburned or worst (if they don’t sufficiently protect their skin) they’ll develop skin cancer.

There are several types of albinism and these are some:

· Oculocutaneous albinism. The pigment melanin is missing from the skin, the hair, and the eyes. There are about variants of this type.

· Ocular albinism. Its effects are limited to the eyes. The skin and the hair usually appear normal.

· Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS). Those with HPS have some tendency to bruise or bleed easily.

Protecting your skin, hair and eyes against the sun is the most important thing that albinism patients must take into consideration. Wearing suitable clothing, using sunscreen lotion (a lotion with a sun protection factor of at least 15 is best, and it should be copiously applied 30 minutes before sun exposure and every two hours thereafter), wearing caps (albino’s iris is nearly translucent, which allows stray light to pass through it and cause irritation), a visor, UV-protective sunglasses and tinted contact lens.

Some thought that albinos have reddish eyes, but this is a misconception. Most of the albinos have irises that are tinted with dull gray, brown or blue. So, then, why do their eyes looks reddish? According to About Albinism: “Under certain lighting conditions, there is a reddish or violet hue reflected through the iris, which has very little pigments. And this reddish reflection in the eyes that sometimes appears in photographs taken with a flash.” Abnormalities of the eye are common among albinos. One of the conditions is the alteration of the nerves connecting the retina to the brain. The result may be that the eyes do not synchronize properly, causing reduced depth perception. And this condition is called strabismus, the treatment for this case include the use of eyeglasses or corrective surgery.

Nystagmus is an involuntary jittery movement of the eyes that can result from albinism. This may lead to impaired vision, though they do not correct the underlying condition. Though, some have learned to reduce the nystagmus while reading by placing a finger by the eye or by tilting their head.

For children with ocular albinism, going to school can be challenging. So, it is wise for parents to take the initiatives in consulting your child’s teacher or school authorities in advance telling them about your child’s condition.

Social discrimination can also be a challenge for albinism patients, especially in children. In some parts of West Africa, some children with albinism are jeered or mocked with racist expression. In some Yoruba-speaking areas, they are called “Afin,” which means “horrible”. Though adult is less commented by this than children, it can still affect their growth, confidence and self-worth as a person.

In present time, people are more aware of the needs and conditions of albinism. Science never stopped in developing treatments and assistance for albinism. Self-help groups offer a forum for exchanging experiences and improving understanding of the condition. For normal people, we should always think of a way to help these kinds of people. And one way of doing that is making an effort to make friends with them. We are all humans; we are fair in God’s eyes. So, we must show favor in this kind of people.