What is albinism? Albinism is a defect of the melanin production of color pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes. Melanin is the substance that gives color to skin, hair, and eyes. Albinism is passed down through families, from parent to offspring. There are only two specific types of this syndrome, Type one effects the colors of your eyes, skin, and hair, Type two is due to the effect of the P gene children born with this type have slight coloring. But, the worst case of albinism is called oculocutaneous albinism. People with this form of albinism have either white or pink hair, as well as vision problems. Type one albinism affects mostly the eyes, when looking at a person with type one they look pretty normal. But, with an eye exam it will show that there is no coloring in the retina. There are some ways you can tell if you have Albinism. You can tell by the absence of color in the hair, eyes, or skin. Most people with Albinism have lighter skin then most people and have patchy and missing skin colors. Also many forms of Albinism associate with these symptoms including: crossed eyes, light sensitive, rapid eye movement, and vision problems. People with Albinism have to be careful with how much exposure they get to the sun because freckles, moles with no color, freckle spots can form all over their body, in which case could cause much harm to ones body. Their hair color can range from very white to brown. People who are either African or Asian have a hair color that is yellow, or reddish brown. But, their hair color may change before early adult hood. Eye color ranges from light blue to brown and may change over time. The iris can completely block light from entering the eye. Because of this their eyes might somewhat appear red in some lighting. The main purpose of the treatment for Albinism is to try and relieve the symptoms. But, treatment depends on how server the case is. One way people with Albinism can treat themselves is by staying out of the sun or wearing sunblock. Also make sure the person is clothed well so no sun has a way of hitting them. Wearing sunglasses also plays a huge role because this may help with light sensitivity. Most doctors prescribe glasses for people with Albinism to correct vision problems and eye position. But, sometimes eye muscle surgery is needed to correct incorrect eye movements. Albinism does not affect ones lifespan though. But, people with Albinism may be limited to most activities outside because of the sun. Albinism is an inherited disorder; most patients with this disorder are encouraged to go see a genetic
