TREATMENT OF ALBINISM

ALBINISM

Albinism is known to be a series of inherited disorders characterized by low melanin production, which determines the color of the skin, hair, and eyes. It also plays an important role in the development of optic nerves, which explains the injury of these persons with many vision problems. It is worth mentioning that lepers increase the sensitivity of the affected people to the effects of the sun and make them more susceptible to skin cancer, and it is the cases of lepers who have negative reactions to them, which adversely affects these people, and can suffer from albinism patients with a lot of questions about their appearance, or glasses, or visual aids they use. Because they differ from their family members or ethnic groups, albinism patients may feel like outsiders or may be treated as strangers, leading to social isolation and lack of respect for themselves.

TREATMENT OF ALBINISM

Albinism Cannot be cure because it is a genetic disorder, but the treatment focuses on eye health care and control of the skin in anticipation of the emergence of abnormal signs. Patients may need to see a number of doctors, including an ophthalmologist, a dermatologist and a genetics doctor. Treatment includes:

·         Eye care: Albinism patients should undergo an annual eye examination, wearing lenses or glasses. In some cases, a doctor may choose surgery to correct vision problems. Patients should be advised to wear sunglasses that are protected by ultraviolet radiation.

·         Skin Care and Skin Cancer Prevention: Skin care includes an annual skin assessment to check skin cancer or lesions that can lead to cancer, avoid long-term sun exposure, and use sunscreen with a high protection level of more than 20 (SPF), with The skin must be fully covered when exposed to the sun.

·         Treatment of visual impairment: The treatment of impaired vision includes:

o   Use large or high contrast font for printed books and other printed materials.

o   Use magnifying lenses.

o   Use a small telescope or telescopic lenses attached to glasses to read what they write from as far away as with the school blackboard.

o   Use large computer screens.

o   Use programs that can convert speech to write or vice versa.

o   Use tablets and phones that offer zoom in to make writing easier and easier to see.

SYMPTOMS OF ALBINISM

There are some symptoms that appear on people with albinism, which can be indicated by the affected part of the body as follows:

·         Skin: Skin color is common in people with albinism, but aging may contribute to a change in skin color to slightly darker. Sun exposure may result in the appearance of freckles, pink moles and large freckle points.

·         Hair: The color of hair in people with albinism between white and brown, and in some cases the color of hair is yellow or red, and notes the increase in hair color as the patient progress in age.

·         Eye: The eye color of the albinism between brown and light blue, and the iris of these people when exposed to light red or pink. It is worth noting that the eye is more sensitive to sunlight because there is no melanin pigment that protects the eye from sunlight.

·         Vision problems: Vision problems associated with albinism include:

o   Nystagmus is the movement of the eyes back and forth quickly and uncontrollably.

o   Strabismus is a condition in which the eyes do not move in harmony.

o   Amblyopia, also known as the lazy eye.

o   Extreme nearsightedness or farsightedness.

o   Light phobia or photophobia.

o   Optic nerve hypoplasia, caused by impaired optic nerve development.

o   Optic nerve misrouting: a condition in which nerve signals travel from unusual nerve pathways from the retina to the brain.

o   Astigmatism: A condition characterized by blurred vision due to the lens's inflexibility or the front surface of the eye.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF ALBINISM

The albinism is divided into three types:

·         Oculocutaneous albinism is the most common type of albinism, caused by the inheritance of two copies of the mutation gene. One of these genes is inherited from the mother and the other from the father.

·         Ocular albinism: This type of albinism occurs only in males and affects the eyes without other parts of the body, causing vision problems. This type is less common than skin glands and is caused by a genetic mutation inherited on the X chromosome.

·         Albinism associated with syndromes Rarely genetic: These syndromes include Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, which is characterized by the occurrence of skin/eye albinism, bleeding, bruising, lung and intestinal diseases, as well as Chidiak-Higashi syndrome, which is characterized by the occurrence of skin/eye albinism, in addition to immune system problems, recurrent infections and neurological disorders.