Have you seen someone who has very light skin, hair and eyes? Then, this person may have albinism. Do you know that albino is actually a hereditary disease from recessive genes from both parents? This may be caused by the parents that carry this genetic undetected.
Albinism is causes by the mutations in the genes that produce melanin (color) on skin, hair, and pupils. So, that’s why the patient’s skin color is light and has blond hair.
For your information, the color of your skin, hair, and pupils depends on the type and amount of melanin your body makes. Melanin also helps the optic nerves to grow, so people with albinism have vision problems.
Moreover, according to a tweet by Public Health Malaysia, people with albinism cannot be exposed to sunlight for a long time. This causes the skin to get sunburned easily. They also may have eye complications such as myopia and glare.
Signs and symptoms of albinism
Signs and symptoms include:
- pale skin
- light hair
- light blonde, brown, reddish hair
- pink, light blue, gray, green, or light brown eyes
- eyes that are sensitive to light
- lazy eyes
- vision problems
Apart from that, they still can live normally like other people. However, some people from other countries have negative beliefs and stigma about albinism. They believe that albinism:
- Contagious disease
- Consequences of sin punishment
- Albino blood cures diseases
- Albino is associated with black magic
Sources: Public Health Malaysia, Mayo Clinic, Kids Health
