Albino people: absence or severe deficiency of melanin
Albino people are characterized by white hair and other characteristics that make them unique. Everyone in the world is unique in their own way and deserves to feel comfortable in their own body, whatever it is: it is essential for a peaceful and fulfilling life. Respect for others always starts with respect for oneself! Watch the video and find out how to boost your self-esteem with a few simple exercises!
Albino people: a hereditary pathology
Albinism is a pathological condition of partial or total absence of pigmentation, even if the melanocytes are normal in number. Anyone who has a partial reduction of melanin is called albinoid, while those who suffer from the total one are called albino. of a "hereditary anomaly. Albinism is the opposite of melanism. Due to the white color of the skin, these subjects with hypopigmentation are more prone to dermatological diseases, severe burns, skin tumors, precisely because the melanin pigments do not protect the skin cells from sunlight. Albino people have visual symptoms such as photophobia (literally fear of light) which can be reduced with the use of dark lenses and astigmatism. The iris without pigmentation does not have the same vision as an iris with normal pigmentation. In addition to photophobia and reduced vision, albino people can have retinal problems always caused by light, strabismus, involuntary eye movements (nystagmus). Ocular albinism may also not involve skin abnormalities; when it also affects skin, eyes and hair we speak of oculocutaneous albinism. The action of melanin is not only to pigment, but also to participate in the formation of the nervous part of the eye. .
Albino people: total and partial albinism
Albinism can be of two types: total or partial. Total albinism is not very common, those born in this condition have completely white skin, white or very light yellow hair, light blue or pink eyes, unlike the partial one. with reduced pigmentation only in small areas of the skin or hair and in one eye. Normally parents of albino children are healthy carriers, with non-white skin, hair and eyelashes, unless there are several unions between people of the same blood. Sometimes albinism can come from difficulties in transporting the melanin granulocytes, when you suffer from the Chédiak-Higashi syndrome, which can also compromise the granules of the granulocytes, favoring infections. White blood cells are divided into two families, granulocytes (basophils, neutrophils and eosinophils) and agranulocytes (ie without granules in the cytoplasm). Albinism is also found among the symptoms in Ziprkowski-Margolis syndrome. This pathological condition also affects various animals, mammals, birds, fish and reptiles and is even found in plants and flowers.
Albino people: symptoms and diagnosis of the disease
However, albinism is a pathology that is not always easy to diagnose. The diagnosis is based heavily on family history and genetic tests which can only be decisive if the seven genes currently known are involved. The most common symptoms found in albino people are gray hair, erythema, photophobia, discoloration of the skin, freckles, strange nevi, eyes not well aligned, reduced vision, even if they do not belong only to albinism. The dermatologist can show albino people how to better live with the disease, how to stay outdoors, with suitable clothes, with sunscreens particularly suitable to protect them from the sun's rays, respecting the hours less harmful for them. There are no other treatments for the "albinism. Albino subjects are more prone to premature skin aging. The poor perception of the depth of the images does not give the full three-dimensional dimension The reduction in the perception of the depth of the images, which penalizes the three-dimensional vision; albinos often stumble, but for visual disturbances, not for movement problems.
© GettyImages
"Alba": because the "white" of albino people deserves respect
In Italy there are about three thousand albinos. A large photographic project by in collaboration with Albinit has created a calendar "All the colors of white" to raise awareness of this pathology and raise awareness among citizens. Albino people very often, due to their condition, experience very serious problems, difficult to overcome especially for adolescents and young people. From the different appearance and from the prejudices false legends about albinos were born, such as the one they see in the dark, like cats, and that do not distinguish colors. Especially in some African nations, albino people face truly dramatic situations. Albinos still suffer rape, atrocious mutilation and are victims of murders in countries like Congo and Tanzania But the problem is not only African: in every part of the world, albino people live their condition in a terrible way, they suffer bullying in schools and serious discrimination in the workplace. Because of their hypopigmentation they find themselves undergoing social and personal attacks, which damage their personality. June 13 is the International Day of Albinism organized by the UN to raise awareness among the citizens of the world to defend the right of albinos to respect and defense from any violent and discriminatory act. From a medical point of view, this anomaly is not considered a form of disability, even if in reality it prevents albino people from leading a "normal" life and puts them in a position to be laughed at, pointed at, rejected, isolated. They pay the price like so many other minorities for being different. In the Republic of Panama, where there are many who came into the world in this condition, they help them, heal them, adore them as children of the Moon or grandchildren of the Sun, even though they once considered them the bad children of the Spanish oppressors. In the West an awareness is growing more and more that brings inclusion and solidarity for albino people, also with the help of centers like Alba, where they are helped to integrate and improve their living conditions. A name that symbolically refers to the word albino (white) but is also a harbinger of a new beginning for a better world.
