Low Vision Care For Albinism In Gilbert, Arizona
How Can Low Vision of Arizona Help You Live Independently?
Treatments For Poor Eyesight Caused By Albinism
When it comes to the pigment problems or the retinal issues, there are no treatments at this time. However, they can do surgery to correct strabismus (misalignment of the eyes). The other issues that are brought on by albinism are commonly treated with corrective prescriptions. This treatment can include low vision glasses and contact lenses.
Why Is Poor Eyesight Caused By Albinism?
Albinism, also known as Oculocutaneous Albinism (OCA) is a disease that causes the reduction of melanin, a natural pigment which gives color to the skin, iris of the eyes, and hair. This disease is inherited from one’s parents and affects one in every 20,000 people in the US. People with albinism will have light colored skin, white or pink hair, and light colored eyes.
The thing that most people don’t realize is that this condition can come with a host of other problems including poor eyesight. People with albinism may have poor eyesight caused by a lack of pigment in the iris (the colored section of the eye), unusual development in the center of the retina (the thin layer of light-sensitive nerves in the back of the eye) known as foveal hypoplasia or a condition where the optic nerve is ”misrouted” between the eye and the brain. While the conditions listed above are more serious, individuals with albinism can also suffer from the more common eye conditions such as strabismus (misaligned eyes), nystagmus (involuntary darting of the eyes), and refractive errors (farsightedness, nearsightedness, and astigmatism).