Dr Omotoyosi Ilesanmi, a
dermatologist at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, claims that there
is no scientific evidence to prove that the albino must not consume salt.
Ilesanmi told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Ilorin that the belief that consumption of salt was dangerous for the albino was myth and erroneous belief.
“I am aware that people say
albinos should not consume salt, but there is nothing to prove it
scientifically.
“There is no correlation
between salt consumption by the albino and negative effect on them or their
skin,” she said.
The dermatologist said the
idea that consumption of salt by people with albinism was the cause of the
burns they got on their skin was a myth.
She said that the only
reason why people living with albinism would have skin burn was because of
exposure to the sun.
Ilesanmi said that
medically, there was nothing wrong with the consumption of salt by persons
living with albinism.
She said salt consumption
had become imperative for them because it was a very important dietary
requirement and a person deficient in salt could end up with iodine deficiency
that could cause goitre or hyponatremia — a condition characterised by low
levels of sodium in the blood.
Ilesanmi explained that
people with albinism were encouraged to have a balanced diet with salt as an
additive to cooked meals.
The consultant dermatologist
refuted the belief that albinism was a curse, saying it was purely a genetic
disorder.
Ilesanmi noted that albinism was a congenital disorder due to lack of melanin in the skin, eyes and hair and those with no melanin were called the albino while those with little melanin were called the albinoid.
Ilesanmi said that albinism
occurred when the enzyme known as thyroxin was not found in an individual which
made melanin not to be produced.
”It is an hypopigmentary
disorder which is genetically inherited and it is due to lack of melanin in the
skin because of some biochemical defects.
”Normally, the enzyme known
as thyroxin with subsequent bio chemical reactions, forms melanin which is the
pigment producing cells which is the pigment cell in the skin.
”When this biochemical
reactions are stopped because thyroxins are not produced, and is not found in
that individual, then melanin is not produced, this is the reason why they have
white skin.
”They have melanocites but
they are not able to produce melanin, which means many of them are thyroxinate
deficient,” she said.
Ilesanmi said as at now
there was no cure for albinism, but treatment included use of sunglasses to
protect the eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet rays could relieve symptoms and
prevent sun damage.
She added that skin care and
prevention of skin cancer was also part of the treatment and it included annual skin assessment to screen for
skin cancer or lesions that could lead to cancer.
NAN reports that there are
different types of albinism, but the term typically refers to two —
oculocutaneous albinism and ocular albinism.
There are three types of
oculocutaneous which are referred to as Type 1, Type 2 and OCA Type 3.(NAN)