Symptoms of Ocular Albinism & its Effects on Vision Health

Nystagmus: It is the involuntary, rapid movement of the eyes, either side to side or up and down. It disrupts the vision and makes it difficult to see clearly. This condition may not be present at birth but develops between 3 to 8 weeks after birth.

Strabismus: It is the inability to direct both eyes at one point of focus. Such people appear to have one eye that moves free from the other, pointing in a different direction. A lack of focus due to strabismus can make reading, writing, and other routine tasks very difficult.

Refractive error: People with Ocular Albinism have a severe degree of either nearsightedness or farsightedness. Mostly, people with Ocular Albinism have a visual acuity less than 20/20, but it may range from 20/30 to 20/400.

Due to the underdevelopment of the retina, the eye cannot take an accurate picture of what it sees, and thus it transmits a faulty image for the brain to process. This is why prescription glasses also cannot completely minimize visual error.

Photophobia: Sensitivity to bright lights i.e. sunlight, fluorescent or LED lights can all be a cause of intense discomfort for people with ocular albinism.

Astigmatism: Astigmatism refers to the abnormal curvature of the lens inside the eye, which results in blurred and unclear vision. Although this deficit is present by birth, its extent and intensity can only be analyzed when a child is old enough to understand reading or recognizing tasks.

Abnormal development of the retina, resulting in reduced vision. Reduced visual acuity and blurry vision together may often restrict the affected people from being able to carry out activities such as shopping, reading, driving, etc.

Poor depth perception and fine motor skills, which prevents them from taking part in sports activities.

Tilted head: Head movements such as bobbing or tilting the head, to try to reduce the involuntary eye movements and see better.

Inability to Read or Write Clearly: One of the most basic modes of communication is written text. It includes being able to read signs, symbols, directions, or instructions for a recipe, and to write them. People with Ocular Albinism have reduced visual clarity, so it is harder for them to read anything from a distance. They may be able to write with some effort, but they have to be at a very close distance to read any text.

This can be observed in the classroom, where young kids begin to face difficulty in reading the whiteboard. This inability works its way into adulthood with the same intensity, if not improved. To counter it, low vision magnifiers and low vision glasses are often helpful.

Inability to Drive or Play Sports: Ocular Albinism also compromises the depth perception and fine motor skills of a person, which can restrict them from independently moving around or driving safely. A driver’s license in most states requires a minimum of 20/70 eyesight, but usually, people with Ocular Albinism have a weaker vision than this. Also, the inability to judge the right distance between oneself and an approaching object can make driving a dangerous feat.

It is best if people with low vision opt for safer choices such as public transport, or a friend’s ride, and use assistive devices for ease of navigation. Given the weak motor skills, most people with Ocular Albinism also cannot play sports or other activities that involve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

Tilted Head Posture: Among other problems that are posed by low vision due to Ocular Albinism, a head tilt can sometimes become persistent and be a source of added discomfort for a person. The involuntary eye movement in Ocular Albinism encourages a person to shift positions of his head until the uncontrolled eye movement finally comes to a halt.

This lets them enjoy a stable and clear vision. This specific position where involuntary eye movement is slowest or stops completely is called null point. While it can help get better vision, it often causes other problems such as permanent muscle tightening, neck aches, and headaches. Also, it makes individuals appear odd and be subjected to social exclusion.

Discomfort in a Brightly Lit Environment: People with Ocular Albinism are photosensitive, meaning that they find bright lights very repulsive. This is why they wear dark shades while heading outside in the daylight and avoid glaring lights indoors as well.

It takes several months to recognize if a newborn is experiencing Photosensitivity.

Congenital Deafness (Waardenburg Syndrome): It is a syndromic form of Albinism that is characterized by sensorineural deafness. People who have this condition are deaf by birth, have balance problems, and also struggle with the visual difficulties of ocular albinism.

Some affected people also have light-colored eyes, light skin tone, and a fragment of their hair above the forehead is silvery white. However, this is a rare complication with a global prevalence of approximately 1 in 40,000 people.