Xeroderma pigmentosum is an infection that occurs in people that are just too sensitive to sunlight. It is a rare occurring infection, and it occur in people with premature skin ageing and people who are prone to skin cancer. It is believed that people who suffer from Xeroderma Pigmentosum are those suffering from a genetic effect in which the gene that repairs to cells being damaged Ultraviolet rays are defective. This defect in the cell repairing mechanism result to skin deaths and people who suffer from this infection will witness multiple pigmented spots and large atrophic lesions.
The pigmented spots of Xeroderma Pigmentosum often look like freckles while the skin do change to some glossy white thinning appearances. Those who are diagnosed of Xeroderma Pigmentosum early enough are often count lucky because the infections can lead to cancer in a relatively short period of time , It is an inherited childhood disease and its symptoms can be slowed down by taking some precautionary measures against constant exposure to ultra-violet rays.
Couples who have some genetic disorders linked with Xeroderma Pigmentosum are at risk of bearing children that will inherit the diseases. Some of the commonest symptoms of Xeroderma Pigmentosum are; development of several freckles at the onset of the infection, excessive dryness, thin skin, irregular dark spots, severe sunburn after a brief exposure to sunlight and with the sunburns lasting for several weeks, Rough surface growths and skin cancer, premature ageing of the skin, lips, mouth , and tongue, Eyes that are easily irritated especially when exposed to brief sunlight, and many other symptoms.
In most cases, Xeroderma Pigmentosum is usually detected in children within the ages of 1 and 2 and the doctor often take urine and blood samples to measure the rate of DNA repair factor. The doctor may need to carry out several other clinical tests in order to confirm that the infection is actually Xeroderma Pigmentosum , the doctor will also look at a number of symptoms as well as the extent at which these symptoms are occurring in the individual patient.
Unfortunately speaking , Xeroderma Pigmentosum cannot be cured, some of the precautionary and preventive methods are simply carried out to protect the skin from sun rays as much as possible. It is believed that people suffering from Xeroderma Pigmentosum can still live a normal life and bear children that do not suffer from the infections.
