Extreme summer weather – such as that currently experienced in southern European countries – poses a serious threat to people suffering from a condition called xeroderma. For the affected teenager from Barcelona, any contact with UV radiation can have serious health consequences. Longer and more intense periods of heat require him and his family to completely change their lifestyle.
Xeroderma lucidum is a very rare inherited condition that causes irreversible DNA damage in skin cells that are exposed to UV radiation. In affected individuals, exposure to radiation causes skin redness, calluses, ulcers and blisters. In extreme cases, these changes can develop into skin cancer, including malignant melanoma. Because these children must avoid all types of UV radiation, they are also known as “night children” or “moon children”.
Radiation-proof house
This condition affects, among others, 11-year-old Pol Dominguez from Barcelona, Spain – in his case, even a short exposure to sunlight causes severe burns. That is why the teenager does not spend holidays like most children his age. Pol's entire family had to radically change their habits to avoid exposing the boy to the sun.
In the summer, when UV radiation is at its highest, Pol stays indoors as much as possible. When he goes out during the day, he has to wear a jacket, gloves and a hood, and his face is protected by a plastic UV shield. The teenager, without protective clothing, only goes outside after sunset.
The school he attends has adapted windows and lighting, but the boy must carry a UV meter with him to check whether he can safely remove his protective clothing in a given room. Pola's house is radiation-resistant – there is protective film on the windows, and all light sources contain LEDs.
Dangerous heat waves
As the boy's mother, Xenia Arrende, recalled, the first symptom of the disease appeared when the boy was only two months old. At first, his parents thought he had eczema caused by allergies. After a long stay in the sun, a sunburn appeared on his legs, but his parents did not consider it anything serious, they simply paid attention to the child's proper protection from the sun. After returning home, Pol was taken to a dermatologist.
“I never imagined that there could be a disease like xeroderma. It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie,” she said. “There are currently no treatments. Sunscreen is the only option.”
Only 2-3 cases are diagnosed in Western Europe per million live births, and in Spain, around 100 people suffer from the condition. Experts have pointed out that with climate change, including more frequent heat waves and sunny days, the risk for such people increases.
Reuters, SJD Hospital Barcelona, tvnmeteo.pl, Przemęcka et al. (2013)
Main image source: Reuters