Vitamin A plays a key role in many systems of your body. Vitamin A is essential for healthy vision, metabolism and cell development. It’s an important factor in keeping your immune system and reproductive system healthy. Your body can’t make vitamin A on its own, so you must get it through the foods you eat.
Vitamin A is vital for your vision. Your eyes need to make specific pigments for your retinas to work correctly. A lack of vitamin A hinders your eyes’ ability to make these pigments, which can lead to night blindness. In other words, you need vitamin A to be able to see at night.
Causes of Vitamin A Deficiency
🔷 Malnutrition.
🔷 Liver disorders that affect vitamin storage.
🔷 Other diseases interfere with your intestine’s ability to absorb fat and vitamins, e.g., cystic fibrosis, celiac disease, chronic diarrhea, chronic pancreatitis, bile duct blockage, and zinc or iron deficiency.
🔷 Abdominal surgery: small bowel bypass surgery, bariatric surgery, or surgery on the intestine or pancreas.
🔷 Alcohol use disorder.
Symptoms of Vitamin A Deficiency
Symptoms of a vitamin A deficiency can differ in severity. Some people may have more serious complications than others. Below are several possible symptoms you may experience:
1. Night blindness : This causes you to have trouble seeing in low light. It will eventually lead to complete blindness at night.
2. Xerophthalmia : With this condition, the eyes may become very dry and crusted, which may damage the cornea and retina.
3. Infection : A person with a vitamin A deficiency can experience more frequent health concerns as they will not be able to fight off infections as easily.
4. Bitot spots : This condition is a buildup of keratin in the eyes, causing hazy vision.
5. Skin irritation : People experiencing vitamin A deficiency could have problems with their skin, such as dryness, itching, and scaling.
6. Keratomalacia : This is an eye disorder involving drying and clouding of the cornea — the clear layer in front of the iris and pupil. ‌
7. Keratinisation : This is a process by which cells become filled with keratin protein, die, and form tough, resistant structures in the urinary, gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.
8. Stunted growth : Not having enough vitamin A could delay growth or cause children to experience slow bone growth or stunted growth.
9. Fertility : A deficiency in vitamin A may cause challenges when trying to conceive a child, and in some cases, infertility.
Diagnosed of Vitamin A Deficiency
- Eye exam and reviewing your medical history
- Blood test to measure the amount of vitamin A in your blood.
Diagnosed of Vitamin A Deficiency
- For mild forms of vitamin A deficiency includes eating vitamin A-rich foods.
- For severe forms, a doctor may recommend eating more foods containing vitamin A in combination with taking vitamin supplements.
Prevention of Vitamin A Deficiency
Vitamin A can be found naturally in:
✔ Green vegetables, such as leafy greens and broccoli.
✔ Orange and yellow vegetables, such as carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes and squash.
✔ Orange and yellow fruits, such as oranges, mangos, cantaloupe and papayas.
✔ Dairy products.
✔ Liver, beef and chicken.
✔ Certain types of fish, such as salmon.
✔ Eggs.
✔ Cereals, rice potatoes, wheat and soybeans fortified with vitamin A.
If necessary, you can also take a vitamin A supplement.
References
1. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23107-vitamin-a-deficiency
2. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/what-is-vitamin-a-deficiency
3. https://www.medparkhospital.com/en-US/disease-and-treatment/vitamin-a-deficiency
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