Vitamin A Deficiency
Vitamin A deficiency is a type of vitamin deficiency more present on developing countries, but it is also found in developed countries such as USA where the most affected people are the elderly ones, people with unhealthy diets and people who suffer from chronic sickness. It is very important to treat this vitamin deficiency, because a severe case of vitamin A deficiency can produce blindness. Statistics show that near 80,000 people lose sight each year.
Vitamin A is the first fat-soluble vitamin to be discovered back in 1913 and it comes in three forms: retinol, beta-carotenes and carotenoids, each one coming from a different source. Vitamin A aids many functions in the body like vision (plays a major role in the way our eyes adapt to dark environments(), bone growth, response of the immune system, maintenance of the eyes, epithelial cell repair an growth, reproduction, and the maintenance of the urinary, respiratory and intestinal tracts.
The common symptoms if you lack of proper vitamin A levels appear as difficulty adapting to night vision (night blindness), dryness on skin and hair, less resistance to infections, and broken fingernails. Other symptoms include dry eyes, eye inflammation, corneal inflammation, vulnerability to respiratory and urinary infections, and slow growth in children. These vitamin A deficiency symptoms must be evaluated by a doctor.
The causes of vitamin A deficiency are mainly malnutrition, and inadequate diet, malabsorbtion and certain medications that lower lipids in the body. It is important to eat food high in this vitamin A, such as kidney, liver, butter, cheese, cream, milk; and also food with carotene content such as yellow and orange fruits and vegetables and dark leaf vegetables.
Malabsorption of vitamin A can be caused by celiac disease, cirrhosis, giardiasis, habitual use of mineral oil, sprue and obstructive jaundice. Hepatic disease can cause problems with vitamin A storage and transport.
Treatment for vitamin A deficiency will depend on the case of the patient. If night blindness or mild conjunctival changes are present, doctors will recommend vitamin A replacement with cod liver oil and halibut liver oil. When the deficiency is more severe and there are corneal changes, a vitamin A solution is needed. Additionally, the symptoms such as dry skin can be treated with the help of creams.
Vitamin A deficiency must be prevented with a correct dietary intake with vitamin A rich food such as liver, beef, chicken, spinach, kale, sweet potatoes, orange fruits, eggs, whole milk, fortified milk, carrots and mangoes. Fruits must be served at least 5 times a day, and you can also include in your diet fortified food such as cereals, crackers, grain bars, pastries and breads.