Vitamin A Deficiency

Vitamin A is one such vitamin that falls under the broad category of fat-soluble vitamins – that is, a vitamin that dissolves in fat. The one thing that vitamin A is most required for is vision – it is highly required by the retina of the eye to function properly. Apart from this, vitamin A also performs various other functions such as aiding and supporting the immune system by working as an anti-infection agent – Vitamin A does this by increasing and enhancing the functions of the white blood cells; maintaining the tissues that are found in the mouth, lungs, trachea, and gastrointestinal tract; and aiding in cell growth and bone development. Vitamin A is also known to help in regulating the reproductive processes in both the genders.

Vitamin A Deficiency Symptoms

The most common symptom of vitamin A deficiency is problems related with the eyes. These problems range from something as mild as an itch in the eye, pain in the eye, eyes becoming red, vision becoming blurred, to facing problems in seeing things that are near by or things that are at a distance, inflammation of the eye, eyes becoming dry, and even night blindness. Apart from the eyes, deficiency of this vitamin reduces a person’s ability to fight diseases – that is slows down the ability of the immune system to fight infections. This makes a person highly vulnerable and susceptible to respiratory and urinary infections. This deficiency also causes lack of appetite in some people which then leads to related problems like reduced stamina, skin disorders such as boils, pimples, dry skin, acne, wrinkles, hair loss, dry and damaged hair, to name a few. Lack of vitamin A also affects the overall well-being of the teeth and the gums. In extreme cases, vitamin A slows down growth in children, and introduces abnormalities in the bones. The other common symptom of vitamin A deficiency is a goose-bump like cover that appears over the skin blocking the hair follicles. This causes the skin to become extremely dry, scaly, and rough. Whenever you start experiencing any of these symptoms, consult your physician immediately, who will then be able to recommend the exact amount of vitamin A intake that is required to replace or reduce the deficiency in your body. Along with that, you need to make sure that your diet contains vitamin A rich foods such as carrots, spinach, sweet potato, bell peppers, calf liver, eggs, cow’s milk, parsley, lettuce, cantaloupes, apricots, broccoli, papaya, prunes, grapefruit, and tomatoes.