Vitamins are essential to the health for humans. In many underdeveloped countries, citizens are malnourished and lack correct vitamin levels. This is extremely prevalent when discussing vitamin A. Rarely seen in developed countries, a vitamin A deficiency is very serious and has a direct impact on seeing properly.
What is a vitamin A deficiency?
Vitamin A deficiency is when your body does not receive or retain enough vitamin A. Normal levels of vitamin A in a human are between 30-60 mg/dl. Any level that falls below this range indicate a deficiency.
What causes a vitamin A deficiency?
The major cause is based on a chronic consumption of diets that are deficient in both vitamin A and beta-carotene. If few animal sources are in your daily intake, pre-formed vitamin A won’t be absorbed as much as necessary. In addition to dietary problems, an iron deficiency can affect vitamin A uptake. Excess alcohol consumption and a stressed liver also deplete vitamin A and its absorption rate.
Those with diseases that affect the intestine’s ability to absorb fat also have an increased risk of developing a vitamin A deficiency. Examples of such diseases include cystic fibrosis, celiac disease and cholestasis.
What are the signs and symptoms?
Night blindness is a major sign that you may have a vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A affects your sight exclusively and having any sight problems may be derived from low vitamin A levels. If untreated, this night blindness, if caused by a vitamin A deficiency, can lead to permanent, irreversible eye damage and possible blindness.
How can you prevent a vitamin A deficiency?
Design your diet to include vitamin A rich foods including liver, meat, eggs, milk and dairy products. These groups of foods should be included as a regular component of your diet to help create a well-balanced meal regiment. Foods rich with beta-carotene are also essential in prevent a vitamin A deficiency, including foods such as red peppers, carrots and pumpkin. Margarine has a lot of beta-carotene in it because the chemical is used as a coloring agent in margarine products.
How do you treat a vitamin A deficiency?
There are vitamin supplements specifically for vitamin A deficiencies and also multi-vitamins that can help with general vitamin levels. For severe deficiencies, there are vitamin A injections available, if decided necessary by a physician.
For more information on vitamin A deficiencies or if you think you may have a vitamin A deficiency, contact your primary care physician.
References
https://www.e-firstaidsupplies.com/vitamins-minerals.html
http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/vitamin+A+deficiency
