What are the symptoms of vitamin A deficiency

Vitamin A is a type of vitamin and one of the essential substances for the human body. If you lack vitamin A for a long time, it may cause a lot of damage to your body. Therefore, if we find that there is a lack of vitamin A in our body, we must supplement it in time to restore the normal function of the body. However, many people may not be able to judge whether they are deficient in vitamin A. Next, I will share with you some symptoms of vitamin A deficiency, and you can also compare them with your own situation.

1. Dark adaptation and night blindness

The main manifestation of early or mild vitamin A deficiency is a decrease in the ability to adapt to the dark. For example, when moving from a bright light to a dark light, it takes longer than normal people to see things clearly. Further development can lead to night blindness. After supplementing with vitamin A, the symptoms disappeared quickly.

2. Dry eye disease and blindness

The eyes are most sensitive to vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A deficiency causes excessive keratinization of the epithelial cells in the lacrimal ducts, which blocks the lacrimal ducts. The tear ducts cannot be secreted normally, and the eyes become dry due to lack of tear lubrication. At the same time, the conjunctival and corneal epithelial cells dry up and degenerate, causing dry eye symptoms such as eye discomfort, dryness, a burning sensation, photophobia, and tearing. In severe cases, the lacrimal glands stop secreting tears, causing the cornea to soften, ulcerate, and perforate, leading to blindness.

The most important clinical sign of vitamin A deficiency in children is Bitot's spots in the conjunctiva, which are white foamy accumulations of desquamated cells. They are the result of normal conjunctival epithelial cells and goblet cells being replaced by keratinized cells.

(III) Keratosis pilaris

Vitamin A deficiency leads to excessive keratinization of sebaceous gland and sweat gland epithelial cells, resulting in dry skin, itching, flaking, and wrinkles like fish scales. Excessive keratinization of hair follicles leads to follicular papules and hair loss. Follicular papules first appear on the posterior side of the upper tube and the anterior and lateral side of the thigh. The papules are the size of a needle head, round or oval, solid and dry, each independent and not fused, arranged in clusters like chicken skin, and often without subjective symptoms.