| Vitamin A & the Eye |
Vitamin-Types
Vitamins are essential organic compounds that the human body cannot synthesize
Vitamins A, D, K, and E are classified as fat-soluble vitamins
Vitamins B complex and vitamin C are classified as water-soluble vitamins
Vitamin A is a vital component of ‘visual purple’, the pigment in our eyes which
transforms light into visual signals. It is also an essential vitamin for
maintaining the health of the skin and lining surfaces of the body as well as
eyes.
Vitamin A is present in adequate quantities in green leafy vegetables and
orange-yellow fruits and vegetables (spinach, carrots, pumpkin, broccoli, ripe
papaya, mango, beets).
Meat, liver and egg yolk also contains vitamin A.
Breast milk is deficient in vitamin A, and infants who are fed solely on
mother’s milk beyond the age of 6 months, risk developing vitamin A deficiency.
Other factors which contribute are malnutrition, diarrhoea and measles in older
children. Vitamin deficiency is usually seen in children from a poor
socioeconomic background where lack of nourishment, hygiene, and incomplete
vaccination compound the problem.
The earliest sign of vitamin A deficiency is night blindness. Parents may notice
that the child bumps into objects in the dark although he or she may have normal
vision in the day. In more severe disease, there is drying of the conjunctiva,
often seen as a dry, grey, foamy patch next to the cornea. Advanced disease show
as a lustreless cornea or even corneal melting (keratomalacia). This is a sight
threatening condition. A balanced diet (traditional Indian diets which contains
fruit and vegetables) is the best prevention. Vitamin A deficiency is easily
corrected in the early stages by giving dietary supplements of vitamin A in food
or as oral medication. Severe deficiency is treated with injections of vitamin
A. The child is also treated for other underlying problems like malnutrition and
diarrhoea.
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