3/10/2012

Nutritional Diseases Related to Vitamin A

Nutritional disorders associated with vitamin A deficiency and hypervitaminosis can form A.

Deficiency of Vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency is diagnosed based on: levels of vitamin A in the blood, the symptoms of xerophthalmia, and diagnose consumption, as well as skin disorders.

Total vitamin A levels in the blood at a normal is 30ug/dl or more. Levels of 20-30 ug / dl is acceptable, even at levels considered low, which have a greater risk for the onset of deficiency symptoms. Levels of 10-20 ug / dl is included hypovitaminosis conditions, while levels below 10 ug / dl are considered to avitaminosis, which usually is accompanied by clinical symptoms, such as symptoms of xerophthalmia and skin symptoms.

Anamnesis food will help the diagnosis, and suggests dishes that do not contain a rich source of vitamin A or its precursors. It must be remembered that rice contains practically no vitamin A carotenes and other forms.

Hypervitaminosis A. Hypervitaminosis A practically not found in Indonesia. However, the possibility must be considered, if a child gets fish oil concentrate for long periods of time and had the complaints. Children will show stunted growth, pain in long bones, especially in areas growing point.

Acute symptoms may be at nutritional intervention activities which are given massive oral doses above 200 000 SI at once. Vomiting, and others have reported cases of diarrhea, although this last condition is questionable relationship with the vitamin A dosing.

When the massive dosing of vitamin A is stopped, the symptoms of hypervitaminosis A would dissipate rapidly within 1-2 days.
In adults who consume one million doses of vitamin A for several consecutive days the symptoms arise nausea, vomiting, head pain. There is also hyperhemoglobinemia with increased erythrocyte cell number. Hair loss is also reported to occur easily on the condition of hypervitaminosis A.

Hyperkarotinemia. Karotinoid excessive consumption, levels of carotene in the blood rises and there is a yellow color throughout the body, resembling the conditions of icterus. Affirmation of the diagnosis is done by determining the levels of carotene in the blood and bilirubin levels. Anamnesis food would be helpful if there has been high dose-carotene consumption for a long time before symptoms arise.

From the point of the clinic, the symptoms of pain hyperkarotinemia no complaints, except from the point of cosmetics, skin yellow. Yellow color on the nail and not hyperkarotinemia eye sclera; in icterus, sclera and nails go yellow. 
 
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