Vitamin A, Essential For Healthy Eyes

To maintain eye health, vitamin A is an important nutrient. Our body is vitamin A when we eat foods containing this vitamin. Vitamin A deficiency causes eye disease. It was found that vitamin A deficiency is the most important reason to prevent childhood blindness. Those most at risk are children from six months to six years, pregnant and lactating women.

What is the importance of vitamin A to the eye? Vitamin A maintains healthy cells in various structures of the eye, it is necessary to convert light into nerve signals in the eye called the retina. When vitamin A is not available for the body, gradual changes begin to affect the eye. The first symptom is a problem when a child or a pregnant or breastfeeding, it is difficult to adjust to see in the dark. This condition is called night blindness.

Vitamin A deficiency Vitamin A deficiency develops slowly, causing more damage to the eye, as the days pass. This condition is called Xerophthalmia, which is a series of disorders that affect the eyes.

Symptoms
Night Blindness

A child can not see in the dark or dusk. Night blindness also occurs in pregnant women, in some cases, particularly in the last trimester of pregnancy when the vitamin A needs are increased.

Bitot's Spots

These are mosses and cheese-like whitish tissue that grow around the eye, causing severe dry eye. These sites do not affect vision in the light of day.

Blindness

When the dry eyes, eye becomes very sensitive and begins to scratch and scar. Swelling of the eyelids and sticky. This eventually leads to blindness. Once blindness occurs, it can not be undone.

Other symptoms of deficiency

When the body has no vitamin A, the immune system to infection and disease do not work very well. Consequently, children suffer vitamin A deficiency more frequently much more time to recover and are more likely to die. Problems with bones and teeth may also occur more frequently. Examples of symptoms may

Therefore, it is important to recognize symptoms and take action. The most important thing to avoid in the first place. As with other disorders of the shortage, "Prevention is better than cure". Lack of understanding and vitamins the body needs help.

Ways to prevent vitamin A deficiency:

To effectively reduce vitamin A deficiency, measures short-and long-term action. The main objective is to provide an appropriate dose of vitamin A, which prevents vitamin deficiency.

Different approaches are:

1. Breastfeeding
2. Vitamin A
3. Fortification
4. Promotion of food rich in vitamins now examine these approaches in more detail

Breastfeeding

Basis for health throughout begins in childhood. Breast milk is a natural source of vitamin A. The best way for children to vitamin A is through breast milk. Promoting breast feeding is like planting seeds in the early protection.

Vitamin A supplementation

Vitamin A supplementation linked to two times per year consumption of high doses of vitamin A drops and syrup in children aged 6 months to 6 years. Shortly after birth, mothers are also given vitamin supplements. Programs for the management of vitamin A are widely used in many countries. Several countries provide vitamin A during the camps, polio, immunization against measles, immunization and NIDs. It is important for families with children in the camps receive vitamin A. If camps are not organized, they can request information on their health center nearest you.

Fortification

In some countries, vitamin A is added to foods such as oil, sugar, milk and flour. This allows vitamin A, when a normal diet does not contain enough vitamins.

Promotion of food rich in vitamins

For a long period of influence, it is always good to know the natural source of vitamin A and consumption of these products, if possible.

The source of vitamins

Sources of vitamin A can be divided into two groups: one is the source of animal origin, and the second is the source of vegetables. Vitamin A is better absorbed from animal sources, but if you can not always afford to feed and vitamins from plant sources are also important.

Examples of food sources for animals are:

• Liver
• Fish liver oil
• Yolk
• Milk and milk products
• Milk
• Butter

Examples of small fish from plant sources, are:

• Dark green leaves
• Yellow and orange vegetables (eg carrots, sweet potatoes, yams, yellow)
• Yellow and orange fruits (papaya, for example, mango)
• Red palm oil

What can you share with your family and your friends?

• Vitamin A is important for the health and well-being of the eye and other body functions
• The human body needs 500-600 milligrams per day of vitamin A
• Increased consumption of the body of vitamin A, to cook foods with fat or oil
• Vitamin A in foods of animal origin, vegetables and foods
• Fruit and vegetables growing in home gardens
• Make sure that all children 6 months to 6 years of supplementation with vitamin A twice a year. Contact your health center nearest when and where to get vitamin supplements.
• If you are experiencing in the first symptoms of vitamin A for night blindness, emergency

Did you know?

• For thousands of years, the liver was used as a cure for blindness, but only in the early 20th century, it was discovered that the liver is rich in vitamin A, which is essential for eye health.
• Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) causes 350,000 children become blind every year. Approximately 140 million children in 118 countries, deficient in vitamins. 1-4 child deaths are caused by a vitamin deficiency. 30% of blindness caused by vitamin deficiency. 600,000 women die during childbirth because of complications related to VAD.

via uniteforsight