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Who is most likely to get xerophthalmia?
Severe xerophthalmia affects infants far more than adults. Children 3 to 6 years of age are at a higher risk of developing night blindness due to xerophthalmia. Poverty. People who live in poverty or can’t afford proper meals are more likely to develop diseases like xeropthalmia.
Is xerophthalmia a deficiency disease?
Xerophthalmia refers to the spectrum of ocular disease caused by severe Vitamin A deficiency (VAD). Vitamin A serves several essential functions in the eye, and deficiency can lead to a constellation of ocular signs and symptoms that affect the conjunctiva, cornea, and retina.
How can you prevent xerophthalmia?
The younger the child, the more severe is the disease and the higher the risk that corneal destruction will be followed by death. The most important step in preventing vitamin A deficiency is ensuring that children’s diets include adequate amounts of carotene containing cereals, tubers, vegetables, and fruits.
Is xerosis reversible?
Night blindness symptoms, conjunctival xerosis, and Bitot’s spots are reversible with vitamin A replacement.
How is xerophthalmia diagnosed?
Your doctor will do a physical examination and ask you questions about your symptoms and diet. If you have night blindness, your doctor may start you on vitamin A therapy, even before doing blood tests. Sometimes corneal ulcers of xerophthalmia are mistaken for bacterial infections.
What are the stages of xerophthalmia?
Stage I : Stage of pre-xerosis i.e. lack of lustre detected by seeing conjunctival reflex. Stage II : Stage of epithelial xerosis i.e. wrinkling of conjunctiva, xerotic patches in cornea, Bitot’s spots. Stage III : Keratomalacia. Stage IV : Keratomalacia with sequelae.
Can xerophthalmia be cured?
Xerophthalmia can develop into night blindness or more serious damage to your cornea, the outer layer of your eye. This damage may take the form of white spots on your eyes and ulcers on your corneas. Xerophthalmia usually can be reversed with vitamin A therapy.
Is bitot spot reversible?
These are triangular dry, whitish, foamy appearing lesions which are located more commonly on the temporal side. They mainly composed of keratin admixture with gas-forming bacteria Corynebacterium xerosis, lead to foamy appearance. It is a fully reversible condition with oral vitamin A replacement.
Can Xerophthalmia be cured?
Is Xerophthalmia hereditary?
Cause. The condition is not congenital and develops over the course of a few months as the lacrimal glands fail to produce tears.