• Vitamins and Supplements
• Nutrition

Vitamin A Deficiency: Causes, Symptoms, and Solutions

Medically reviewed and edited by Jeffrey Vacek, DNP, FNP-C

Have you ever struggled with a seemingly minor health issue, like persistent dry skin or difficulty seeing at night?

While these may seem trivial, they could be early warning signs of a more serious problem: a vitamin A deficiency. 

This deficiency is often overlooked, but it can have significant negative consequences for your health if left untreated.

In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about vitamin A deficiencies, including causes, treatment, and prevention strategies to help you take control of your health.

Why is Vitamin A Important?

Vitamin A is a compound that’s essential for maintaining various bodily functions, including skin health, vision, and immune function. 

For children, vitamin A is important for growth and development. It supports the normal formation of various major organs, such as the heart, lungs, and kidneys.

What is Vitamin A Deficiency?

A vitamin A deficiency occurs when the body has insufficient levels of this nutrient to meet physiological needs. 

Individuals who develop a vitamin A deficiency may experience various health issues, including night blindness and frequent infections.

If you suspect that you have this deficiency, consult your doctor for a professional diagnosis and treatment recommendations. 

They will perform a serum retinol concentration blood test to determine your vitamin A levels and the severity of a potential deficiency.

Causes of vitamin A deficiency

The causes of a vitamin A deficiency can be divided into four categories, including:

• Dietary causes: The most common cause of this deficiency is a diet low in preformed vitamin A-rich foods. This is often seen in developing countries with limited access to animal products and certain fruits and vegetables.

• Malabsorption: Some individuals may consume enough vitamin A, but their bodies don’t absorb it efficiently. This could be due to gastrointestinal disorders — such as celiac disease (CD), Crohn's disease, or pancreatic insufficiency — that cause a lack of retinol-binding protein, affecting the absorption of vitamin A.

• Increased nutritional requirements: Certain life stages or conditions — such as pregnancy, lactation, and certain infections — can increase the body's requirements for vitamin A. If these increased needs are not satisfied through diet or supplementation, a deficiency may develop.

• Alcohol use: Excessive alcohol consumption can interfere with vitamin A metabolism and absorption, which can cause a deficiency.

How common is vitamin A deficiency?

Although vitamin A deficiencies are a major global health issue, they are quite rare in the United States.

This is because most Americans have access to supplements or foods rich in vitamin A. 

However, research shows that over 51% of adults and 94% of children don’t consume enough vitamin A.

Consuming inadequate amounts doesn’t automatically equal a deficiency, but it does increase your risk of developing one. 

It typically takes a few weeks or months of inadequate consumption before you become deficient in vitamin A. 

Common Vitamin A Deficiency Symptoms

Night blindness

One of the earliest signs of vitamin A deficiency is night blindness — also known as nyctalopia — or difficulties seeing in the dark.

Vitamin A helps the body produce rhodopsin, the pigment found in the retina that allows us to see in low light.

Without enough vitamin A, rhodopsin can’t regenerate effectively, which impairs our ability to see in dim lighting.

Dry skin and eyes

Vitamin A is crucial for maintaining healthy skin and keeping your eyes lubricated and working properly.

When you have a deficiency, your skin may become dry, flaky, and prone to irritation due to moisture loss. 

Similarly, your eyes can become dry and irritated due to a lack of moisture in the glands. This increases your risk of eye infections.

Frequent respiratory infections

Adequate levels of vitamin A are essential for keeping the barriers in the respiratory tract strong to prevent pathogens from entering the body.

When you’re deficient in vitamin A, these barriers break down, and it's easier for harmful organisms to invade the body.

This means you’re more susceptible to infections and may suffer from recurrent respiratory issues.

Increased acne and breakouts

Vitamin A plays an important role in keeping your skin clear and healthy

A lack of this vitamin can lead to the overproduction of keratin — a type of skin protein — which can cause dead skin cells to stick together.

This can make them harder to remove from the skin — a crucial step in preventing breakouts — resulting in blocked pores and acne.

The reduced immune function associated with vitamin A deficiency can also worsen acne and slow its healing process. 

Poor wound healing

The skin needs vitamin A to repair and regenerate after injury. Deficiencies can impair the body’s ability to produce new skin cells, which slows down healing. 

In cases of severe vitamin A deficiency, wound healing may be prevented altogether, making you more susceptible to additional complications or infections.

Infertility 

Vitamin A is important for reproductive health in men and women. 

Not only does it help with embryonic development during pregnancy, but it also plays a role in the development of healthy sperm.

A deficiency in vitamin A can contribute to difficulties conceiving and even infertility.

Stunted growth

In children, vitamin A is crucial for normal growth and development. A deficiency not only impacts bone development but also affects the child’s overall growth potential.

This can result in stunted growth, a condition marked by delayed physical development relative to typical age-specific benchmarks.

How is a Vitamin A Deficiency Treated?

Depending on the severity of your deficiency, your doctor may recommend several strategies to address it. Common treatments may include:

• Making dietary changes: The first step in treating vitamin A deficiency is increasing your intake of foods rich in this nutrient and beta-carotene. This includes eating more foods like milk, cheese, eggs, carrots, sweet potatoes, spinach, and kale. 

• Supplementation: For a more severe deficiency or in cases where dietary adjustments aren’t sufficient, vitamin A supplementation may be necessary. Be sure to always consult your doctor about increasing your vitamin A dose as too much vitamin A can lead to toxicity and cause serious health issues.

• Treating underlying health conditions: For individuals with conditions that impair vitamin A absorption, managing these issues is crucial. Treatment may include medication, dietary adjustments, and surgical interventions to improve the body’s ability to absorb vitamin A.

It’s important to treat a vitamin A deficiency under the guidance of a medical professional to ensure it’s done properly.

If you’re currently treating vitamin A deficiency, be sure to schedule a follow-up with your doctor to allow them to track your progress and make the required adjustments.

What are the Risks of Untreated Vitamin A Deficiency?

Untreated vitamin A deficiency can lead to serious health complications that affect various bodily functions. Let’s take a closer look at the potential risks associated with this deficiency:

Severe vision impairment

One of the most severe consequences of vitamin A deficiency is its impact on vision.

Initial symptoms — like night blindness — can progress to more serious conditions if the deficiency is left untreated.

This can cause xerophthalmia, which is a dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea that can contribute to irreversible blindness.

Increased susceptibility to infections

An untreated vitamin A deficiency allows the body’s defense mucous barriers to break down even further, affecting major systems like the lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and urinary tract.

This can significantly increase your risk of severe bacterial and viral infections, leading to frequent or persistent health issues.

Pregnancy complications

Pregnant women with an unaddressed vitamin A deficiency face an increased risk of maternal mortality.

It also affects the unborn baby, causing complications like birth defects, premature birth, and low birth weight. These can cause developmental issues later in life.

Increased risk of mortality

An increased susceptibility to infection, a weakened immune system, and vulnerability in multiple organs make a vitamin A deficiency particularly dangerous.

This can increase the risk of conditions like liver disorders, which can contribute to a higher risk of mortality, especially in children and pregnant women.

Can Vitamin A Deficiencies Be Prevented?

It’s entirely possible to prevent vitamin A deficiencies. This involves implementing strategies to ensure adequate vitamin A intake and absorption. 

These prevention strategies are similar to methods used for treating vitamin A deficiency and they involve dietary adjustments, supplements, and managing underlying health conditions.

If you suspect that you’re at risk of developing a vitamin A deficiency, consult your doctor about how you can address it early on.

How much vitamin A do you need to avoid a deficiency?

The amount of vitamin A required to avoid a deficiency varies by age, gender, and life stage. Below is a table that shows the different recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for vitamin A.

Where Can You Learn More About Healthy Lifestyle Habits?

If you’re looking for more information on healthy lifestyle habits to improve your overall well-being, LifeMD has got you covered.

A team of medical professionals can help you create healthy habits — all from the comfort of your home. 

Make an appointment with LifeMD to take control of your health today.

Jeffrey Vacek, DNP, FNP-C

Jeffrey graduated from Missouri State University with his Doctor of Nursing Practice and a specialization in Family Nurse Practitioner. He has practiced in primary care for the past seven years, with a focus on telehealth the past three years. Outside of work, Jeffrey keeps busy playing disc golf and pickleball with his wife and five children. He is also an avid reader, often finishing two to three books per week.

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