Xeropthalmia

Xerophthalmia is a progressive eye disease caused by vitamin a deficiency. Lack of vitamin a can dry out your tear ducts and eyes. 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.

SYMPTOMS

The symptoms of xerophthalmia start out mild, and then get progressively worse if a vitamin adeficiency isn’t treated. If you have this condition, the thin lining of your eyelid and eyeball, called the conjunctiva, dries out, thickens, and begins to wrinkle. That drying out and wrinkling causes various symptoms. Night blindness is an early symptom.

CAUSES

Xerophthalmia caused by a severe vitamin a deficiency is described by pathologic dryness of the conjunctiva and cornea. The conjunctiva becomes dry, thick and wrinkled. If untreated, it can lead to corneal ulceration and ultimately to blindness as a result of corneal damage.