Everyday symptoms
Vitamin A Deficiency Symptoms After 60: Dry Eyes, Dry Mouth and Bumpy Skin
Educational only, not medical advice. Talk to your own doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist. In an emergency, call 911.
What this video covers
Dry eyes, a dry mouth and rough bumps on your arms are three complaints almost nobody connects, but they can be signs of low vitamin A. In this video, Nurse Ade explains how vitamin A protects the moist surfaces of your body, why absorption can change with age, and why two or three signs together matter more than one alone.
You will learn the three signs: dry eyes and night blindness, dry mouth, and keratosis pilaris, also called bumpy skin. Nurse Ade explains the blood test to ask for, serum retinol, and gives an honest warning: vitamin A is one of the few vitamins where too much can also cause harm. She explains the difference between preformed vitamin A and beta carotene, why only one of them can build up to toxic levels, the daily amounts, the 3,000 microgram upper limit, and the hip fracture research. The video ends with a simple shopping list: eggs, dairy, fish, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach and kale. It is for adults over 60, especially anyone who takes a multivitamin or cod liver oil, or eats liver often.
Key points
- The 3 signs: dry eyes and night blindness, dry mouth, and keratosis pilaris (bumpy skin)
- Why two or three signs together matter more than one alone
- Why absorption can drop with age, and the serum retinol blood test
- Preformed vitamin A vs. beta carotene, and why only one can build up to toxic levels
- Daily amounts, the 3,000 microgram upper limit, and the hip fracture research
- A simple shopping list: eggs, dairy, fish, sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach and kale
Chapters
- 0:00 Three Common Symptoms You Are Ignoring
- 2:12 Decoding Your Body's Warning Signs
- 4:43 Why Absorption Matters As You Age
- 6:20 The Dangerous Trap Of Vitamin A Overdose
- 9:47 Your Practical Shopping List For Health
