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Xerophthalmia
 
 
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Xerophthalmia (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 for dry eyes) is a medical condition in which the eye
Eye

Eyes are Organ that detect light, and send signals along the optic nerve to the visual system and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system....
 fails to produce tears
Tears

Tears are the liquid product of a process of lacrimation to clean and lubricate the eyes. The word lacrimation may also be used in a medical or literary sense to refer to crying....
. It may be caused by a deficiency in vitamin A
Vitamin A

Vitamin A, a bi-polar molecule formed with bi-polar covalent bonds between carbon and hydrogen, is linked to a family of similarly shaped molecules, the retinoids, which complete the remainder of the vitamin sequence....
 and is sometimes used to describe that lack, although there may be other 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.






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Xerophthalmia (Greek
Greek language

Greek is an Indo-European languages native to the southern Balkan peninsula, the language of the Greek people. It forms an independent branch within Indo-European....
 for dry eyes) is a medical condition in which the eye
Eye

Eyes are Organ that detect light, and send signals along the optic nerve to the visual system and other areas of the brain. Complex optical systems with resolving power have come in ten fundamentally different forms, and 96% of animal species possess a complex optical system....
 fails to produce tears
Tears

Tears are the liquid product of a process of lacrimation to clean and lubricate the eyes. The word lacrimation may also be used in a medical or literary sense to refer to crying....
. It may be caused by a deficiency in vitamin A
Vitamin A

Vitamin A, a bi-polar molecule formed with bi-polar covalent bonds between carbon and hydrogen, is linked to a family of similarly shaped molecules, the retinoids, which complete the remainder of the vitamin sequence....
 and is sometimes used to describe that lack, although there may be other 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 in blindness.

Xerophthalmia is a term that usually implies a destructive dryness of the conjunctival epithelium
Epithelium

In biology and medicine, epithelium is a Biological tissue composed of cell s that line the cavities and surfaces of structures throughout the body....
 due to dietary vitamin A deficiency — a rare condition in developed countries, but still causing much damage in developing countries. Other forms of dry eye are associated with aging, poor lid closure, scarring from previous injury, or autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic, systemic disease inflammation that may affect many tissues and organs, but principally attacks the joints producing a inflammatory synovitis that often progresses to destruction of the articular cartilage and ankylosis of the joints....
, and these can all cause chronic conjunctivitis
Conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis is an inflammation of the conjunctiva , most commonly due to an allergic reaction or an infection ....
. Radioiodine therapy can also induce xerophthalmia, often transiently, although in some patients late onset or persistent xerophthalmia has been observed .

See also

  • Keratoconjunctivitis
    Keratoconjunctivitis

    Keratoconjunctivitis is inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva.When only the cornea is inflamed, it is called keratitis; when only the conjunctiva is inflamed, it is called conjunctivitis....
  • Keratoconjunctivitis sicca
    Keratoconjunctivitis sicca

    Keratoconjunctivitis sicca , also called keratitis sicca, sicca syndrome, xerophthalmia, dry eye syndrome , or simply dry eyes, is an eye disease caused by decreased Tears production or increased tear film evaporation commonly found in humans and some animals....


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