Bitot spots correspond to greyish-white, oval, spurous, irregularly shaped spots inside the eyes.This stain is usually due to the lack of vitamin A in the body, which causes an increase in the concentration of queratin in the conjunctiva of the eye.
Lack of vitamin A is often characteristic of a condition called xerophthalmia or night blindness, which corresponds to the inability to produce tears and difficulty seeing, especially at night, so Bitot stains usually correspond to one of the clinical manifestations of xerophthalmia.xerophthalmia and how to identify it.
In addition to the appearance of grayish white spots inside the eye, there may also be:
Diagnosis of Bitot stains can be done by biopsy the injured tissue and looking for the amount of vitamin A in the blood.
The main cause of Bitot spots is vitamin A deficiency, which can occur either by a decrease in foods containing this vitamin, or by situations that make it difficult for the body to absorb the vitamin, such as malabsorption syndrome, for example.
However, stains may also appear as a result of inflammation of the conjunctiva, called conjunctivitis.See what types of conjunctivitis they are.
Treatment is usually done with the aim of eliminating the cause of bitot stain, and your doctor may recommend the use of vitamin supplements and increased consumption of vitamin A-rich foods such as liver, carrots, spinach and mango.foods are rich in vitamin A.
In addition, the ophthalmologist may indicate the use of specific eye drops to reduce corneal dryness.Find out what types of eye drops they are and what they’re for.