Final answer:
Vitamin A and D deficiencies lead to serious health problems such as weak immune systems, visual impairments, and bone softness. Vitamin D is also related to general immunity and may be linked to increased cancer risks. Clinical and lab testing can identify these deficiencies for proper management.
Step-by-step explanation:
Vitamin deficiencies can lead to a variety of health issues. Vitamin A deficiency is particularly problematic, as it can impair the immune system, cause visual impairment, including night blindness, and contribute to anemia. Vitamin D plays a crucial role in bone health and immunity; deficiencies can lead to bone conditions such as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults, which are characterized by the weakening or softening of bones.
Vitamin D is also implicated in broader health issues, with insufficiencies possibly increasing the risk of cancer, severe asthma, and multiple sclerosis. Vitamin E, known as tocopherol, is essential for reproductive health and preventing sterility in both males and females.
Clinical disorders like rickets, evidenced by bowed legs, and vitamin D toxicity, causing nausea and headaches, can occur from imbalances in vitamin D levels. Health professionals can assess vitamin deficiency through laboratory tests, like serum vitamin D levels, or clinical evaluations, such as bone density scans or examination of physical symptoms like eye dryness associated with vitamin A deficiency.