Which symptoms can occur with severe zinc deficiency?

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Severe zinc deficiency can manifest through a variety of physical and physiological symptoms. These include:

Skin lesions and hair loss1
Diarrhea1
Increased susceptibility to infections1
Night blindness1
Reduced taste and smell acuity1
Poor appetite1
Slow wound healing1
Low sperm count and impotence1

In children and adolescents, deficiency has also been associated with stunted growth and delayed development of genitalia. These symptoms reflect the essential role zinc plays as a constituent of numerous enzymes, its structural function in proteins, and its importance in regulating gene expression.1