Complications of vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia problems with the nervous system. temporary infertility. heart conditions. pregnancy complications and birth defects.
Without adequate vitamin B12, you have fewer red blood cells carrying oxygen throughout your body. You can have pernicious anemia for several years before noticing changes in your body. Left untreated, pernicious anemia can cause serious medical issues, including irreversible damage to your nervous system.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause symptoms that affect your brain and nervous system (neurological symptoms), including: numbness. muscle weakness. psychological problems, which can range from mild depression or anxiety, to confusion and dementia.
A lack of vitamin B12 can cause neurological problems, which affect your nervous system, such as: vision problems. memory loss. pins and needles.
Vitamin B12–deficiency may cause serious complications, such as bleeding, infections, and problems with your brain or nerves that may be permanent. Babies born to mothers who have vitamin B12–deficiency may have developmental delays and birth defects of the brain and spinal cord.
A serum B12 above 300 pg/mL is interpreted as normal. Patients with B12 levels between 200 and 300 pg/mL are considered borderline, and further enzymatic testing may be helpful in diagnosis. Patients with B12 levels below 200 pg/mL are considered deficient.
Unlike most other vitamins, B12 is stored in substantial amounts, mainly in the liver, until it is needed by the body. If a person stops consuming the vitamin, the body's stores of this vitamin usually take about 3 to 5 years to exhaust.
If vitamin B12 deficiency is left untreated, it can cause lasting side effects that affect the nervous system and brain. More severe side effects of vitamin B12 deficiency include: Peripheral neuropathy. Degeneration of the spinal cord.
An abnormally high vitamin B12 status is anything over 900 pg/mL . This result may suggest liver or kidney problems, diabetes, or certain forms of leukemia. Low. Levels of vitamin B12 are low if they are below 200 pg/mL . This result suggests a vitamin B12 deficiency, pernicious anemia, or an overactive thyroid .
The deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause specific skin manifestations, such as hyperpigmentation, vitiligo, angular stomatitis, and hair and nail changes [1].
Conditions affecting the stomach
Some stomach conditions or stomach operations can prevent the absorption of enough vitamin B12. For example, a gastrectomy, a surgical procedure where part of your stomach is removed, increases your risk of developing a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Particularly, individuals with lung, stomach, colon, oesophageal, and pancreatic cancers are more prone to experiencing a deficiency in vitamin B12. This article will discuss different types of cancers causing vitamin B12 deficiency, associated symptoms, and available treatment options.
Signs and symptoms
One primary symptom of B12 deficiency is fatigue – a level of tiredness or exhaustion so deep that it affects daily life activities. Other symptoms are neurological and may include tingling in the extremities, confusion, memory loss, depression and difficulty maintaining balance.
Avoid foods rich in fiber
Foods high in fiber, particularly soluble fiber, can interfere with the absorption of B12. Fiber binds with B12 and prevents its absorption in the small intestine.
Low B12 level (<150 pg/ml)
- If positive, i.e. diagnostic of PA, offer long-term IM Vitamin B12 injection 1mg every 3 months. - If negative, and still asymptomatic, offer 2-month trial of oral cyanocobalamin 50-150micrograms per day as an acute prescription.
Key points about vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
Without enough red blood cells, your tissues and organs don't get enough oxygen. Without enough oxygen, your body can't work as well. Symptoms include weak muscles, numbness, trouble walking, nausea, weight loss, irritability, fatigue, and increased heart rate.
High-dose vitamins B6 and B12 have also been linked to rosacea fulminans, a condition that looks like acne. Rosacea is marked by large red bumps and pustules that typically appear on the nose, chin, and/or cheeks.
Many of your symptoms can get better with treatment. But some may not. It depends on how serious the nerve damage is. If left untreated for a long time, B12 deficiency can lead to paralysis that doesn't go away.
These are apples, bananas, oranges, mangoes, strawberries, guava, avocado, pomegranate, kiwi, and blueberries. Apples- Apples rank first in the vitamin B12 fruits list. They are delicious fruits packed with nutrients.