If you’re here, then you probably Google’d: vitamin b12 deficiency symptoms.
Contents
General symptoms of anaemia may include: extreme tiredness (fatigue)
lack of energy (lethargy)
breathlessness
feeling faint
headaches
pale skin
noticeable heartbeats (palpitations)
hearing sounds coming from inside the body, rather than from an outside source (tinnitus)
loss of appetite and weight loss
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency If you have anaemia caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency, you may have other symptoms, such as: a pale yellow tinge to your skin
a sore and red tongue (glossitis)
mouth ulcers
pins and needles (paraesthesia)
changes in the way that you walk and move around
disturbed vision
irritability
depression
changes in the way you think, feel and behave
a decline in your mental abilities, such as memory, understanding and judgement (dementia) Some of these symptoms can also happen in people who have a vitamin B12 deficiency but have not developed anaemia. Although many of the symptoms improve with treatment, some problems caused by the condition can be irreversible if left untreated. The longer the condition goes untreated, the higher the chance of permanent damag.
Symptoms Of Vitamin B12 Or Folate Deficiency
Eficiency anaemia occurs when a lack of vitamin B12 or folate causes the body to produce abnormally large red blood cells that cannot function properly. For example, iron deficiency anaemia happens when the body does not contain enough iron. A deficiency in either of these vitamins can cause a wide range of problems, including: extreme tiredness
a lack of energy
pins and needles (paraesthesia)
a sore and red tongue
mouth ulcers
muscle weakness
disturbed vision
psychological problems, which may include depression and confusion
problems with memory, understanding and judgement Some of these problems can also happen if you have a deficiency in vitamin B12 or folate but do not have anaemia.
When To See A Gp
See a GP if you think you may have a vitamin B12 or folate deficiency. These conditions can often be diagnosed based on your symptoms and the results of a blood test. It’s important for vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible.
These include: pernicious anaemia – where your immune system attacks healthy cells in your stomach, preventing your body absorbing vitamin B12 from the food you eat; this is the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency in the UK
a lack of these vitamins in your diet – this is uncommon, but can happen if you have a vegan diet and do not take vitamin B12 supplements or eat foods fortified with vitamin B12 , follow a fad diet or have a generally poor diet for a long time
medicine – certain medicines, including anticonvulsants and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), can affect how much of these vitamins your body absorbs Both vitamin B12 deficiency and folate deficiency are more common in older people, affecting around 1 in 10 people aged 75 or over and 1 in 20 people aged 65 to 74. Vitamin B12 supplements are usually given by injection at first. Then, depending on whether your B12 deficiency is related to your diet, you’ll either require B12 tablets between meals or regular injections.
Community content from HealthUnlocked.