WHAT IS B12?
Cobalamin or more known as B12 is a water-soluble vitamin that is involved in the metabolism of every cell of the human body.
Vitamin B12 is a nutrient that helps keep the body's nerve and blood cells healthy and helps make DNA, the genetic material in all cells. Vitamin B12 also helps prevent a type of anemia called megaloblastic anemia that makes people tired and weak.
CAUSES OF B12 DEFICIENCY
• Atrophic gastritis, in which your stomach lining has thinned
• Pernicious anemia, which makes it hard for your body to absorb vitamin B12
• Conditions that affect your small intestine, such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, bacterial growth, or a parasite
• Immune system disorders, such as Graves' disease or lupus
• Been taking certain medications that interfere with the absorption of B12. This includes some heartburn medicines including proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) such as rabeprazole, omeprazole, esomeprazole,, lansoprazole and pantoprazole; H2 Blockers such as cimetidine, famotidine and ranitidine; and certain diabetes medicines such as metformin.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF B12 DEFICIENCY
1.Pale or Jaundiced Skin
People with a B12 deficiency often look pale or have a slight yellow tinge to the skin and whites of the eyes, a condition known as jaundice.
2.Weakness and Fatigue
They occur because your body doesn’t have enough vitamin B12 to make red blood cells, which transport oxygen throughout your body.
As a result, you are unable to efficiently transport oxygen to your body’s cells, making you feel tired and weak.
3.Sensations of Pins and Needles
This can occur over time, as vitamin B12 is an important contributor to the metabolic pathway that produces the fatty substance myelin. Myelin surrounds your nerves as a form of protection and insulation. Without B12, myelin is produced differently, and your nervous system isn’t able to function properly. Thus, it produces these sensations.
4.Changes to Mobility
If untreated, the damage to your nervous system caused by a B12 deficiency could cause changes to the way you walk and move.
It may even affect your balance and coordination, making you more prone to falling.
5.Glossitis and Mouth Ulcers
Studies have shown that a swollen and inflamed tongue that has long straight lesions on it could be an early sign of vitamin B12 deficiency.
6.Breathlessness and Dizziness
If you become anemic due to a B12 deficiency, you may feel short of breath and a bit dizzy, especially when you exert yourself. This is because your body lacks the red blood cells it needs to get enough oxygen to your body’s cells.
7.Disturbed Vision
This can occur when an untreated B12 deficiency results in nervous system damage to the optic nerve that leads to your eyes.
8.Mood Changes
People with B12 deficiency often report changes in mood. In fact, low levels of B12 have been linked to mood and brain disorders like depression and dementia.
9.High Temperature
A very rare but occasional symptom of B12 deficiency is a high temperature. It’s not clear why this occurs, but some doctors have reported cases of fever that has normalized after treatment with low levels of vitamin B12.
HOW MUCH B12 YOU NEED
The average recommended amounts, measured in micrograms (mcg), vary by age:
•Infants up to age 6 months: 0.4 mcg
•Babies age 7-12 months: 0.5 mcg
•Children age 1-3 years: 0.9 mcg
•Kids age 4-8 years: 1.2 mcg
•Children age 9-13 years: 1.8 mcg
•Teens age 14-18: 2.4 mcg (2.6 mcg per day if pregnant and 2.8 mcg per day if breastfeeding)
•Adults: 2.4 mcg (2.6 mcg per day if pregnant and 2.8 mcg per day if breastfeeding)
TREATMENT FOR B12 DEFICIENCY
Usually, vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is easy to treat with diet and vitamin supplements. To increase the amount of vitamin B12 in your diet, eat more foods that contain it, such as:
•Beef, liver, and chicken
•Fish and shellfish such as trout, salmon, tuna fish, and clams
•Fortified breakfast cereal
•Low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese
•Eggs
Doctors might recommend that you also take a vitamin B12 supplement. It comes in pills or a nasal spray. If you are very low in this vitamin, you can get higher-dose vitamin B12 shots. You may need to take vitamin B12 for the rest of your life. You might also need to get treated for the condition that causes your anemia.
But increasing your vitamin B12 levels is a key thing you can do. If you ignore it for too long, it can damage your heart, brain, nerves, bones, and other organs in your body.
With treatment, you should feel better and avoid any long-term problems.
Download our Doc2Us app from Google Play Store or Apple Store and chat with a doctor now.
REFERENCES:
IMAGES:
1.https://images.app.goo.gl/AvyMqPpGacKVmVQB6
2.https://images.app.goo.gl/6gm2T9DgfVg6i72t6
3.https://images.app.goo.gl/s4tu2HZSCij6syAS9
4.https://images.app.goo.gl/kVa9uFnz5GvkYiRC9
