Signs of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Though vitamin B12 is stored in the human body for several years, many people suffer from a deficiency of this vitamin. The deficiency is generally caused because the vitamin B12 that is taken in cannot be absorbed and used by the body. The effects of a vitamin B12 deficiency generally show up first in the blood and then in the body’s nervous system.

Most cases of vitamin B12 deficiency are the result of intestinal diseases and not from insufficient vitamin B12 in diets. Often surgery or an autoimmune disease damages the parietal cells of the stomach. Then the stomach can no longer produce the intrinsic factor, the name given to the cofactor that is necessary for vitamin B12 absorption. Once the body’s stored supply of vitamin B12 is used up, which takes between three and six years, pernicious anemia results from the deficiency of vitamin B12. In some cases, it is an early sign of vitamin B12 deficiency, such as reduced cognitive functioning, that is the only symptom of the intestinal or stomach problem causing the body’s inability to absorb vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Pernicious Anemia

Pernicious anemia is a serious condition that results from the body not being able to absorb vitamin B12. The body is then unable to make a sufficient amount of red blood cells because it does not have enough vitamin B12. The red blood cells that the body does produce are very large and they do not divide in a normal way. They have difficulty getting out of the bone marrow where they are produced. This results in the inability of the blood to carry enough oxygen to the cells of the body causing extreme tiredness. If pernicious anemia remains undiagnosed and becomes severe, permanent damage can occur to the heart, nervous system and digestive tract.

Signs of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

There are many signs and symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency many of which occur before anemia develops. As the severity of the vitamin deficiency increases, neurological and psychological symptoms develop.

Early Signs of a Vitamin B12 Deficiency

• Weakness
• Fatigue
• Heart palpitations
• Paleness
• Intermittent constipation
• Intermittent diarrhea

Signs of a More Severe Vitamin B12 Deficiency

• Chest pain
• Headache
• Leg pains (intermittent claudication)
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Abdominal pain
• Menstrual problems
• Numbness in the hands or feet
• Tingling in the hands and feet
• Muscle weakness
• Decreased sensitivity to vibration
• Reduced or altered sense of touch
• Color blindness
• Soreness, redness or burning of the mouth
• Soreness, redness or burning of the tongue
• Difficulty maintaining balance and walking
• Difficulty with coordination
• Confusion
• Reduced cognitive function
• Poor memory
• Memory loss
• Depression
• Dementia
• Pernicious anemia

Alzheimer’s Disease Mistaken for Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Research has found that a vitamin B12 deficiency at times develops into a neurological dysfunction of memory loss, poor cognitive function and dementia. In certain cases, these symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are practically indistinguishable from Alzheimer’s disease and senile dementia.

Medical professionals know that the elderly population has a higher risk factor for vitamin B12 deficiency. It is essential that a proper diagnosis is made to ensure that patients suffering from a B12 deficiency are not misdiagnosed with Alzheimer’s.

Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Infants

A vitamin B12 deficiency in infants is a rare occurrence but it does happen. If it is not detected and treated, the vitamin B12 deficiency can result in severe and permanent neurological damage to the baby. At high risk are breast-fed infants of strict vegetarian and vegan mothers.

Signs of B12 deficiency in infants include:

• Failure to thrive
• Delayed development
• Movement disorders
• Megaloblastic or pernicious anemia

Conclusion

Make an appointment to see your doctor if you have signs of vitamin B12 deficiency. It can be diagnosed through a simple blood test or urine analysis. The earlier a vitamin B12 deficiency is diagnosed the sooner treatment can begin.