Scurvy due to vitamin C deficiency

A lack of vitamin C can lead to defective collagen and connective tissue formation, causing bruises, bleeding gums, red spots on the skin, joint pain, making wounds difficult to heal and causing pain. severe scurvy.

1. What is Scurvy (Scurvy)?

Scurvy is the name of the deficiency of vitamin C. It can cause anemia, weakness, fatigue, spontaneous bleeding, pain in the extremities, especially pain in the legs, swelling in some parts. body, sometimes causing gingivitis and tooth loss.
This is a chronic disease and is considered relatively serious. Most people who know about the disease think it is a disease of the past, when sailors spent months at sea, living in a state of scarcity of fresh fruit and vegetables. Although diseases are not common in modern society, they do exist. Anyone who doesn't get enough vitamin C in their daily diet is at risk.

2. Causes of Scurvy

The cause of scurvy is vitamin C deficiency. In fact, the human body cannot synthesize vitamin C on its own nor can it store vitamin C for too long. Therefore, we must regularly supplement vitamin C through the diet (foods as well as drinks). People who don't get enough vitamin C for a long time are at risk of scurvy and experiencing serious symptoms and complications.

3. Risk factors

Unhealthy diet: People who often neglect, do not take care of their own eating or eat in an uncontrolled way such as alcoholics, illegal drug users, the elderly, people mental illness. Diets: Certain diets, especially those that eliminate certain food groups, can cause malnutrition. One of these extreme diets includes a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet. Dependency: There are many elderly people and children who do not receive adequate and decent care. Anti-allergy diet: This is a strict diet designed to control allergies. Eating disorders: Anorexia nervosa (anorexia nervosa), bulimia nervosa. Smoking: Smokers have a reduced ability to absorb vitamin C. People with malabsorption: These people often have difficulty absorbing nutrients, including vitamin C. Children and young children: If children do not get enough vitamins as recommended, parents need to find out what vitamins they need for their children. Elderly: Inability to cook or maintain a healthy diet.

4. Symptoms of Scurvy

Initially, patients with Scurvy often do not have specific and obvious symptoms like many other diseases. Some patients with the disease often subjectively think that this is a sign of a common cold.
Symptoms of vitamin C deficiency may begin to appear after 8-12 weeks. Early signs include loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, irritability, and lethargy. Within 1-3 months, there may be signs such as: Anemia, muscle or bone pain, swelling or edema, bleeding or small spots, red color from bleeding under the skin, twisted hair, disease about lost gums and teeth , slow wound healing , difficulty breathing , mood swings and depression .

Đau họng viêm họng khàn giọng thanh quản khó thở hóc — Người bệnh có thể xuất hiện triệu chứng khó thở

Over time, the patient will show signs of generalized edema, severe jaundice, red blood cell destruction or hemolysis, sudden and spontaneous bleeding, neuralgia, fever, convulsions and possibly dead.
Infants with scurvy will become anxious and irritable, and may develop a frog's leg position due to pain. The growth of the long bones of the arms and legs is often limited, causing stunting in children. In addition, a lack of vitamin C causes growth plates in the bones to harden prematurely. In people of all ages, untreated scurvy can lead to complications including anemia, heart attack, or death. Patients may also have subperiosteal hemorrhage, a type of bleeding that occurs at the ends of long bones.

5. Diagnosis of Scurvy The diagnosis of scurvy will be based on the following factors:
Physical examination Collect medical history The doctor will ask the patient some detailed questions about dietary habits or diet Blood tests to check vitamin C and iron levels X-rays of joints in some places such as knees, wrists and ribs 6. Treatment of Scurvy The main treatment for this disease is to increase it. Increase your daily vitamin C intake, and the easiest way is through the diet. The recommended daily dose of vitamin C supplements is as follows: 1-2g per day for 2 to 3 days. 500mg for the next 7 days. 100mg for 1 to 3 months.
If the treatment is effective, within 24 hours, the bleeding under the skin and bleeding gums will stop. For joint pain, muscle pain, it takes a few weeks to subside.

For anemia caused by malnutrition, the patient is likely to need to be treated by improving the diet and taking certain supplements in the short term. In addition, other related issues such as eating disorders or alcoholism may need to be addressed.

7. Lifestyle suitable for scurvy

Scurvy can be prevented by getting enough vitamin C, preferably from the diet, but sometimes it needs to be supplemented through supplements.
Accordingly, the best way to get enough vitamins and minerals is a healthy and balanced diet. In addition, vitamin C can be supplemented through foods such as green vegetables, fresh fruits and vegetables. The vegetables with a lot of vitamin C are cruciferous vegetables, water spinach, celery... The fruits with a lot of vitamin C are apples, the fruits with cloves such as oranges, tangerines, lemons, grapefruits...
However, you should be supplemented with a moderate amount, because an overdose of vitamin C can cause oxalate stones (due to dehydro ascorbic conversion to oxalic acid), or urate kidney stones. In addition, prolonged use of high doses of vitamin C in pregnant women causes an abnormal increase in vitamin C requirements in the fetus, leading to early scurvy in the neonate.

Thực phẩm chức năng — Người bệnh có thể bổ sung vitamin C thông qua một số loại thực phẩm chức năng

Vinmec International General Hospital is the address for examination, treatment and prevention of diseases. When performing the examination process at Vinmec, customers will be welcomed and used modern facilities and equipment along with perfect medical services under the guidance and advice of experts. Good doctors, well-trained both at home and abroad.

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Bài viết này được viết cho người đọc tại Sài Gòn, Hà Nội, Hồ Chí Minh, Phú Quốc, Nha Trang, Hạ Long, Hải Phòng, Đà Nẵng.