Anemia is a condition caused by vitamin B12 deficiency in food or caused by inability to absorb this important vitamin from food.This shortage lead to impede production of red blood cells in bone marrow. Consist in this disease large red blood cells called large or giant cells.
This Vitamin B12 only in meat and dairy products consumed by most Americans in large quantities.
Stores of vitamin B12 in liver in sufficient quantities in average healthy adult person for five years.
Causes:
If we exclude vegetarians who deprive themselves of all dairy products, eggs, meat and fish, main reason for lack of this vitamin is having a problem with absorbing vitamin from small intestine into bloodstream.
Even absorb vitamin B12 must first be united with protein is produced in lining of stomach called intrinsic factor, or essential, while vitamin B12 is called external factor. And some people do not produce enough intrinsic factor, and therefore they cannot absorb enough vitamin B12 from their food,
resulting in that case called malignant anemia.
If of malignant anemia, which is considered an autoimmune disease, antibodies consists that hinder production of intrinsic factor. Unless treated malignant anemia giving intrinsic factor, it can be fatal.
Problems can arise absorbency other because there is one small part only of small intestine is absorbed vitamin B12.
If damage occurs to line of intestine, there will be a noticeable lack of vitamin B12. This can happen in event of sickness underground, in case of an inflammatory disease that affect gastrointestinal tract, such as Crohn's disease or surgery to remove stomach (stomach can produce intrinsic factor) or part of small intestine (where absorb vitamin B12).
This seems to be malignant anemia affects certain families genetic factors), it is also often infect people who have crossed forty. Due to role of vitamin (B12) in health nervous system, state of severe deficiency can cause serious damage to brain and spinal cord and nerves.
Symptoms:
As it happens in other cases of anemia, lack of vitamin B12 makes you feel tired and short of breath and headaches. Malignant anemia may make your skin appear yellow. May make heart rate and respiratory rate speed up to compensate for lack of oxygen in bloodstream.
Symptoms resulting from damage to nervous system is common. Feel tingling in hands and feet, difficulty in maintaining balance. Other symptoms of feeling confused and depression and memory loss. May also feel pain and inflammation of tongue.
Also can affect vitamin B12 deficiency on the levels of other components of the blood, causing low levels of white blood cells that help fight infection and low levels of platelets that help blood to clot.
In severe cases may cause anemia Vitamin B12 deficiency infertility.
Treatment Options:
If you feel vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms, go to doctor: In cases of a relative malicious close anemia, you should tell your doctor this.
Your doctor will be a complete census of number of blood cells. Examine a tinge of blood cells under microscope. This will show low levels of hemoglobin and presence of large red blood cells that characterize disease, and often show white blood cells also look unnatural.
Your doctor will examine vitamin B12 level and other tests being in search of reason behind case of vitamin B12 deficiency. Most people with malignant anemia who cannot absorb vitamin B12 never regain ability to absorb and they must eat vitamin B12 for remainder of their lives. These injections must be givens once a month.
Often, you can prevent vitamin case B12 by ensuring availability of this vitamin in your diet and through regular checkups to detect vitamin B12 levels if you are exposed to deficiency possibility. Vegetarians who have a vitamin B12 deficiency can take vitamin tablets B12 instead of injections because they do not suffer a fundamental lack of ability to absorb this vitamin.
