It's important for vitamin B12 or folate deficiency anaemia to be diagnosed and treated as soon as possible. This is because although many of the symptoms improve with treatment, some problems caused by the condition can be irreversible. There are a number of problems that can lead to a vitamin B12 or folate deficiency.
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 Most cases of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency can be easily treated with injections or tablets to replace the missing vitamins. Then, depending on whether your B12 deficiency is related to your diet, you'll either require B12 tablets between meals or regular injections. Folic acid tablets are used to restore folate levels.
These usually need to be taken for 4 months. In some cases, improving your diet can help treat the condition and prevent it coming back.
Vitamin B12 is found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, yeast extract such as Marmite and specially fortified foods. The best sources of folate include green vegetables, such as broccoli, brussels sprouts and peas.
Some people may have difficulty maintaining balance. Infants who lack vitamin B may demonstrate unusual movements, such as face tremors, as well as reflex problems, feeding difficulties, irritation, and eventual growth problems if the deficiency is left untreated. Vitamin B deficiency carries a serious risk of permanent nerve and brain damage. Some people with insufficient vitamin B have a higher risk of developing psychosis , mania, and dementia.
Insufficient vitamin B can also lead to anemia. The most common symptoms of anemia are fatigue, shortness of breath, and an irregular heartbeat. People with anemia might also experience:. Vegans face a risk of vitamin B deficiency, as their diet excludes animal-sourced food products. Pregnancy and lactation can worsen deficiency in vegans. Plant-sourced foods do not have enough cobalamin to guarantee long-term health. People with pernicious anemia may lack vitamin B Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disease that affects the blood.
Patients with this disorder do not have enough intrinsic factor IF , a protein in the stomach that allows the body to absorb vitamin B Other at-risk groups include people with small intestine problems, for example, an individual whose small intestine has been surgically shortened.
They may not be able to absorb cobalamin properly. Gastritis, celiac disease , and inflammatory bowel disease may lead to a deficiency because these conditions cause the absorption of nutrients to be reduced.
People with chronic alcoholism may lack vitamin B , as their bodies are also not able to absorb nutrients efficiently. Individuals treating diabetes with metformin are advised to monitor their levels of vitamin B Metformin might reduce the absorption of vitamin B Treatment includes vitamin B injections.
A vitamin B injection must be administered to people that have problems with nutrient absorption. Some people have difficulties absorbing vitamin B from food sources and may need to take supplements. This includes older adults, patients with pernicious anemia, and those with achlorhydria or intestinal disorders may have problems absorbing vitamin B from food.
Supplements can be taken orally or in a nasal spray. However, oral supplements do not help in many cases of deficiency.
In these circumstances, vitamin B may be injected. Vegans can take supplements to avoid deficiency, as the vegan diet remove the meat products that provide B naturally. This is particularly important during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Various B supplements are available to purchase in health food stores and online. The side effects of taking vitamin B are very limited. It is not considered to be toxic in high quantities, and even mcg doses are not thought to be harmful.
There have been no reports of an adverse reaction to B since when a person in Germany reported rosacea as a result of a B supplement. Cases of Btriggered acne have also been reported.
Cyanocobalamin is an injectable form of the supplement that contains traces of cyanide, a poisonous substance. Your GP will be aware of medicines that can affect your vitamin B12 levels and will monitor you if necessary.
Some people can experience problems related to a vitamin B12 deficiency, despite appearing to have normal levels of vitamin B12 in their blood. This can happen as the result of a problem known as functional vitamin B12 deficiency, where there's a problem with the proteins that help transport vitamin B12 between cells. Folate dissolves in water, which means your body is unable to store it for long periods of time.
Your body's store of folate is usually enough to last 4 months. This means you need folate in your daily diet to ensure your body has sufficient stores of the vitamin.
Like vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia, folate deficiency anaemia can develop for a number of reasons. Good sources of folate include broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, peas, chickpeas and brown rice. If you do not regularly eat these types of foods, you may develop a folate deficiency.
Folate deficiency caused by a lack of dietary folate is more common in people who have a generally unbalanced and unhealthy diet, people who regularly misuse alcohol, and people following a fad diet that does not involve eating good sources of folate.
Sometimes your body may be unable to absorb folate as effectively as it should. This is usually caused by an underlying condition affecting your digestive system, such as coeliac disease. This can be caused by an underlying condition that affects one of your organs, such as:.
Some types of medicines reduce the amount of folate in your body or make the folate harder to absorb. These include some anticonvulsants medicines used to treat epilepsy , colestyramine, sulfasalazine and methotrexate. Your GP will be aware of medicines that can affect your folate levels and will monitor you if necessary. Your body sometimes requires more folate than normal. This can cause folate deficiency if you cannot meet your body's demands for the vitamin.
Premature babies born before the 37th week of pregnancy are also more likely to develop a folate deficiency because their developing bodies require higher amounts of folate than normal. If you're pregnant or there's a chance you could get pregnant, it's recommended that you take a microgram folic acid tablet every day before pregnancy and until you're 12 weeks pregnant.
This will ensure that both you and your baby have enough folate and help your baby grow and develop. Folic acid tablets are available with a prescription from a GP, or you can buy them from pharmacies, large supermarkets and health food stores.
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