Scurvy

What is scurvy Scurvy is the name for a vitamin C deficiency. It can lead to anemia, debility, exhaustion, spontaneous bleeding, pain in the limbs, and especially the legs, swelling in some parts of the body, and sometimes ulceration of the gums and loss of teeth.

Fast facts about scurvy: Here are some key points about scurvy. More detail is in the main article. Symptoms of scurvy result from severe vitamin C deficiency. They include bleeding sores, tooth loss, anemia, and a reduced rate of healing for injuries. It can be fatal if left untreated. Scurvy is treatable with oral or intravenous vitamin C supplements.

What are the symptoms of scurvy? Vitamin C plays many different roles in the body. A deficiency in the vitamin causes widespread symptoms. Typically signs of scurvy begin after at least four weeks of severe, continual vitamin C deficiency. Generally, however, it takes three months or more for symptoms to develop.

Early warning signs Early warning signs and symptoms of scurvy include: weakness unexplained exhaustion reduced appetite irritability aching legs low-grade fever

Symptoms after one to three months Common symptoms of untreated scurvy after one to three months include: anemia, when the blood lacks enough red blood cells or hemoglobin gingivitis, or red, soft, and tender gums that bleed easily skin hemorrhages, or bleeding under the skin bruise-like raised bumps at hair follicles, often on the shins, with central hairs that appear corkscrewed, or twisted, and break easily large areas of reddish-blue to black bruising, often on the legs and feet tooth decay tender, swollen joints shortness of breath chest pain eye dryness, irritation, and hemorrhaging in the whites of the eyes (conjunctiva) or optic nerve reduced wound healing and immune health light sensitivity blurred vision mood swings, often irritability and depression gastrointestinal bleeding headache Left untreated, scurvy can cause life-threatening conditions.

Severe complications Symptoms and complications associated with long-term, untreated scurvy include: severe jaundice, which is yellowing of the skin and eyes generalized pain, tenderness, and swelling hemolysis, a type of anemia where red blood cells break down neuropathy, or numbness and pain usually in the lower limbs and hands fever tooth loss internal hemorrhaging convulsions organ failure delirium coma death

Risk factors and causes Your body cant make vitamin C. That means you have to consume all of the vitamin C your body needs through food or drinks, or by taking a supplement. Most people with scurvy lack access to fresh fruits and vegetables, or dont have a healthy diet. Scurvy impacts many people in the developing world. Recent public health surveys have shown that scurvy may be far more prevalent in developed nations than once thought, especially in at-risk segments of the population. Medical conditions and lifestyle habits also increase the risk of the condition.

Risk factors Humans cannot synthesize vitamin C. It needs to come from external sources, especially fruits and vegetables, or fortified foods. A deficiency may result from: a poor diet lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables, possibly due to low income or famine illnesses such as anorexia and other mental health issues restrictive diets, due to allergies, difficulty orally ingesting foods, or other reasons older age excessive consumption of alcohol or use of illegal drugs Late or unsuccessful weaning of infants can also lead to scurvy. Conditions, treatments, or habits that reduce the body's ability to absorb nutrients, such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, chemotherapy, and smoking, increase the risk.

Diagnosis If you suspect you have scurvy, your doctor will ask questions about your dietary history, check for signs of the condition, and order a blood test. The blood test will be used to check the levels of vitamin C in your blood serum. Generally, people with scurvy have blood serum levels of vitamin C less than 11 µmol/L.

Treatment Though the symptoms can be severe, scurvy is fairly simple to treat. Vitamin C is naturally found in many fruits and vegetables. Its also often added to juices, cereals, and snack foods. If you suspect you have a mild case of scurvy, eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables daily is the easiest way to treat the condition. Oral vitamin C supplements are also widely available and the vitamin is included in most multivitamins. If symptoms continue after a few days of dietary changes, talk with a doctor. For severe, chronic, cases of scurvy, a doctor may recommend high-doses of oral vitamin C supplements for several weeks to months. Theres no consensus on a specific therapeutic dose for severe scurvy. For these cases, a doctor may recommend high doses of oral vitamin C supplements for several weeks or longer. Treatment involves administering vitamin C supplements by mouth or by injection. The recommended dosage is: 1 to 2 grams (g) per day for 2 to 3 days 500 milligrams (mg) for the next 7 days 100 mg for 1 to 3 months

Recovery Most people begin to recover from scurvy fairly quickly after starting treatment. You should see an improvement in some symptoms within a day or two of treatment, including: pain exhaustion confusion headache mood swings Other symptoms may take a few weeks to improve following treatment, including: weakness bleeding bruising jaundice

Prevention Daily vitamin C recommendations depend on age, gender, and other health conditions. People who smoke or have digestive conditions typically require at least 35 mg a day more than nonsmokers.

Food sources Foods that contain vitamin C include: fruits, such as oranges, lemons, strawberries, blackberries, guava, kiwi fruit, and papaya vegetables, especially tomatoes, carrots, bell peppers, broccoli, potatoes, cabbage, and spinach Other good sources are paprika, liver, and oysters One medium orange contains 70 mg of vitamin C, and a green bell pepper contains 60 mg. Ascorbic acid can be destroyed by heat and during storage, so fresh, raw fruit and vegetables offer the best supply.