Vitamin deficiency anemia
In vitamin deficiency anemia, there is a lack of healthy red blood cells in the blood due to a deficiency of certain vitamins Vitamins associated with vitamin deficiency anemia include folic acid, B-12, and vitamin C
The cause of vitamin deficiency anemia can be a lack of folic acid, vitamin B-12 and vitamin C in food or a decrease in the absorption capacity of the body.
Not all anemia is vitamin deficiency Anemia is also caused by iron deficiency and some blood diseases Timely diagnosis and treatment of anemia is important Vitamin deficiency anemia is treated with vitamin supplements and diet changes
Vitamin deficiency anemia develops when the body does not have the vitamins needed to produce a sufficient number of erythrocytes Erythrocytes carry oxygen from the lungs to other parts of the body Vitamin deficiency anemia can develop when there is a lack of vitamins in the diet Vitamin deficiency anemia can also develop if vitamin absorption from food is disturbed
The causes of vitamin deficiency anemia are:
- Folate deficiency anemia Folate, also known as vitamin B-9, is found in fruits and green vegetables A lack of these products in the diet can lead to a deficiency
- Disruption of folate absorption also causes its deficiency Absorption mostly occurs in the small intestine In the case of diseases of the small intestine (celiac disease) and surgical resection of the small intestine, the absorption of folic acid may be reduced. Alcohol and some medications reduce the absorption of folic acid and cause its deficiency
Pregnant women and people on hemodialysis have an increased need for folic acid - B12-deficiency anemia (pernicious anemia) Vitamin B12 deficiency can develop due to its lack in food It is found in large quantities in meat, eggs and milk B12-deficiency anemia also occurs with small bowel resection, bacterial overgrowth, or small bowel disease such as Crohn's disease and celiac disease. B12-deficiency anemia can also be caused by the presence of flatworms in the intestines A common cause of B12-deficiency anemia is a lack of intrinsic factor
Intrinsic factor is a protein produced in the stomach that binds to vitamin B12 in the stomach and transports it to the intestines for absorption. Without internal factor, vitamin B12 cannot be absorbed and it is excreted from the body Intrinsic factor deficiency can be caused by an autoimmune reaction in which the immune system mistakenly destroys the cells that produce it in the stomach. B12-deficiency anemia caused by a lack of intrinsic factor is called pernicious anemia. - Vitamin C-deficient anemia Vitamin C-deficiency anemia develops when you don't get enough vitamin C from your diet Vitamin C-deficiency anemia can also develop when the absorption of vitamin C from food is impaired. One of the causes of vitamin C absorption disorders is cigarette smoking
Signs and symptoms of vitamin deficiency anemia include:
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Pale or yellowish skin
- Irregular heartbeat
- Weight loss
The symptoms of vitamin deficiency anemia may go unnoticed at first
