Vitamin C Deficiency
(Scurvy)
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Not eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables can cause the deficiency.
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People feel tired, weak, and irritable.
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Severe deficiency, called scurvy, causes bruising, gum and dental problems, dry hair and skin, and anemia.
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The diagnosis is based on symptoms and sometimes blood tests.
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Increasing consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables or taking vitamin C supplements by mouth usually corrects the deficiency.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is essential for the formation, growth, and repair of bone, skin, and connective tissue (which binds other tissues and organs together and includes tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels). It is also essential for the normal function of blood vessels. Vitamin C helps maintain healthy teeth and gums. It helps the body absorb iron, which is needed to make red blood cells. Vitamin C also helps burns and wounds heal. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits, tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, strawberries, and sweet peppers. (See also Overview of Vitamins.)
Like vitamin E, vitamin C is an antioxidant: It protects cells against damage by free radicals, which are by-products of normal cell activity and which participate in chemical reactions within cells. Some of these reactions can cause damage over a person's lifetime.
Causes
In adults, vitamin C deficiency usually results from
For example, vitamin C deficiency may result from a diet deficient in fresh fruits and vegetables. Also, cooking can destroy some of the vitamin C in food.
The following conditions can significantly increase the body’s requirements for vitamin C and the risk of vitamin C deficiency:
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Pregnancy
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Breastfeeding
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Disorders that cause a high fever or inflammation
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An overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism)
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Diarrhea that lasts a long time
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Surgery
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Burns
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Smoking, which increases the vitamin C requirement by 30%
Scurvy
Symptoms
Adults feel tired, weak, and irritable if their diet is low in vitamin C. They may lose weight and have vague muscle and joint aches.
The symptoms of scurvy develop after a few months of deficiency. Bleeding may occur under the skin (particularly around hair follicles or as bruises), around the gums, and into the joints. The gums become swollen, purple, and spongy. The teeth eventually loosen. The hair becomes dry, brittle, and coiled (like a corkscrew), and the skin becomes dry, rough, and scaly. Fluid may accumulate in the legs. Anemia may develop. Infections may develop, and wounds do not heal.
Infants may be irritable, have pain when they move, and lose their appetite. Infants do not gain weight as they normally do. In infants and children, bone growth is impaired, and bleeding and anemia may occur.
Diagnosis
Prevention
Treatment
Scurvy is treated with high doses of daily vitamin C supplements, followed by a nutritious diet that supplies 1 to 2 times the daily recommended amount of vitamin C. The diet should include increased consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Most symptoms disappear after 1 to 2 weeks. Gum problems may last longer.
