Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are important to recognize. The reason is, this vitamin has a very big role for health, starting from producing red blood cells, improving nerve function, to helping the process of making genetic material in every cell of the body.
Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can be felt if a person does not meet the daily need for this vitamin for a long time. Adults require intake of this vitamin as much as 2.4 mg per day.
Vitamin B12 is found in many animal foods such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and milk. People who limit their diet, such as a vegetarian, or people with intestinal disorders, such as celiac disease, are more susceptible to vitamin B12 deficiency anemia and the symptoms of a deficiency of this vitamin.
Various Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
There are various symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency. Following are some of them:
1. Easily tired and feel weak
One of the symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency is fatigue and weakness. This condition can occur because a lack of vitamin B12 can reduce the production of red blood cells that play a role in circulating oxygen throughout the body.
When the production of red blood cells decreases, oxygen cannot be circulated throughout the body optimally. As a result, the body's cells are deprived of the oxygen needed to produce energy and eventually you will feel tired and weak, even though the activity you are doing is not so strenuous.
2. Pale skin
Pale skin can also be a sign of a lack of vitamin B12 intake. When red blood cell production decreases due to vitamin B12 deficiency, the body will prioritize blood flow to vital organs such as the brain and lungs rather than to the skin. Eventually, the skin will look paler.
In addition, the red blood cells produced when the body lacks vitamin B12 will also be larger in size, making it difficult for them to enter the skin's small blood vessels.
3. Shortness of breath
The next symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency is shortness of breath. It has been known previously that a lack of vitamin B12 will make the body's tissues lack oxygen.
Now, When there is a lack of oxygen, the body will increase the rate of breathing in order to increase the intake of oxygen from the lungs. As a result, the breath becomes faster and shorter.
4. Tingling
In the long term, vitamin B12 deficiency can trigger nerve damage. The reason is, vitamin B12 plays a role in the metabolism of myelin formation, which is the fat that coats and protects the peripheral nerves (peripheral neuropathy).
If the body lacks vitamin B12, myelin cannot be produced properly and the nervous system cannot function properly. Disorders of this nerve function can be in the form of tingling or paresthesias in the feet and hands.
5. Blurred vision
Nerve damage due to lack of vitamin B12 intake can also make your vision blurry or impaired. If damage occurs to the nerve that connects the eye and brain, the nerve signals that travel from the eye to the brain are also disrupted. As a result, the eye's ability to see is reduced.
6. Decreased balance
Nerve damage due to a severe vitamin B12 deficiency can impair your motor system. In fact, this condition can affect balance and coordination of the limbs, so you can fall more easily. Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency on this one generally occur in the elderly.
In addition to this, other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency that may appear are dizziness, diarrhea, weight loss, inflammation of the tongue and canker sores, mood swings, high body temperature, and forgetfulness and difficulty concentrating.
The symptoms above can certainly interfere with or even harm a person, both at work or in carrying out daily activities. Fortunately, the symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency can be corrected simply by meeting the daily requirements of this vitamin.
So, consult a doctor if you feel these symptoms, especially if you fall into the group of people who are at high risk for vitamin B12 deficiency. Your doctor may prescribe a vitamin B12 supplement to treat symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency.