Pernicious Anemia: 5 Signs That Say You Are Deficient In Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 is one of the essential vitamins that the body needs. However, it seems that many individuals today are deficient in this vitamin. This is why most of them end up suffering from pernicious anemia.

What is Pernicious Anemia?

Pernicious anemia is a condition characterized by the body’s inability to manufacture the needed amount of healthy red blood cells. This happens because of a deficiency of vitamin B12 in the body. According to the Pernicious Anemia Society (PAS), there are millions of people who feel sick, but they don’t know that what they lack is vitamin B12.

Signs of Pernicious Anemia

Following what PAS stated, many don’t know how to identify the signs of vitamin B12 deficiency. Below are some of the signs that will tell you that you may lack vitamin B12 and that you may already be suffering from pernicious anemia.

1. Headache
2. Feeling so tired
3. Becoming breathless after a little exercise
4. Reduced appetite
5. Sore mouth and tongue

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If you have experienced any of these symptoms and you have been treating them as merely “normal,” then you may need to think again. You may already be exhibiting signs of vitamin B12 deficiency anemia, and you don’t even know it. The best way is to seek the advice of a medical practitioner.

Foods That Are Rich In Vitamin B12

One way to combat the symptoms of pernicious anemia is to eat foods that are rich in vitamin B12. Animal-based foods are good sources of this vitamin. Seaweeds are also great vitamin B12 sources. With this in mind, those who go for a vegan diet and hardly eat animal-based foods are at risk of becoming deficient in vitamin B12. However, those who are vegetarians but include fish and dairy in their diet are at a lesser risk of developing the condition.

Treating Pernicious Anemia

The treatment for pernicious anemia is dependent on the cause. For instance, if the cause is just a lack of vitamin B12, then it can easily be treated using tablets or injections. The latter will replace deficient vitamins in the body. One concrete example is treating pernicious anemia resulting from vitamin B12 deficiency. This is treated with vitamin B12 injections.

One caveat, though, is that it isn’t all the time that the cause of anemia is a deficiency in vitamin B12. The important thing to do is to immediately see your general practitioner the moment that you see any of the five signs of pernicious anemia.