Prolonged Vitamin B12 Deficiency Causes This Symptom To Appear In Your Legs

You need vitamin B12 to keep the blood and nerve cells of your body healthy. The nutrient also plays an important role in DNA production. Vitamin B12 can be sourced from a huge variety of animal foods. Some foods have been fortified with the nutrient like certain types of cereals.

If you observe a vegan diet, you may be at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency because plant-based foods contain little to nothing of the nutrient. Being deficient in this nutrient may initially produce no symptoms, but over time, warning signs and complications may start to manifest.

Vitamin B12 Complications

Deficiency in vitamin B12 can be treated with ease, making it rare for someone to experience complications. The National Health Service pointed out, however, that such complications may sometimes develop, particularly if the deficiency has been going for some time.

One serious complication that can result from a long-term deficiency is neurological problems. This affects the nervous system. Damage to your nervous system often referred to by medical professionals as peripheral neuropathy may affect the legs.

The NHS stated that the main symptoms of this condition might include shooting or stabbing pain and burning in areas affected. You may also experience loss of coordination and balance, as well as numbness in your feet and muscle weakness.

Another lesser-known B12 deficiency complication, which can be life-threatening, is stomach cancer. According to the NHS, if your vitamin B12 deficiency is a result of pernicious anemia, you are at an increased risk of developing stomach cancer. Pernicious anemia is a condition where the immune system turns against the healthy cells in the stomach.

This is why it is very important to identify the warning signs linked to a vitamin B12 deficiency at an early time. Once detected, you need to immediately seek appropriate treatment to lessen your risk of suffering from long-term damage.

Other Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Other tell-tale signs indicate you may be deficient in vitamin B12. Among these are having a sore and red tongue or glossitis, experiencing pins and needles or paraesthesia, having a pale yellow hue on the skin, and having mouth ulcers.

You may also notice some changes in the way you walk and move about, experiencing disturbed vision and becoming more irritable. Some patients suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency also experience having bouts of depression and changes in the way they think and behave. In some instances, your mental abilities like understanding, memory, and judgment may decline.

Treating the Deficiency

Depending on your symptoms and blood test results, your doctor may prescribe an appropriate treatment method that will solve such deficiency. It may include making some changes in your diet and the administration of vitamin B12 supplements through injections.