KEY POINTS

  • Vitamin B12 deficiency could lead to a number of health problems
  • There is one symptom that is manifested on how you breathe that could tell you that you're deficient from this vitamin
  • It is experiencing shortness of breath

Vitamin B12 is a necessary vitamin, such that when the body lacks thereof, it could suffer from a number of health issues. A deficiency from vitamin B12 can be treated except if the cause is internal, wherein the body couldn’t absorb the vitamin. However, if it is caused by not eating the right kinds of food that contain vitamin B12, you could still treat it.

The moment that your body lacks the vitamin, it would start to show symptoms of the deficiency. One of the symptoms can be found in your breath.

Breathing Signs

If you are deficient from vitamin B12, you may experience shortness of breath. On a normal scale, a little exercise will not lead you to experience this. However, the situation is different for those who suffer from vitamin B12 deficiency.

shortness of breath, vitamin b12
shortness of breath, vitamin b12 sasint - Pixabay

According to Express, when you lack this vitamin, there would be a lesser number of red blood cells that would be made. When you only have fewer red blood cells, you are prone to suffer from nerve damage. If this is not immediately treated, it could lead to a heart problem. So if you feel that your breathing became short as compared to what it used to be, then there’s a possibility that you might be deficient from vitamin B12.

Other Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms

Aside from experiencing shortness of breath, a deficiency from this vitamin has other symptoms. Some of these include tiredness or light-headedness. There may be times that you would feel weak, or that you would notice having pale skin, or a smooth tongue, or suffer from constipation. Any of these symptoms could signal a deficiency in vitamin B12.

Treating the Deficiency

One of the ways to treat vitamin B12 deficiency is to go for vitamin B12 supplementation. There are instances when you may need to get injections upon the recommendation of your doctor. You may also treat the deficiency by eating foods that are rich in vitamin B12. Some of these foods include milk, fish, poultry, and eggs. By increasing your food intake of these vitamin B12-rich foods, you would be able to provide your body with the right amount of vitamin B12 it needs.