Are you feeling sad, tired, and depressed? Do you have memory problems? This video will
look at 9 signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency? Coming up!
Nine signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency:
I’m Dr John and this is Think Your Health. This channel looks at all issues regarding
your health so that you can stay young!!
What is Vitamin B12?
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin. Vitamin B12 is also called Cobalamin.
Why is Vitamin B12 important?
Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient. It helps make your body’s blood cells such as your
red blood cells. It also helps keep your nerve cells healthy. Vitamin B12 is important for
in helping making your DNA in all your cells. This vitamin can’t be made in your body.
Your source of Vitamin B12 is from food or supplements. In next week’s video I will
look in at causes, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment of B12 deficiency.
Nine signs and symptoms of B12 deficiency
1. Tired and weak
Feeling fatigued is a common symptom.This is because Vitamin B12 plays a role in the
production of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to different parts of your body.
If your body is not able to make enough red blood cells, your body will have a decreased
supply of oxygen to different organs in your body. A lack of red blood cells is also referred
to as anemia.
2. Numbness and tingling in your extremities
You might experience a feeling of pins and needles in your hands or feet. This is because
Vitamin B12 plays a role in the production of myelin. Myelin forms around your nerve
cells including your spinal cord and brain. Myelin forms an insulating sheath around your
cells and makes sure your nerve cells function. No wonder if production is somehow interrupted
you will have a sensation of pins & needles in your feet and hands.
3.Trouble walking
You are asking yourself how can that happen? I mentioned earlier your nerve cells can get
damaged because of long term B12 deficiency. The transmission of nerve signals between
the spinal cord and other parts of your body are therefore compromised. This can affect
your balance and co-ordination and you are at an increased risk for falling. Medically,
we refer to this as ataxia.
4.Mouth pain
B12 deficiency can lead to a large, swollen red tongue. This inflamed tongue we label
as glossitis. This can be painful, and you might have difficulty speaking or even eating.
Other symptoms can be the feeling of pins and needles in the tongue.Another oral sign
would be the development of mouth ulcers. 5. Pale skin and yellow skin
If you have B12 deficiency your skin may appear pale. What if your skin is darker? There are
subtler ways of detecting anemia. You can look at the palms of your hands or even the
inner lining membrane of your eyelids called the conjunctiva. Once again, the reason for
your skin being paler is the problem of production your red blood cells. Vitamin B12, as already
mentioned plays an important role in the production of these cell lines. Unfortunately, because
of the lack of Vitamin B12 your bone marrow builds large, fragile red blood cells which
are not able to reach your circulation. This causes a type of anemia know as megaloblastic
anemia. As your red blood cells are fragile and they break down it increases a substance
in your body called bilirubin. This can cause your skin to turn yellow as well as the white
of your eyes.
6. Blurred vision
Vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to blurry vision. This is because the nerve going to
your eye called the optic nerve can be damaged. Nerve signals travelling to the optic nerve
are interrupted. In this way your sight and vision are impaired.
7. Fast heart rate and shortness of breath
If you have reached this far in the video, you know that B12 deficiency causes anemia
because the production of red blood cells are compromised. Less red blood cells are in your
circulation. This causes your heart to work more. Your heart is trying to get more blood
around your circulation by beating faster. This is the same reason you feel short of
breath because of the lack of oxygen and because your heart is beating faster.
8. Memory problems
Low Vitamin B12 levels are associated with cognitive impairment.This study looked into
this.It must be said that if you do not have B12 deficiency as a pre-existing condition,
B12 therapy does not improve cognition. In other words if you do have B12 deficiency
cognition can be improved with appropriate supplementation. Another reason for cognitive
problems is the decreased supply of oxygen to your brain. If you are interested in how
to treat dementia naturally click right here.
9. Mood changes:
B12 deficiency can depress your mood and cause irritability. This case study you see here
looks at a 66 y/o married retired teacher. She was being treated for sadness and depression
which had been going on for 6 months. In fact she was hospitalized because her condition
worsened and she had lost 30 pounds of body weight. This patient was treated with antidepressants
and mood stabilizers in the Hospital and referred back to her primary care Doctor. Her work
up did show very low levels of B12.Her level ( below 100 pg/dl.) She also had an increased
level of homocysteine. High levels of homocysteine can also be seen in B12 deficiency.There are
theories which associate high levels of homocysteine interfering with signals being sent along
your nerve cells causing neurotoxicity ie damage to your brain .Well, with our patient
her medications were slowly tapered down and she was given a series of B12 injections.
Her mood improved as well as her activity level and her sleep.
If you are interested in how a medication called Metformin can cause B12 deficiency
click right here.Next week I’ll add a link to a video examining the causes, diagnosis and
treatment of B12 deficiency.
If you are interested in other videos click right here .Have a good day and Think
your Health.