|
Could You Be B12 Deficient?
Dr. Allen Douma
Posted December 8, 2002
Q: I've read about vitamin B-12 deficiency and I have some
of the symptoms. I am short of breath, weak and nervous. Is
there a B-12 that I can take?
A: Being short of breath, weak and nervous can be the symptoms
for a lot of conditions, including major problems with your
heart and lungs. I suggest that you get a medical checkup
to determine the source of your symptoms.
But let me also explain how vitamin B-12 works, what a deficiency
does to you and what you can do if you are deficient.
Vitamin B-12 (also called cobalamin) is an important vitamin
in the production of red blood cells. Deficiency of vitamin
B-12 leads to anemia.
If there are too few red cells or if the amount of hemoglobin
in these cells is reduced, the oxygen supply to the body is
also reduced. B-12 deficiency causes a particular type of
anemia in which the red blood cells are larger than normal
but fewer in number.
This can cause the symptoms that you indicated and you may
also experience an increased pulse rate, which adds to your
sense of being nervous.
B-12 deficiency can also cause major problems directly to
the nervous system. Symptoms include: tingling and loss of
sensation in the feet and hands, spastic movements, color
blindness, decreased thinking ability, confusion and depression.
Skin and mucous membrane changes may result in an inflamed
tongue that is sore or has a burning sensation. The lining
of the intestines may likewise be affected, causing anorexia
and diarrhea.
Recent evidence has also pointed to the importance of B-12
(along with folic acid) in lowering the amount of homocysteine.
Elevated levels of homocysteine are associated with an increase
in vascular diseases, including coronary artery disease, stroke
and kidney disease.
Pernicious anemia is the term given to the anemia that occurs
when absorption of vitamin B-12 in the small intestine is
blocked. It's caused by lower amounts of an enzyme produced
by the stomach called intrinsic factor. This is by far the
most common cause of B- 12 deficiency and almost always occurs
in older people.
Decreased levels or lack of the enzyme is hereditary and
probably an immune system problem. In about 75 percent of
people with pernicious anemia, an antibody against intrinsic
factor is found in the blood stream.
The Schilling test is the standard way to determine if decreased
or missing intrinsic factor is the cause of the anemia. This
test compares the amount of vitamin B-12 absorbed with and
with out intrinsic factor being artificially added to the
diet.
Write to Dr. Allen Douma in care of Tribune Media Services,
435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1500, Chicago, Ill., 60611; or
contact him at DRFamily@aol.com. This column is not intended
to take the place of consultation with a health-care provider.
Date: December 5, 2002
© 2002 Buffalo News. via ProQuest Information and Learning
Company; All Rights Reserved
|
