04:01 ص
Tuesday 24 May 2022
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Vitamin B12 performs many important functions in the body, including maintaining a healthy nervous system, and its deficiency can cause a number of problems, some of which may undermine quality of life.
A telltale sign of a low vitamin B12 level may be spotted first thing in the morning, according to the Express website.
And according to what the site quoted from an article published by the British Medical Journal, “One of the most common and debilitating symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency is extreme fatigue.”
He added, “Extreme fatigue can be especially evident when you wake up in the morning,” according to the “Sputnik” website.
In other words, if you feel tired when you wake up despite a good sleep, you may have low vitamin B12.
Also: “If the patient’s mood is low at the same time, this can easily be interpreted as depression.”
Other possible symptoms include:
A pale yellow tinge on your skin
Inflammation and redness of the tongue
mouth ulcer
Pins and needles (numbness)
Changes in the way you walk and move
blurred vision
Changes in the way you think, feel and act
A decrease in your mental abilities, such as memory, comprehension and judgment (dementia).
The NHS says you should see a GP if you have symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, and adds: ‘Although many symptoms improve with treatment, some problems caused by the condition can be irreversible. For repair if left untreated, the longer the condition goes untreated, the greater the chance of permanent damage.”
Are you at risk of vitamin B12 deficiency?
Vitamin B12 is found naturally only in animal products such as meat and dairy, so vegetarians are at risk of low levels of this important vitamin.
Older adults and others who do not produce enough stomach acid to absorb B12 properly, may also be at risk of deficiency.
Most people can be treated easily with injections or tablets to replace lost vitamins.
