Dr Dawn Harper on signs of vitamin B12 and vitamin D deficiency
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Chronic gastritis is one of the culprits behind a vitamin B12 deficiency. When this occurs, the hands or feet may become increasingly numb, the experts at Johns Hopkins Medicine certified. Other bodily sensations can include tingling in the hands or feet (paraesthesia). The third bodily symptom of a vitamin B12 deficiency can include the feeling of nausea.
Other signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency can include:
- Weak muscles
- Trouble walking
- Decreased appetite
- Weight loss
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Diarrhoea
- Smooth and tender tongue
- Fast heart rate.
What is gastritis?
The NHS explained: “Gastritis occurs when the lining of the stomach becomes inflamed after it’s been damaged.”
Gastritis symptoms can include: indigestion, gnawing or burning stomach pain, feeling and being sick, and feeling full after eating.
If the stomach lining has worn away and been exposed to stomach acid, further symptoms might include:
- Pain
- Bleeding
- Stomach ulcer.
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When symptoms of gastritis come on suddenly and severely, the condition is known as acute gastritis.
Should the condition last a long time, it’s then known as chronic gastritis.
What causes gastritis?
One of the possible causes of gastritis is a bacterial infection with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori).
The Mayo Clinic stated: “H.pylori infection may be present in more than half the people in the world.”
Current thinking suggests that H.pylori may be passed from person to person through direct contact with saliva, vomit, or faecal matter.
Other causes of gastritis – as pointed out by the NHS – include:
- Excessive use of cocaine or alcohol
- Smoking
- Regularly taking NSAIDs
- Stressful event
- An autoimmune reaction.
Treatment of gastritis includes reducing the amount of acid in the stomach to enable the stomach lining to heal.
Medication can include over-the-counter antacids, histamine 2 (H2) blockers, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).
Current thinking suggests that H.pylori may be passed from person to person through direct contact with saliva, vomit, or faecal matter.
Other causes of gastritis – as pointed out by the NHS – include:
- Excessive use of cocaine or alcohol
- Smoking
- Regularly taking NSAIDs
- Stressful event
- An autoimmune reaction.
Treatment of gastritis includes reducing the amount of acid in the stomach to enable the stomach lining to heal.
Medication can include over-the-counter antacids, histamine 2 (H2) blockers, and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).
This is why a discussion of symptoms with your doctor can also help inform a diagnosis.
Depending on the root cause of the vitamin B12 deficiency, treatment options will differ.
One such treatment might involve injections of vitamin B12, which will need to be administered by a healthcare professional.
Another treatment method could be decided upon by a haematologist – a blood specialist.
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