Get the Facts About Vitamin B-12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 deficiency is also known as pernicious anemia. Pernicious Anemia is a relatively unknown disease that afflicts many people in the United States and around the world. Approximately 399,455 people in the United States were living with pernicious anemia in 1996. This means that roughly 1 out of every 680 people in the United States were living with this disease at the time of these statistics. Vitamin B12 deficiency is often misdiagnosed.

Patients with Vitamin B12 deficiency are unable to absorb vitamin B12 (folate) into their system from food. This results in many debilitating symptoms such as weakness, confusion, shortness of breath, nausea, diarrhea, difficulty in concentrating, and numbness or tingling in the hands and feet.

Because pernicious anemia is so rare doctors usually find it in the search for other causes such as heart disease, neurological disorders, and other forms of anemia. Vitamin B12 deficiency is also known as megaloblastic anemia, pernicious anemia, combined systems disease, and congenital pernicious anemia.

Vitamin B12 deficiency may be caused by three factors:

• Lack of a protein in the stomach called intrinsic factor. This protein is made by the cells in the lining of the stomach. When this protein is not produced B12 is not absorbed by the body.
• Vegetarian diets lacking in B12, or any other unbalanced diet.
• Crohn's disease or other intestinal disorders that interfere with bodily absorption of B12

Untreated pernicious anemia for the long term may lead to heart failure, heart attacks, strokes, stomach cancer, confusion, memory loss, and permanent damage to the nervous system. If left untreated patients will have difficulty with daily living along with these serious health conditions.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Vitamin B12 (folate) deficiency is easily diagnosed with a simple blood test.

Vitamin B12 deficiency, or pernicious anemia is easily treated with regular vitamin B12 injections. Depending on B12 (folate) levels when diagnosed it may be necessary to receive injections weekly to get levels back to normal then monthly. Get regular blood tests to stay on top of your B12 level.

While there is no cure for this disorder, regular injections of vitamin B12 will prevent damage to body systems. Sufferers may notice immediate results within hours of being injected with vitamin B12. Depending on the seriousness of the condition when diagnosed weekly injections may be advised for some weeks and then monthly injections.

Sometimes this condition reverses after childbirth and then reemerges during menopause.

Because this disorder is rare many doctors are resistant to even getting tests for B12 levels. Be persistent. You know your own body and the risks of being untreated are high. So do not allow your doctor to dismiss your concerns. You may need to insist on getting the blood test that will validate your concerns. Be proactive about your treatment. If your doctor refuses to give your concerns a hearing, find one who will listen. B12 injections are not harmful and will not be beneficial unless there is a deficiency.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is serious and may cause serious damage to the nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Get the help you need and do not give up.

Pernicious Anemia
http://www.medicinenet.com/pernicious_anemia/article.htm

Pernicious Anemia at eMedicine
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/204930-overview

Statistics by Country for Pernicious Anemia
http://www.cureresearch.com/p/pernicious_anemia/stats-country.htm