Scurvy

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

Scurvy is nothing more than a serious deficiency of vitamin C. Although it's easily corrected with supplements, it can cause a number of alarming symptoms. Vitamin C is essential for healthy connective tissue, bones, and teeth, and without it these tissues become weak and easily damaged. Vitamin C also plays an important role in the healing process, so people with a deficiency find that wounds and burns are slow to heal. There are two forms of scurvy: adult and infantile.

Causes

Scurvy develops when the diet lacks adequate amounts of vitamin C. Certain conditions increase the body's demand for vitamin C and therefore increase the risk of deficiency. These conditions include pregnancy, breastfeeding, diarrhea, inflammatory diseases, burns, surgery, and exposure to intense heat or cold.

Signs/Symptoms

The most easily recognized tip-offs of scurvy are swollen, purple, spongy gums that are quick to bleed. Subtle early warning signs include fatigue, weight loss, weakness, irritability, vague aches, and wounds that do not heal. As the disease gets worse, the teeth may loosen and you may begin to notice bleeding under the skin, especially under the fingernails and around hair follicles. Other possible symptoms include swelling in the legs, bleeding in the lining of the eyelid, and arthritis.

In infants, early symptoms of scurvy are irritability, loss of appetite, and failure to gain weight. Because internal bleeding at the surface of the bones makes movement painful, the baby may keep his legs motionless and scream whenever he's moved. The child may also suffer from an abnormal enlargement of the joints and swelling at the ends of long bones such as the thighs. Gum problems are unlikely until the child begins teething, but fever, anemia (a deficiency of red blood cells), and increased pulse and respiration rates are common.

Care

For adults, 250 milligrams of vitamin C four times a day usually cures the disease quickly. In severe cases, doses of 300 to 500 milligrams daily may be needed for several months.

For infants, the initial dose is 50 milligrams four times daily for one week, followed by 50 milligrams three times daily for another month.

Risks

Long-term vitamin C deficiency can lead to a number of chronic health problems, including irreversible damage to the teeth and gums and damage to the blood vessel walls.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

• Ensure that your diet includes plentiful amounts of vitamin C, which is found in citrus fruits, tomatoes, cabbage, and peppers.
• Consider taking a vitamin C tablet daily if you are pregnant, nursing, over age 55, recovering from surgery, or suffering from a burn, diarrhea, or an inflammatory disease. A dose of 100 milligrams a day is sufficient.

Call Your Doctor If...

• You develop signs of vitamin C overdose such as cramps, vomiting, or diarrhea.

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