Vitamin deficiency: causes, symptoms and treatment of vitamin deficiency

Vitamin deficiency is a deficiency of one or more vitamins in the body. The degree of development of vitamin deficiency can manifest itself in different ways, from brittle nails to serious diseases. Normally, a healthy person with a varied diet should receive a huge amount of vitamins, minerals, acids and fats. If the diet is disturbed or the body for some reason does not absorb the proper dose of nutrients, there is a critical lack of vitamins. Today we will talk about vitamin deficiency - its manifestations, causes of development and methods of treatment.

How to recognize vitamin deficiency

Symptoms of vitamin deficiency are very extensive and varied. Depending on the lack of a specific element, vitamin deficiency may manifest the following symptoms.

1. Vitamin C is very important for human immunity. If the body lacks vitamin C, the skin turns gray, loses its natural glow and firmness. A person often feels overwhelmed and lethargic, his ability to work decreases, and the patient feels muscle pain. With a critical deficiency of vitamin C, the gums begin to bleed, and teeth can begin to stagger. With a lack of ascorbic acid, a decrease in immunity and an exacerbation of many chronic diseases can be noted. One of the most dangerous manifestations of vitamin C deficiency is Zing's disease. The disease was common as far back as the Middle Ages; usually, long-distance sailors and people besieged in fortresses were ill with it. The disease is manifested by dizziness, pain in muscles and joints, severe drowsiness, salivation, pallor of the skin, and a change in the structure of the gums. Vitamin C deficiency is very dangerous and can even be fatal.
2. Vitamin B1 is responsible for the psycho-emotional health of a person. With a deficiency of this vitamin, the patient often feels crushed and irritated, he has impaired speech, memory, decreases the level of intelligence, tearfulness appears, performance decreases significantly. In some cases, a deficiency of vitamin B1 leads to disruption of the internal organs - constipation or diarrhea appears, the liver increases, pressure decreases, and pains appear in the stomach and heart.
3. Vitamin A. With a deficiency of this substance, the body begins to slowly fade. The skin becomes dry and gray, begins to peel off, wrinkles and wrinkles appear. A deficiency of vitamin A in the body is immediately noticed by women - they see how the condition of the skin and face deteriorates. In many cases, vitamin A deficiency leads to visual impairment - its severity decreases, especially at dusk. The patient may feel that his eyes become dry, as when wearing contact lenses. Vitamin A deficiency can lead to depression, stress, neurosis, memory impairment, and insomnia.
4. Vitamin K is needed to maintain the integrity and elasticity of blood vessels. With a lack of vitamin K, the patient is located to the development of various bleeding - from the gums, wounds, nose, in the internal organs. With a deficiency of vitamin K, hematomas appear on the skin even from a minor blow or push.
5. Vitamin E is considered the main female vitamin, since its deficiency very quickly affects the appearance and gynecological health. Vitamin E deficiency is manifested by a lack of sexual desire - in both men and women. Moreover, a person can become tearful, irritable, muscles become weak, often numb. The skin with a lack of tocopherol becomes dry, wrinkled, pigment spots form on the surface.For a woman, a small amount of vitamin E in the body is dangerous because it becomes difficult for her to become pregnant and bear a child.
6. Vitamin B2 is responsible for many processes in the human body. With a lack of it, the oral mucosa often becomes inflamed, the sensitivity of the skin decreases, eyesight deteriorates, hair falls out, cracks and wounds may appear in the corners of the mouth. With a deficiency of riboflavin, the general condition of the patient worsens, he becomes weak and lethargic, loses his appetite and weight. In some cases, dermatological diseases may worsen.
7. Vitamin PP With its lack, diarrhea occurs, frequent heartburn, nausea, poor appetite, muscle pain. A person becomes apathetic and gets tired very quickly. One of the worst consequences of a lack of nicotinic acid in the body is Pellagra disease. It is caused by extensive symptoms - from fragility of nails and hair to baldness, the appearance of spots on the skin, impaired gastrointestinal tract and even paralysis.
8. Vitamin D. It is responsible for bone integrity and calcium absorption. With vitamin D deficiency, bones become brittle, brittle, and soft. The lack of this vitamin leads to muscle and joint pain, obesity, a significant decrease in immunity. Moreover, there are symptoms such as irritability, aggression or apathy, tearfulness, weakness, fatigue, stress, an unstable nervous state.

We have identified the symptoms of deficiency of essential vitamins. But how does vitamin deficiency develop? What could be the reason for this?

What leads to the development of vitamin deficiency

Here are the main factors that can be the cause of the appearance of vitamin deficiency.

1. Very often, vitamin deficiency develops if the necessary elements do not enter the body with food. Such a deficit can occur with strict diets in an effort to lose weight. Losing weight should be literate and eating only buckwheat or only kefir will not make you slimmer, but will lead to serious and even dangerous consequences. Mono-diets are one of the main causes of vitamin deficiency. When losing weight, the diet should be compiled by a specialist.
2. Often, vitamin deficiency develops when eating fast food and junk food, when the body does not get enough fresh vegetables, berries and fruits.
3. Vitamin deficiency often develops in third world countries, when there is no way to eat corny food normally. In ancient times, vitamin deficiency and the diseases associated with it were a frequent companion of people under siege and blockade.
4. In some cases, the cause of vitamin deficiency may be taking drugs against weight loss. They cause vomiting or inhibit the absorption of foods.
5. Long-term use of sorbents can also be a cause of vitamin deficiency, since the sorbent, entering the intestines, absorbs not only toxins, but also vitamins, and then is excreted from the body naturally.
6. Vitamin deficiency can be a consequence of various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, in which the absorption of products is impaired. Most often this is observed with dysbiosis, when the microflora is suppressed - there are no beneficial bacteria in the intestine that are necessary for the synthesis of vitamins.
7. At risk are children and the elderly, because their metabolism is imperfect - the child is only getting better, and the senile begins to malfunction.
8. Very often, vitamin deficiency develops during pregnancy and lactation. After all, at this time, all the useful elements are necessary for the consumption of the baby’s needs, and nutrition, often remains the same meager, not designed for two. That is why pregnant and lactating women so often lose their hair, break their nails, flaky skin.
9. Antibiotics and drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis can also be the cause of the development of vitamin deficiency.
10. Vitamin deficiency in urban residents is observed in winter and spring, when the amount of fresh vegetables and fruits is sharply reduced.

Knowing the main reasons for the development of vitamin deficiency, in many cases you can protect yourself from this pathological condition. But what if the vitamin deficiency is diagnosed in a child?

Features of the course of vitamin deficiency in a child

Vitamin deficiency in newborns may be due to insufficient or unbalanced nutrition of the mother during pregnancy. The transferred viruses and infectious diseases can also be a prerequisite for vitamin deficiency in the baby.

Most often, children in their first year of life have a deficiency of vitamin D. Its deficiency can cause rickets. As a result - curvature of the legs, enlargement of the skull and chest, weakness of the limbs and late independent walking. This can be avoided, because we get vitamin D not with food, but with the help of sunlight. Vitamin is synthesized in human skin during ultraviolet radiation. To treat vitamin D deficiency, you need to walk more with the baby in the sun. And you need to walk in the morning, the vitamin is absorbed only until 11 in the afternoon. It is not necessary to expose the newborn baby to direct sunlight - leave the child in the shade, the reflected rays have the same effect.

How to treat vitamin deficiency

In most cases, people with signs of vitamin deficiency try to buy a multivitamin complex, which, in their opinion, will protect them from all diseases. However, it is not. Drinking multivitamin complexes without a doctor's prescription is undesirable and even dangerous. After all, an excess of one or another vitamin in the body can also lead to disease. It is best to take tests and consult a doctor who will prescribe the right drugs for you. In other cases, you can get rid of vitamin deficiency with the help of nutrition - balanced, varied, healthy. Every day in the diet should be cereals, meat, fruits, vegetables, herbs and dairy products. And you need to alternate everything. If today you ate buckwheat, tomorrow you need to add pearl barley to the diet, the day after tomorrow - rice, etc. If today there was beef from meat in the diet, tomorrow you need to eat fish, the day after tomorrow give preference to chicken. This alternation will allow you to achieve diversity. To make up for a deficiency in a certain vitamin, you need to know what foods it contains.

1. Vitamin A - carrots, butter, beef liver, egg yolks.
2. Vitamin PP - milk and dairy products, green peas, fish, buckwheat, rye bread, fish, pumpkin, tomatoes.
3. Vitamin E - vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, beans, cereals.
4. Vitamin C - citruses, kiwi, sauerkraut, cranberries, sea buckthorn, apples.
5. Vitamin B2 - broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, dill, bell pepper.
6. Vitamin B1 - wheat bran, buckwheat, beans, peas, soy.
7. Vitamin D - fish oil, salmon, butter, red caviar, liver.

Knowing the lack of a particular vitamin, you can increase the nutrition of certain foods that will help get rid of the deficiency and defeat vitamin deficiency.

In order to prevent the development of vitamin deficiency, you need to monitor the quality of your diet. Eat vegetables and fruits seasonally, accumulate vitamins for long winters and spring. In the cold season, give preference to nuts and dried fruits.Drink decoctions of herbs, freeze berries and fruits - when frozen, they retain most of the nutrients. Care for your skin with moisturizing creams and lotions, because dry epidermis is a risk of cracks and open wounds. In addition to nutrition, you need to pay more attention to walks in the fresh air, giving up bad habits. In winter and spring, you can drink multivitamin complexes, but only after consulting a doctor. Take care of your body, because its health is largely dependent on nutrition and your lifestyle.

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