Vitamin Deficiency Diseases

Vitamin Deficiency Diseases

A vitamin deficiency disease is the characteristic set of symptoms which will occur as the result of lacking a given vitamin. The text below will explain all about the diseases which occur as a result of vitamin deficiency in brief.

Fat Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin A

Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Skin becomes dry.
• Cornea becomes dry
• Mucous membranes degenerate.
• Poor 'night vision'
• Serious deficiency results in complete night blindness or Xerophthalmia
• Permanent blindness or Keratomalacia may occur if the vitamin is not present in the diet.

Vitamin D

Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Rickets-This is the failure of growing bones to calcify. Bow legs are a common children and knock knees in older ones. Deformation of the pelvic bones in adolescent girls can occur which may lead to complications when they are pregnant, and give birth.
• Osteomalacia-An adult condition where the bones are painful and spontaneous fractures may occur. Here the bones are weakened and soften, becoming less mineralised with calcium and phosphate.

Vitamin E

Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Anaemia-Increased breakdown of red blood cells.

Vitamin K

Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Mild deficiency leads to a prolonged blood clotting time.
• Serious deficiency means blood fails to clot at all.

Water Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin B₁

Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Beriberi-
• Nervous system affected.
• Muscles become weak and painful.
• Paralysis can occur.
• Heart failure (In severe cases this can cause death.)
• Oedema (Tissues swollen with fluid.)
• Children's growth is reduced.
• Keto acids like pyruvic acid, accumulate in the blood.

Vitamin B₂

Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Tongue sores
• Sores at the corners of the mouth.

Vitamin B₆
Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Depression and irritability.
• Anaemia
• Diarrhoea
• Skin disorders -Dermatitis
• Cracks at the mouth corners
• Smooth tongue
• Kidney stones
• Nausea
• Convulsions

Vitamin B₅

Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Poor nerve-muscle coordination.
• Fatigue
• Muscle cramp

Vitamin B₃
Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Pellagra-the first symptom of which is a sunburnlike eruption that breaks
  out where the skin is exposed to sunlight. Later symptoms are a red and
  swollen tongue
• diarrhea
• mental confusion
• irritability
• when the central nervous system is affected, depression and mental disturbances.
  

Vitamin B₁₂

Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Pernicious anaemia.

  • Ineffective production of red blood cells

  • Faulty myelin (nerve sheath) synthesis

  • Loss of epithelium (membrane lining) of the intestinal tract.

  
  
  
  

Folic acid

Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Anaemia-particularly in women during pregnancy
• Neural tube defects, a type of birth defect that results in severe brain or neurological disorders

Vitamin H
Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Dermatitis
• Muscle pains

Vitamin C
Deficiency diseases and Symptoms

• Scurvy-Skin of gums becomes weak and bleeds.
• Wounds fail to heal.
• connective tissue fibres fail to form
• Anaemia
• Heart failure