Symptoms of Vitamin deficiency

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Symptoms of Vitamin deficiency: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of Vitamin deficiency.

Vitamin A deficiency: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Typically, the first symptom of vitamin A deficiency is night blindness (nyctalopia), which usually becomes apparent when the patient enters a dark place or is caught in the glare of oncoming headlights while driving at night. This condition can progress to xerophthalmia, or drying of the conjunctivas, with development of gray plaques (Bitot’s spots); if unchecked, perforation, scarring, and blindness may result. Keratinization of epithelial tissue causes dry, scaly skin; follicular hyperkeratosis; and shrinking and hardening of the mucous membranes, possibly leading to infections of the eyes and the respiratory or genitourinary tract. An infant with severe vitamin A deficiency shows signs of failure to thrive and apathy, along with dry skin and corneal changes, which can lead to ulceration and rapid destruction of the cornea.

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Vitamin B deficiencies: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Thiamine deficiency causes polyneuritis and, possibly, Wernicke’s encephalopathy and Korsakoff’s psychosis. In infants (infantile beriberi), this deficiency produces edema, irritability, abdominal pain, pallor, vomiting, loss of voice and, possibly, seizures. In wet beriberi, severe edema starts in the legs and moves up through the body; dry beriberi causes multiple neurologic symptoms and an emaciated appearance. Thiamine deficiency may also cause cardiomegaly, palpitations, tachycardia, dyspnea, and circulatory collapse. Constipation and indigestion are common; ataxia, nystagmus, and ophthalmoplegia are also possible.

Riboflavin deficiency characteristically causes cheilosis (cracking of the lips and corners of the mouth), sore throat, and glossitis. It may also cause seborrheic dermatitis in the nasolabial folds, scrotum, and vulva and, possibly, generalized dermatitis involving the arms, legs, and trunk. This deficiency can also affect the eyes, producing burning, itching, light sensitivity, tearing, and vascularization of the corneas. Late-stage riboflavin deficiency causes neuropathy, mild anemia and, in children, growth retardation.

Niacin deficiency in its early stages produces fatigue, anorexia, muscle weakness, headache, indigestion, mild skin eruptions, weight loss, and backache. In advanced stages (pellagra), it produces dark, scaly dermatitis, especially on exposed body parts, that makes the patient appear to be severely sunburned. The mouth, tongue, and lips become red and sore, which may interfere with eating. Common GI symptoms include nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Associated CNS aberrations — confusion, disorientation, and neuritis — may become severe enough to induce hallucinations and paranoia. Because of this triad of symptoms, pellagra is sometimes called a “3-D” syndrome — dementia, dermatitis, and diarrhea. If not reversed by therapeutic doses of niacin, pellagra can be fatal.

Pyridoxine deficiency in infants causes a wide range of symptoms: dermatitis, occasional cheilosis or glossitis unresponsive to riboflavin therapy, abdominal pain, vomiting, ataxia, and seizures. This deficiency can also lead to CNS disturbances.

Cobalamin deficiency causes pernicious anemia, which produces anorexia, weight loss, abdominal discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, and glossitis; peripheral neuropathy; and, possibly, ataxia, spasticity, and hyperreflexia.

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Vitamin C deficiency: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Clinical features of vitamin C deficiency appear as capillaries become increasingly fragile. In an adult, it produces petechiae, ecchymoses, follicular hyperkeratosis (especially on the buttocks and legs),anemia, anorexia, limb and joint pain (especially in the knees), pallor, weakness, swollen or bleeding gums, loose teeth, lethargy, insomnia, poor wound healing, and ocular hemorrhages in the bulbar conjunctivae. (See Scurvy’s effect on gums and legs.) Vitamin C deficiency can also cause beading,fractures of the costochondral junctions of the ribs or epiphysis, and such psychological disturbances as irritability, depression, hysteria, and hypochondriasis.

In a child, vitamin C deficiency produces tender, painful swelling in the legs, causing the child to lie with his legs partially flexed. Other symptoms include fever, diarrhea, and vomiting.

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Vitamin D deficiency: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Early indications of vitamin D deficiency are profuse sweating, restlessness, and irritability. Chronic deficiency induces numerous bone malformations due to softening of the bones: bowlegs, knock-knees, rachitic rosary (beading of ends of ribs), enlargement of wrists and ankles, pigeon breast, delayed closing of the fontanels, softening of the skull, and bulging of the forehead. (See Recognizing bowlegs.)

Other rachitic features are poorly developed muscles (potbelly) and infantile tetany. Bone deformities may cause difficulty in walking and in climbing stairs, spontaneous multiple fractures, and lower back and leg pain.

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Vitamin E deficiency: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Vitamin E deficiency is difficult to recognize, but its early symptoms include edema and skin lesions in infants and muscle weakness or intermittent claudication in adults. In premature neonates, vitamin E deficiency produces hemolytic anemia, thrombocythemia, and erythematous papular skin eruption, followed by desquamation.

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Vitamin K deficiency: Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

The cardinal sign of vitamin K deficiency is an abnormal bleeding tendency, accompanied by prolonged prothrombin time (PT); these signs disappear with vitamin K administration. Without treatment, bleeding may be severe and, possibly, fatal.

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Medical articles and books on symptoms:

These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:

• More about Vitamin deficiency
• Online Diagnosis
• Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
• Pitfalls of Online Diagnosis
• Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
• Lesser known silent killer diseases
• Books on signs and symptoms

Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis

About signs and symptoms of Vitamin deficiency:

The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Vitamin deficiency. This signs and symptoms information for Vitamin deficiency has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Vitamin deficiency signs or Vitamin deficiency symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Vitamin deficiency may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Vitamin deficiency symptoms.