Vitamin deficiency anemia - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

Vitamin deficiency anemia is a lack of healthy red blood cells caused when you have lower than normal amounts of certain vitamins. COVID-19:Advice,updatesandvaccineoptions Weareopenforsafein-personcare. Learnmore: MayoClinicfactsaboutcoronavirusdisease2019(COVID-19) OurCOVID-19patientandvisitorguidelines,plustrustedhealthinformation Lateston COVID-19vaccination bysite: Arizonapatientvaccinationupdates Arizona, Floridapatientvaccinationupdates Florida, Rochesterpatientvaccinationupdates Rochesterand MayoClinicHealthSystempatientvaccinationupdates MCHS Skiptositenavigation SkiptoContent ThiscontentdoesnothaveanEnglishversion.ThiscontentdoesnothaveanArabicversion. SectionsforVitamindeficiencyanemiaSymptoms&causesDiagnosis&treatmentDoctors&departments Print OverviewVitamindeficiencyanemiaisalackofhealthyredbloodcellscausedwhenyouhavelowerthannormalamountsofcertainvitamins.Vitaminslinkedtovitamindeficiencyanemiaincludefolate,vitaminB-12andvitaminC. Vitamindeficiencyanemiacanoccurifyoudon'teatenoughfoodscontainingfolate,vitaminB-12orvitaminC,oritcanoccurifyourbodyhastroubleabsorbingorprocessingthesevitamins. It'simportanttohaveyourdoctordiagnoseandtreatyouranemia.Vitamindeficiencyanemiacanusuallybecorrectedwithvitaminsupplementsandchangestoyourdiet.Products&ServicesBook:MayoClinicFamilyHealthBook,5thEditionNewsletter:MayoClinicHealthLetter—DigitalEditionShowmoreproductsfromMayoClinic SymptomsSignsandsymptomsofvitamindeficiencyanemiainclude: Fatigue Shortnessofbreath Dizziness Paleoryellowishskin Irregularheartbeats Weightloss Numbnessortinglinginyourhandsandfeet Muscleweakness Personalitychanges Unsteadymovements Mentalconfusionorforgetfulness Vitamindeficiencyusuallydevelopsslowlyoverseveralmonthstoyears.Vitamindeficiencysignsandsymptomsmaybesubtleatfirst,buttheyincreaseasthedeficiencyworsens. RequestanAppointmentatMayoClinic CausesVitamindeficiencyanemiadevelopswhenyourbodyhasashortageofthevitaminsneededtoproduceenoughhealthyredbloodcells.Redbloodcellscarryoxygenfromyourlungsthroughoutyourbody. Ifyourdietislackingincertainvitamins,vitamindeficiencyanemiacandevelop.Orvitamindeficiencyanemiamaydevelopbecauseyourbodycan'tproperlyabsorbthenutrientsfromthefoodsyoueat. Causesofvitamindeficiencyanemiasinclude: FolatedeficiencyanemiaFolate,alsoknownasvitaminB-9,isanutrientfoundmainlyinfruitsandleafygreenvegetables.Adietconsistentlylackinginthesefoodscanleadtoadeficiency. Deficiencycanalsoresultifyourbodyisunabletoabsorbfolatefromfood.Mostnutrientsfromfoodareabsorbedinyoursmallintestine.Youmighthavedifficultyabsorbingfolateorfolicacid,thesyntheticformoffolatethat'saddedtofoodsandsupplements,if: Youhaveadiseaseofthesmallintestine,suchasceliacdisease You'vehadalargepartofthesmallintestinesurgicallyremovedorbypassed Youdrinkexcessiveamountsofalcohol Youtakecertainprescriptiondrugs,suchassomeanti-seizuremedications Pregnantwomenandwomenwhoarebreast-feedinghaveanincreaseddemandforfolate,asdopeopleundergoingdialysisforkidneydisease.Failuretomeetthisincreaseddemandcanresultinadeficiency. VitaminB-12deficiencyanemiaVitaminB-12deficiencycanresultfromadietlackinginvitaminB-12,whichisfoundmainlyinmeat,eggsandmilk. However,themostcommoncauseofvitaminB-12deficiencyanemiaisalackofasubstancecalledintrinsicfactor,whichcanbecausedwhenyourimmunesystemmistakenlyattacksthestomachcellsthatproducethissubstance.Thistypeofanemiaiscalledperniciousanemia. IntrinsicfactorisaproteinsecretedbythestomachthatjoinsvitaminB-12inthestomachandmovesitthroughthesmallintestinetobeabsorbedbyyourbloodstream.Withoutintrinsicfactor,vitaminB-12can'tbeabsorbedandleavesyourbodyaswaste. Peoplewithendocrine-relatedautoimmunedisorders,suchasdiabetesorthyroiddisease,mayhaveanincreasedriskofdevelopingperniciousanemia. VitaminB-12deficiencyanemiacanalsooccurifyoursmallintestinecan'tabsorbvitaminB-12forreasonsotherthanalackofintrinsicfactor.Thismayhappenif: You'vehadsurgerytoyourstomachorsmallintestine,suchasgastricbypasssurgery Youhaveabnormalbacterialgrowthinyoursmallintestine Youhaveanintestinaldisease,suchasCrohn'sdiseaseorceliacdisease,thatinterfereswithabsorptionofthevitamin You'veingestedatapewormfromeatingcontaminatedfish.Thetapewormsapsnutrientsfromyourbody. VitaminCdeficiencyanemiaVitaminCdeficiencycandevelopifyoudon'tgetenoughvitaminCfromthefoodsyoueat.VitaminCdeficiencyisalsopossibleifsomethingimpairsyourabilitytoabsorbvitaminCfromfood.Forinstance,smokingimpairsyourbody'sabilitytoabsorbvitaminC. Certainchronicillnesses,suchascancerorchronickidneydisease,alsoincreaseyourriskofvitaminCdeficiencyanemiabyaffectingtheabsorptionofvitaminC. RiskfactorsAnumberoffactorscanaffectyourbody'svitaminstores.Ingeneral,yourriskofvitamindeficiencyisincreasedif: Yourdietcontainslittletononaturalvitaminfoodsources,suchasmeat,dairy,fruitsandvegetables.Vegetarianswhodon'teatdairyproductsandvegans,whodon'teatanyfoodsfromanimals,mayfallintothiscategory. Consistentlyovercookingyourfoodalsocancausevitamindeficiency. You'repregnant,andyouaren'ttakingamultivitamin.Folicacidsupplementsareespeciallyimportantduringpregnancy. Youhaveintestinalproblemsorothermedicalconditionsthatinterferewithabsorptionofvitamins.AbnormalbacterialgrowthinyourstomachorsurgerytoyourintestinesorstomachcaninterferewiththeabsorptionofvitaminB-12. Youabusealcohol.AlcoholinterfereswiththeabsorptionoffolateandvitaminC,aswellasothervitamins. Youtakecertainprescriptionmedicationsthatcanblockabsorptionofvitamins.Anti-seizuredrugscanblocktheabsorptionoffolate.Antacidsandsomedrugsusedtotreattype2diabetesmayinterferewithB-12absorption. ComplicationsBeingdeficientinvitaminsincreasesyourriskofmanyhealthproblems,including: PregnancycomplicationsPregnantwomenwithfolatedeficiencymaybemorelikelytoexperiencecomplications,suchasprematurebirth.Adevelopingfetusthatdoesn'tgetenoughfolatefromitsmothercandevelopbirthdefectsofthebrainandspinalcord. Ifyou'rethinkingofbecomingpregnant,askyourdoctorwhetheryoushouldconsidertakingfolicacidsupplementssothatyourbody'sstoresoffolatewillbeenoughtosupportyourbaby. NervoussystemdisordersWhilevitaminB-12isimportantfortheproductionofredbloodcells,it'salsoimportantforahealthynervoussystem. Untreated,vitaminB-12deficiencycanleadtoneurologicalproblems,suchaspersistenttinglinginyourhandsandfeetorproblemswithbalance.ItcanleadtomentalconfusionandforgetfulnessbecausevitaminB-12isnecessaryforhealthybrainfunction. WithouttreatmentforvitaminB-12deficiency,neurologicalcomplicationscanbecomepermanent.VitaminB-12deficiencycancausetheseandotherhealthproblemsbeforeitleadstoanemia. ScurvyVitaminCdeficiencycanleadtoscurvy.Signsandsymptomsofthisrarediseaseincludebleedingundertheskinandaroundthegums. PreventionChooseahealthydietYoucanpreventsomeformsofvitamindeficiencyanemiasbychoosingahealthydietthatincludesavarietyoffoods. Foodsrichinfolateinclude: Darkgreenleafyvegetables Nuts Enrichedgrainproducts,suchasbread,cereal,pastaandrice Fruitsandfruitjuices FoodsrichinvitaminB-12include: Eggs Fortifiedfoods,suchasbreakfastcereals Milk,cheeseandyogurt Meatandshellfish FoodsrichinvitaminCinclude: Broccoli Citrusfruitsandjuices Strawberries Greenpeppers Tomatoes Mostadultsneedthesedailydietaryamountsofthefollowingvitamins: VitaminB-12—2.4micrograms(mcg) Folateorfolicacid—400mcg VitaminC—75to90milligrams Pregnantandbreast-feedingwomenmayrequiremoreofeachvitamin. ConsideramultivitaminIfyou'reconcernedaboutgettingenoughvitaminsfromthefoodyoueat,askyourdoctorwhetheramultivitaminmayberightforyou.Mostpeoplegetenoughvitaminsfromthefoodstheyeat.Butifyourdietisrestricted,youmaywishtotakeamultivitamin. Don'tsmokeSmokinginterfereswiththeabsorptionofnutrients,suchasvitaminC,soitcanraiseyourriskofavitamindeficiency. Ifyousmoke,quit.Ifyoudon'tsmoke,don'tstart.Ifyou'vetriedtoquitonyourownandhaven'tbeensuccessful,talkwithyourdoctoraboutstrategiestohelpyouquit. Drinkalcoholinmoderation,ifatallAlcoholcancontributetovitamindeficiencyanemia.Ifyouchoosetodrinkalcohol,dosoinmoderation.Forhealthyadults,moderatedrinkingisgenerallyconsideredtobe: Twodrinksadayformenage65andyounger Onedrinkadayformenolderthanage65 Onedrinkadayforwomenofanyage Adrinkis12ounces(355milliliters)ofbeer,5ounces(148milliliters)ofwineor1.5ounces(44milliliters)of80-proofdistilledspirits. ByMayoClinicStaff RequestanAppointmentatMayoClinic Diagnosis&treatment Dec.10,2019 Print Shareon:FacebookTwitter Showreferences KaushanskyK,etal.,eds.Folate,cobalaminandmegaloblasticanemias.In:WilliamsHematology.9thed.McGraw-HillEducation;2016.https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com.AccessedOct.7,2019. MeansRT,etal.ClinicalmanifestationsanddiagnosisofvitaminB12andfolatedeficiency.https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search.AccessedOct.7,2019. 2015-2020DietaryGuidelinesforAmericans.U.S.DepartmentofHealthandHumanServicesandU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture.https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines.AccessedOct.7,2019. GoldmanL,etal.,eds.Approachtotheanemias.In:Goldman-CecilMedicine.26thed.Elsevier;2020.https://www.clinicalkey.com.AccessedOct.7,2019. PazirandehS,etal.Overviewofwater-solublevitamins.https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search.AccessedOct.7,2019. VitaminC:Factsheetforhealthprofessionals.NationalInstitutesofHealthOfficeofDietarySupplements.https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/.AccessedOct.7,2019. GreenR.VitaminB12deficiencyfromtheperspectiveofapracticinghematologist.Blood.2017;doi:10.1182/blood-2016-10-569186. GreenR,etal.Megaloblasticanemias:Nutritionalandothercauses.TheMedicalClinicsofNorthAmerica.2017;doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2016.09.013. Folate:Factsheetforhealthprofessionals.NationalInstitutesofHealthOfficeofDietarySupplements.https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/.AccessedOct.7,2019. Rethinkingdrinking:Alcoholandyourhealth.NationalInstituteonAlcoholAbuseandAlcoholism.http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/RethinkingDrinking/Rethinking_Drinking.pdf.AccessedOct.10,2019. FerriFF.Vitamindeficiency(hypovitaminosis).In:Ferri'sClinicalAdvisor2020.Elsevier;2020.https://www.clinicalkey.com.AccessedOct.11,2019. PruthiRK(expertopinion).MayoClinic.Oct.15,2019. Related Products&Services Book:MayoClinicFamilyHealthBook,5thEdition Newsletter:MayoClinicHealthLetter—DigitalEdition ShowmoreproductsandservicesfromMayoClinic VitamindeficiencyanemiaSymptoms&causesDiagnosis&treatmentDoctors&departments Advertisement MayoClinicdoesnotendorsecompaniesorproducts.Advertisingrevenuesupportsournot-for-profitmission. Advertising&Sponsorship Policy Opportunities AdChoices MayoClinicPress Checkoutthesebest-sellersandspecialoffersonbooksandnewslettersfromMayoClinic. TryMayoClinicHealthLetter-getFREEbookNEW-BackandNeckHealthMayoCliniconDigestiveHealthNEW-LiveYoungerLongerSimple,effectiveHomeRemedies CON-20212610 PatientCare&HealthInformation Diseases&Conditions Vitamindeficiencyanemia