Symptoms of scurvy disease and treatment
It really to know symptoms of scurvy disease for treatment and prevention purposes. Fresh fruits and vegetables is key elements in scurvy prevention methods.
Vitamin plays a main role of keep the immune system on track and it reduces the chances of cancer and keeps heart healthy.
Vitamins are organic substance with key role in certain metabolic pathways; they are required in small amounts in food because they are not synthesized in the body vitamins are mainly categorized into two kinds.
- Fat-soluble vitamins. It vitamins such as A, D, E and K.
- Water-soluble vitamins. Vitamin B complex and C fall in the category of water-soluble.
Signs and Symptoms of scurvy disease
Deficiencies of vitamins still occur in developed countries, e.g. folates, thiamin and vitamin D and C. Older people and alcoholic patients are particularly at risk. Diseases or drugs induce some of these deficiencies.
In developing countries, vitamin deficiency diseases are more prevalent; for example, vitamin A deficiency is major cause of blindness in children. Thiamin deficiency and scurvy are seen in situations such as refugee camps.
Scurvy symptoms guide
In past, scurvy was known as a sailor’s disease, as it was common among them. They use to stay for longer period in sea, away from fresh fruits and vegetables. The food quality and quantity was not sufficient for a healthy life. This deficiency caused many deaths in past due to long distance journeys.
Scurvy disease was a major problem faced by many people in different era. This problem has been faced by the Hippocrates to people of age of discovery in Europe and continued to bring worry till 20th century-World War I.
Many soldiers died with the scurvy disease. Still in today’s time, people suffer with this disease due to lack of nutrients and because of vitamin C deficiency.
Lets explain symptoms of scurvy disease more deeply and with details.
Ascorbic acid is the most active reducing agent in the aqueous phase of living tissues and is involved in intracellular electron transfer.
Crucially, it takes part in the hydroxyproline of proline and lysine inprotocollagen to hydroxyproline and hydroxyl sine in mature collagen. Ascorbic acid is present fresh fruits and vegetables.
Unfortunately, it is very easily destroyed by heat, increased pH, and light, and is very soluble in water. Hence, many traditional cooking methods reduce or eliminate it.
Defective formation of collagen impairs healing of wounds and causes capillary hemorrhage and reduced platelets adhesiveness. Precipitants of scurvy are dietary deficiency such as lack of dietary of fruits and vegetables for almost more than 2 months. In children, it occurs due to infants are fed exclusively on boiled milk.
Increased requirement for vitamin C is of trauma, surgery, burns, infections, and smoking. At times, it is required because of some drugs intakes such as corticosteroids, aspirin, indometacin and tetracycline.
The clinical scurvy disease symptoms are :
- Swollen gums which bleed easily
- Per follicular and petechial hemorrhages
- Ecchymosed
- Haemarthrosis
- Gastrointestinal bleeding
- Anemia
- Poor wound healing
Scurvy disease Treatment
For scurvy treatment, a dose of 250mg vitamin C 8 hourly by mouth should saturate the tissues quickly. The general deficiencies of the patients former diet also need to be corrected and other vitamins supplements given if necessary.
There should be proper intake of fresh fruits and vegetables such as, oranges, cauliflower, green pepper, mango, papaya, grape fruit, kiwi, and strawberries.
Including all these in diet will help to improve the scurvy as well as improve the daily life. They will get active and will work hard. They will enjoy a healthy life.
Scurvy disease symptoms in animals
Most animals do not have scurvy as the produce vitamin C on their own, where as human and some other animals like pigs, bats, birds, and fish do not have power to produce their own vitamin C.
Therefore, it is important for them to obtain it form other resources such as, fruits and vegetable which contain a good amount of vitamin C.
If you will have a health questions related symptoms of scurvy disease ask it at our health experts site.
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