Vitamin Deficiency? What you need to know Part 1
Your child may be suffering from a vitamin deficiency. Learn the symptoms to watch out for in this article.
Vitamin deficiency usually occurs when your body doesn’t have enough of the vitamins needed to produce adequate numbers of healthy red blood cells. Vitamin deficiencies develop gradually over many months to years. A vitamin deficiency (or several deficiencies) will produce mild symptoms at first but worsen over time.
A vitamin deficiency can, if unchecked, lead to diseases in the long term. In fact, ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptians, knew about this thousands of years ago. In Part 1 of this 2 part series we examine the symptoms for vitamin deficiencies in vitamins A, B1, B2 and B5.
Vitamin A Deficiency Symptoms
- Night blindness (seeing poorly in dim light)
- Dry eyes
- Dry skin
- Bumpy skin
- Increased frequency of colds and viral infections
- Sinusitis
- Frequent bladder or urinary tract infections
- Rapid weight loss
- Loss of taste, smell and appetite
Vitamin B1 (thiamine) Deficiency Symptoms
- Excessive fatigue
- Muscular fatigue and loss of appetite
- Vague aches and pains or tingling sensations
- Numbness in hands and legs
- Severe deficiency can cause nerve damage leading to paralysis of the leg; heart problems such as palpitations or an enlarged heart; lung congestion and difficulty in breathing; gastrointestinal disorders such as indigestion or constipation; Crohn’s disease; Mouth ulcers; stunted growth; forgetfulness or mental confusion; nervous irritability or mental depression; vague fears or feelings of persecution; severe deficiency can lead to brain damage and a form of dementia (Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome).
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Deficiency Symptoms
- Dermatitis
- Peeling of skin around the nose
- Cracks or sores at corners of mouth or on lips
- Swollen or sore throat
- Shiny red-purple or inflamed or sore tongue
- Loss of sense of taste; loss of appetite
- Damage to the foetus during pregnancy
- Anaemia
- Nervousness or irritability or depression due to nerve damage
- Eyes that burn or itch or are bloodshot, or sensitive to bright light
Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic Acid) Deficiency Symptoms
- Numbness and shooting or burning pains in the feet
- Chronic fatigue
- Depression or irritability or listlessness
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Insomnia
- Abdominal cramps
- Increased susceptibility to colds or infections
Along with a healthy, balanced diet, a children’s multivitamin is one of the best ways to prevent a vitamin deficiency. ActiKid® contains these 4 vitamins as well as 15 more vitamins and minerals.
We trust you found this article useful and will be able to quickly identify any of these vitamin deficiencies in your child in the future. Is there anything else we should have added? Please let us know in the comments below.
