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Scurvy is a currently rare disease, caused by a severe lack of vitamin C that manifests itself through symptoms such as easy bleeding of the gums when brushing the teeth and difficult healing, being the treatment done with vitamin C supplementation, which must be indicated by the doctor or nutritionist.
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, can be found in citrus fruits like orange, lemon, pineapple and acerola, and in vegetables like potatoes, broccoli, spinach and red pepper. This vitamin remains in a juice for approximately half an hour and cannot resist heat, so vegetables rich in this vitamin should be eaten raw.
The daily recommendation for vitamin C is 30 to 60 mg, depending on age and sex, but a higher intake is recommended during pregnancy, breastfeeding, by women who take the birth control pill and in people who smoke. Scurvy can be avoided by consuming at least 10mg per day.
Symptoms and scurvy
Scurvy symptoms usually appear 3 to 6 months after the interruption or decrease in consumption of foods rich in vitamin C, which causes changes in various processes in the body, and leads to the appearance of signs and symptoms of the disease, the main ones being:
- Easy bleeding from the skin and gums;
- Difficulty in wound healing;
- Easy tiredness;
- Pallor;
- Swelling of the gums;
- Loss of appetite;
- Dental deformities and falls;
- Small hemorrhages;
- Muscle pain;
- Joint pain.
In the case of babies, irritability, loss of appetite and difficulty in gaining weight may also be noted, in addition to the fact that there may also be pain in the legs to the point of not wanting to move them. Know other symptoms of lack of vitamin C.
The diagnosis of scurvy is made by the general practitioner, nutritionist or pediatrician, in the case of children, through the assessment of the signs and symptoms presented, analysis of eating habits and the result of blood and image tests. One way to confirm the diagnosis is by performing an X-ray, in which it may be possible to notice generalized osteopenia and other typical signs of scurvy, such as a scurvy or Fraekel line and the Wimberger's halo or ring sign.
Why it happens
Scurvy happens due to the lack of vitamin C in the body, because this vitamin is related to several processes in the body, such as collagen synthesis, hormones and the absorption of iron in the intestine.
Thus, when there is less of this vitamin in the body, there is a change in the process of synthesis of collagen, which is the protein that is part of the skin, ligaments and cartilage, in addition to decreasing the amount of iron absorbed in the intestine, resulting in typical symptoms. disease.
How treatment should be
Treatment for scurvy should be done with vitamin C supplementation for up to 3 months, and the use of 300 to 500 mg of vitamin C per day may be indicated by the doctor.
In addition, it is recommended to include more vitamin C source foods in the diet, such as acerola, strawberry, pineapple, orange, lemon and yellow pepper, for example. It can also be interesting to take 90 to 120 ml of freshly squeezed orange juice or ripe tomato, every day, for about 3 months, as a way to complement the treatment. See other food sources of vitamin C.