Scurvy
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Scurvy is a disease. It happens when you do not get enough vitamin C. People who have scurvy get spots on their skin and spongy gums. Their mucous membranes (mouth, nose, and gums) bleed. Most of the spots are on the legs. A person with scurvy will look pale. They will feel sad (see depression). They will not be able to move easily.
Sailors used to get scurvy a lot because fresh fruit could not be kept for as long as they were at sea. Today it is uncommon in the developed countries. At first, a person may get these symptoms:
- Loss of appetite
- Slight depression
- Poor weight gain
- Diarrhea
- Tachypnea (breathing fast)
- Fever
After a while, these symptoms might happen:
- Irritability
- Pain and tenderness of the legs
- Pseudoparalysis (having a hard time moving)
- Swelling of the arms and legs
- Bleeding from mouth, nose and gums
Causes:
- Inadequate intake of vitamin C
- Long sea voyages (historically)
- Famines
- Unhealthy diets
- Ignorance (eg, boiling of fruit juices)
- Neglect (can cause scurvy in babies if they are not cared for)
Treatment :
Medical Care:
Vitamin C administered by mouth or parenteral (not through the mouth) route is effective in curing infantile scurvy. Orange juice is also an effective dietary remedy for curing infantile scurvy and was the standard treatment before the discovery of vitamin C. When a person gets help for scurvy, they usually get better very quickly. The appetite of a baby with scurvy is recovered after one or two days of treatment. The symptoms of irritability, fever, tenderness upon palpation, and hemorrhage generally get better within seven days.
Diet:
A diet with lots of vitamin C can keep someone from getting scurvy. How much vitamin C a person needs depends on his or her age and is different for pregnant and lactating women. The following are the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Academy of Sciences, National Research Council's recommended amounts of vitamin C to ingest every day:
Infants: 30-40 mg
Children and adults: 45-60 mg
Pregnant women: 70 mg
Lactating mothers: 90-95 mg
Foods with a lot of vitamin C include the following:
- Citrus fruits
- Berries
- Cantaloupe
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Spinach
- Potatoes
- Tomatoes
