by Lucinda Davis

Created on: November 15, 2009

The lack of vitamin C can cause scurvy. This disease is rare in modern day age since we have such an abundance of vitamin C on the market. However, if a parent neglects to give their child and adequate diet they can cause their child to have scurvy. Adults can get scurvy too if they don't get enough vitamin C.

Vitamin C is an essential part of the process of manufacturing collagen, connective tissue to help form healthy bones and it helps the body to heal itself.

Eating a diet rich in vitamin C such as tomatoes, green vegetables, citrus fruits, broccoli, cabbage, and green peppers can prevent this deficiency. Just four to six ounces of orange juice per day provides you with the minimum daily requirements of vitamin C.

Your risk for this disease increases with pregnancy, hyperthyroidism, overcooking foods causing them to lose their vitamins, and improper diet. Also be sure that you have stored the foods properly so they don't lose vitamin content. Pregnant women should be taking prenatal vitamin supplements.

The symptoms of this disease in adults are swollen and bleeding gums, loss of teeth, rough skin, bruises, fatigue or weakness, and mental changes including hallucinations. Scurvy can increase your susceptibility to infections.

The symptoms in children to watch for are swollen legs that cause them to be tender. Children can exhibit signs of anemia and may have a fever. Also watch for bleeding gums, tender ribs, and unexplained bruises. If you suspect a child has vitamin C deficiency then handle them gently. Their bones and joints can be easily injured until the disease is corrected.

Your doctor can diagnose and treat vitamin C deficiency with blood tests. It's likely your doctor will prescribe some vitamin C tablets. You shouldn't take too much vitamin C as it can help contribute to kidney stones.

This disease can be easily avoided in this modern age. However with young teen pregnancies sometimes parents lack the necessary knowledge to care for themselves or their children.

There was a case of scurvy on television not long ago. The young parents knew something was wrong and took the child to the ER. They unfortunately didn't know enough about how to properly care for a child. The child was only eating oatmeal because the parents stated that was all he would eat. The doctor diagnosed the child with scurvy and was able to correct the problem. With proper education and proper diet vitamin C deficiency is easily avoided.

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