Vitamin B12 and Anemia

Vitamin B 12 or Cyanocobalamin comes from food of animal origin primarily meat, eggs or dairy products such as yogurt, cheese and milk. In the stomach, the B12 is absorbed with the help of gastric or stomach acid. Vit B12 is absorbed in the second part of the small intestines which is known as the ileum with the aid of intrinsic factor (IF) produced by special cells of the stomach known as parietal cells.

Vitamin B12 is essential for many aspects of health, including the production of red blood cells in the blood. It is necessary in DNA synthesis. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also affect normal growth and development, the production of nerves, skin, hair and genes and normal metabolism.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can be serious if untreated, because it can lead to decreased production of red blood cells in the blood. Healthy amounts of red blood cells are necessary for the proper delivery of necessary oxygen to the body's cells and tissues. A lack of sufficient amounts of red blood cells due to vitamin B12 deficiency results in a serious complication called vitamin B12 deficiency anemia.

The symptoms of vitamin B12-deficiency anemia include:

• feeling very tired
• breathlessness after little exercise
• palpitations - the sensation of feeling your heartbeat thumping in your chest
• headaches
• a reduced appetite
• a sore mouth and tongue

If you have vitamin B12-deficiency anemia, you may also look pale or jaundiced (have a yellowy tinge to your skin and the whites of your eyes).

Like the symptoms of anemia, vitamin B12-deficiency may cause symptoms related to your nerves. This is called vitamin B12 neuropathy. It may affect your movement and sensation, especially in your legs, cause numbness or 'pins and needles' and decrease your sensitivity to touch, vibration or pain. It can also cause confusion, depression, poor concentration and forgetfulness.

Vitamin B12 deficiency maybe produced in several ways. The most common is a deficiency of intrinsic factor (Pernicious anemia). Another cause is failure to release B12 from binding proteins caused by severe deficiency in gastric acid. A third cause is other malabsorption syndrome involving the ileum e.g. overgrowth of bacteria in that part of the intestines.

Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disease. An autoimmune disease is a condition caused by antibodies from your immune system attacking your body. Your immune system mistakes your own tissue as foreign and attacks it, causing inflammation. If you have pernicious anaemia, the inflammation happens in the lining of your stomach. Thus, the cells that produce intrinsic factor are damaged.

To diagnose Vitamin B 12 deficiency, a blood sample must be taken to check the level of hemoglobin, the size of the RBC and Vitamin B12 Assays. The hemoglobin is decreased in Vitamin B12 deficiency. The RBC size is larger than normal (Normal RBC size is 7-8 micrometers). Vitamin B12 Assays reveals malabsorption of Vitamin B 12.

Vitamin B12-deficiency anemia is usually treated with injections of vitamin B12. To start with, you will have a course of injections, for example once a week for six weeks. After this, you may need repeated doses every three months or so. If you have pernicious anamia, you will need to have injections for the rest of your life.

Vitamin B12 injections can sometimes cause bruising and soreness where the needle was inserted. Other side-effects include feeling sick, headaches and dizziness, but these are rare.

References:
www.wrongdiagnosis.com> visited November 16,2010

http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/ visited November 16,2010

Clinical Laboratory Medicine by Richard Ravel