Vitamin C Deficiency Treatment in Kokomo, IN
Your body relies on an essential nutrient, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), to grow and repair tissues, prevent cell damage and produce collagen and blood vessels. Supporting many additional health benefits, vitamin C is also necessary for optimal immune function and, without it, a number of health consequences may follow—including increased susceptibility to bruising, slow wound healing and easily swelling gums.
Known colloquially as scurvy, a diminutive of the Latin word scorbutus, severe vitamin C deficiency derives from a dearth of vitamin C in the diet. Known historically to have affected sailors of the 16th and 18th centuries, whose sea voyages deprived them of proper vitamin C intake, and was often the root of their ultimate demise, scurvy is now considerably rare.
If you suspect you are suffering from insufficient levels of vitamin C, it is important to meet with a healthcare provider who can determine the underlying cause of your vitamin C deficiency and develop a treatment plan that addresses your body's unique needs. To schedule a consultation with a qualified healthcare provider in Kokomo that specializes in vitamin C deficiency treatment, call (765) 259-0545 or contact Charles Turner MD online.
Vitamin C Deficiency Symptoms
In the beginning, vitamin C deficiency symptoms may include:
- Poor immune response
- Swollen or bleeding gums
- Slow wound healing and easy bruising
- Appetite loss or inability to gain weight
- Nosebleeds
- Diarrhea
- Fever
- Fatigue and irritability
- Muscle and joint pain
As the disease progresses, the telltale scurvy symptoms, which include bleeding from the gums and loosened teeth, may present. Additional symptoms you may experience may include:
- Petechial hemorrhage of the skin and mucous membranes (a miniscule pinpoint red mark)
- Damage to the eye including bleeding and proptopsis (eyeball protrusion)
- Constochondral bleeding (bleeding of the cartilage between joints)
- Hyperkeratosis (a skin disorder)
- Corkscrew hair
- Sicca syndrome (an autoimmune disease affecting the connective tissues)
Vitamin C Deficiency Treatment
Your healthcare provider can identify vitamin C deficiency by the symptoms with which you present during a physical exam and can confirm the deficiency by administering a blood test to measure vitamin C levels. He or she will likely take a medical history, which will include questions pertaining to the symptoms, past and present, and current state of health.
Because a deficiency in vitamin C usually stems from a lack of vitamin C in your diet, avoiding a vitamin C deficiency and preventing scurvy are thus relatively easy by adhering to a diet rich in vitamin C, incorporating foods such as:
- Oranges
- Red peppers
- Guava
- Kiwi
- Strawberries
Vitamin C deficiency treatment also may include vitamin C supplements to restore your body's ascorbic acid levels, when diet alone fails in doing so. Vitamin C IV therapy , on the other hand, may be necessary when you need to restore your levels of vitamin C more rapidly, or to address various health concerns.
Don't let a vitamin C deficiency compromise your health. Schedule a consultation with a qualified healthcare provider in Kokomo that specializes in vitamin C deficiency treatment. Call (765) 259-0545 or contact Charles Turner MD online.
Innovative Medicine
Address
3554 Promenade PkwySuite H
Lafayette, IN 47909
(765) 259-0545
www.innovativemedicine.org
Hours
Mon:
8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Tue:
8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Wed:
8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Thu:
8:30 am - 5:00 pm
Fri:
Closed
Sat:
Closed
Sun:
Closed