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What are the dangers of vitamin deficiency in the body?
Medical expert of the article
Last reviewed: 05.07.2025
Vitamin deficiency cannot be called a serious disease. But its consequences are so serious that you need to take charge of yourself and start monitoring the doses of vitamins entering the body. The causes of vitamin deficiency and the consequences are in our material.
Vitamin deficiency: causes
Unlike an excess of vitamins - hypovitaminosis - avitaminosis is a lack of vitamins. We already know about this. What are the causes of this bad condition?
- Diseases of internal organs and systems (chronic and latent)
- Most of all, vitamin deficiency is caused by diseases of the digestive system
- Taking medications for a long time
- The climate is not suitable for humans
- Intense working conditions with stress or heavy physical exertion
- Excess of fats, carbohydrates and proteins
- Large amounts of thermally processed food, with a poor diet of raw fruits and vegetables
- Incorrect storage of food (too hot or too cold), violation of storage periods
Risk groups with vitamin deficiency
It is important to be able to recognize vitamin deficiency. To do this, you need to know the symptoms of vitamin deficiency. But before talking about them, it is worth noting that the risk groups that suffer from vitamin deficiency include a fairly wide range of people. It is wrong to think that vitamin deficiency can only occur in expectant mothers or in very sick people who have undergone surgery or in those who exercise a lot. But this is far from true. Vitamin deficiency can occur in anyone.
Smoking, alcohol, stress, and a diet low in proteins, fats, and carbohydrates contribute to a lack of vitamins or their poor absorption.
What types of vitamin deficiencies are there?
They are divided depending on what vitamins are lacking in the body. It is this type of vitamin deficiency that is diagnosed. For example, vitamin deficiency of type A, B, C, E, etc.
Avitaminosis type A
With this vitamin deficiency, a person begins to see worse, eyes quickly get tired, colors may mix, skin becomes rough, coarse, hair may fall out.
Vitamin A is responsible for the health of the eyes, skin and hair, so its deficiency can cause problems with their condition.
Avitaminosis type B
Since there is a whole group of B vitamins, avitaminosis is also divided into groups. This is avitaminosis of type B1, B6, B12 - the main types of avitaminosis of group B.
Avitaminosis type B1 can lead to an increased risk of neuroses, legs become less sensitive, calf muscles can hurt a lot, swelling appears, breathing becomes difficult, the heart can start beating unevenly, strongly, with discord in rhythm.
Avitaminosis type B6 is characterized by a change in the color of the tongue. It becomes red, even a little shiny, can swell, and even teeth marks remain on it when pressed lightly. The skin begins to peel, hurt when touched, the eyes also fail - tears may flow from them, the person is bothered by conjunctivitis.
Avitaminosis type 12 is a disrupted blood flow, increased cholesterol levels, while the hemoglobin level is reduced (anemia may be diagnosed in a person). The concentration of red blood cells is extremely low, which leads to poor blood clotting. Also, with a deficiency of vitamin B12, you can feel severe weakness, increased fatigue, and impaired vision. Hands and feet become less sensitive, and the stomach may hurt.
Avitaminosis type C
This type of vitamin deficiency was considered the plague of the 20th century not so long ago. Its name is scurvy. With this disease, teeth may fall out, nails may peel, blood vessels are fragile and prone to destruction, muscles and joints hurt. Gums bleed.
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Avitaminosis type K
This type of vitamin deficiency is characterized by increased fragility and destructibility of blood vessels.
Gums bleed, any wound heals poorly, blood clots very poorly - it is better if you do not get wounded at all. How to check if you have a vitamin K deficiency in your body?
Pinch yourself and pull the skin in the area of your hand (the back of it). Hold the skin like this, counting to 50-60. If you immediately get a bruise in this place or the redness does not go away, then you have a vitamin K deficiency.
Avitaminosis type D
Doctors call vitamin D deficiency in the body rickets. This disease is characterized by the following symptoms.
- Bones break very quickly, they are irregularly shaped, and do not heal well when fractured.
- If it is a child, then its body is irregularly shaped, its legs and arms may be deformed.
- Children with a lack of vitamin D have teeth that grow and erupt very slowly and unevenly.
- Growth and physical development in general may be slowed down.
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Avitaminosis type RR
Its symptoms are swelling of the hands and feet, the hands are inflamed and sore. The skin is also not in the best shape - it peels, hurts, feels like scales to the touch, the skin color becomes dark, as if it was poured with chocolate
The tongue becomes thick, bright in color, shiny, swollen. Doctors call this condition pellagra. It can be accompanied by diarrhea, poor concentration, not very good memory, excessive attacks of aggression, which can occur at any time.
If you have vitamin deficiency, see a doctor immediately for examination and treatment. You can determine the lack of a certain type of vitamin by the signs listed above.
What does avitaminosis lead to?
Due to weakening of the body, bad mood and health, a person may even end up in the hospital.