Without adequate supplies of vitamin B12, the body may struggle to take in enough oxygen for proper cellular respiration. This can affect everything from mood and concentration to a person’s energy level. B-12 injections can provide an important nutrient that helps prevent megaloblastic anemia, keeps your body’s nerve and blood cells healthy and helps your body make DNA. Lower levels of B-12 can leave you feeling depressed, tired, foggy headed and weak. According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, nearly 40% of Americans have B-12 levels that fall at or below what is considered to be the low end of normal. Other common symptoms of a B-12 deficiency can include diarrhea or constipation, pale skin and shortness of breath.
Risk factors for vitamin B-12 deficiency can increase with prolonged use of certain medications, genetic factors, lifestyle issues, decreased ileal absorption and intrinsic factors including:
- Age-Related Malabsorption
- Alcohol Abuse
- Atrophic Gastritis
- Crohn Disease
- Histamine H2 Blockers
- Ileal Resection
- Inadequate Intake of B12
- Metformin (Glucophage)
- Pernicious Anemia
- Post Gastric Bypass
- Proton Pump Inhibitors
- Transcobalamin II Deficiency
The classic form of B-12 deficiency is called pernicious anemia, which is caused by a stomach condition that prevents your body from absorbing the vitamin. Deficiency can arise from other causes, such as following stomach surgery, pancreatic disorders, inflammatory bowel diseases and celiac disease. Since red blood cells may not form correctly without sufficient vitamin B-12, a deficiency can lead to irreversible nerve damage.
Treating B-12 deficiencies requires the expertise and experience of a medical provider. To learn how B-12 injections can improve your health and wellness, use this website’s Request An Appointment form or call us!