Vitamin B12 deficiency is a common problem, especially for children and teenagers and it affects the proper development of the body and bones. Try recognizing fast symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency in your child and get him treated as soon as possible to avoid any permanent damage.

This deficiency is usually caused either by the inability of the body to absorb the needed amount of B12 or by a lack of the vitamin in the diet. If it’s the second cause then it’s very easy to establish a new diet: add more meat to the main meal, instead of vegetables because B12 can only be found in animal protein foods. Fish, beef, chicken are the best choices along with eggs and dairy products. If it’s caused by the inability of the body to absorb properly the vitamin then a change in the diet won’t do any good. You’ll have to take supplements on a daily basis to ensure your body with the necessary quantity of B12.

Sooner you identify it, the better, because you’ll be able to treat yourself fast and avoid permanent damage to your body or other severe conditions like pernicious anemia. Some symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are common for many other conditions, most of them quite serious, but before even considering them, just get your blood tested.

Most of the symptoms are caused by the low levels of red cells in the blood and they usually appear as a chain reaction: one causes another and so forth. First clues that should get you thinking are some exterior changes: if you’re skin tone is now paler or if you’re feet and hands are suddenly cold all the time and you haven’t experienced this problems before then most certainly you have a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Next on the list of symptoms that might appear, usually together too, are: a shortness of breath, heart palpitations, chest pain and fatigue. These three cause one another and in time they get more and more serious. So, as soon as you feel them, consult your doctor.

Other symptoms that have been reported are related to the effects the deficiency has on the gastrointestinal tract. These are rarer but can happen: nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, gas and weight loss.

Even rarer, there have been noticed symptoms coming from the nervous system. Among them, there are: numbness in the hands and feet, depression, confusion and memory loss.