Vitamin C deficiency

The deficiency of ascorbic acid, or scurvy, is a life-threatening condition caused by a lack of vitamin C. This disease occurs rarely. It affects refugees, people suffering from famine, the elderly, alcoholics, autistics, and people with behavioral disorders. The main clinical symptoms of scurvy are related to impaired collagen production. These include bleeding complications (spontaneous bruising), easily bruised gums, tooth loss, bone pain, poor wound healing. With the initiation of vitamin C treatment, rapid recovery is achieved. Untreated scurvy leads to death.

Source | Author Doctor Nikas Samuolis, reviewed by Prof. Virginijus Šapoka | Vilnius University | Faculty of Medicine | Head of the Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, and Oncology