Zhang Wei, 80, Hsinchu, has a double-footed kidney recently. His stomach is often uncomfortable and his walking is not stable. He has weak muscle strength in his limbs. He found that he was lacking vitamin B12 after taking blood tests. Another 65-year-old woman named Li has become suspicious in recent years and has become irritable in her sexual intercourse. He even stocks up on the road and eats raw food in the room. After the examination, he found that he was also lacking vitamin B12. The symptoms after vitamin supplementation were all improved.
Lin Qingzhen, a doctor at the Department of Neurology at Hsinchu Branch of National Taiwan University Hospital, said that vitamin B12 is an indispensable element in human hematopoiesis, DNA synthesis, and neurologic system maintenance. The symptoms during deficiency may include blood, glossitis, stomach incompatibility and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
{9999}{9999}Peripheral neural system symptoms include numbness in the hands, lack of sensation, unstable pace, and weak limbs. The symptoms of the central nervous system include emotional problems, restlessness, slow thinking, poor memory, dementia or delusional confusion.
Lin Qingzhen pointed out that vitamin B12 is found in animal ingredients such as eggs, milk products, meat, seafood, etc. For those who are part-vegetarians, they can take the daily amount they need in their daily diet. Zhang Feng’s foot and stomach are not suitable because he does not like to eat dairy products, egg foods, and only eats fish meat that is easy to chew. The woman surnamed Li started to eat vegetarian food at the age of 30 because of his religious beliefs, and two people will lack vitamin B12.
Lin Qingzhen explained that vitamin B12 in food needs to be decomposed after the action of gastric acid and pepsin, and then combined with internal factors in the stomach to form an incorrect compound before it can be absorbed by humans. Therefore, gastrectomy surgery, atrophic gastritis, long-term use of acid preparations or antibiotics, and long-term alcohol abuse may cause poor absorption of vitamin B12, which are more likely to occur in elderly people with deterioration of the stomach function.
Lin Qingzhen said that the treatment of vitamin B12 deficiency is reliable oral or injection supplementation to improve most symptoms, but some patients still have neuropsychiatric symptoms that are difficult to recover for a long time. She suggested that people who are vegetarian and those who have undergone gastrectomy should pay attention to the supplement of vitamin B12, and general public should avoid excessive drinking and use of gastric drugs, and pay attention to a balanced diet. In addition, if the pace is unstable, the feet are numb, the memory or the situation changes, medical examination should be carried out as early as possible.