Scurvy

In our time, such a disease, as scurvy, is rare, except in countries where people live below the poverty line. Scurvy is a disease associated with severe vitamin C deficiency in a person, leading to a breakdown in the production of collagen and to negative changes in the structure of connective tissue.

ICD Code 10

• E 00 - E 90 - endocrine diseases, eating disorders and metabolic processes.
• E 50 - E 64 - other types of malnutrition.
• E 54 - lack of vitamin C.

Causes of scurvy

The disease occurs with an acute shortage of ascorbic acid in the tissues. The pathogenesis of scurvy can be characterized in stages:

• the body stops receiving vitamin C, there is a deficit;
• the production of fibrillar collagen protein, necessary for the normal structure of connective tissue, is disrupted;
• connective tissue elements are present in all organs, but primarily the blood supply system is affected;
• the vessels become brittle, vulnerable, easily permeable.

As a result of these changes, the first signs of scurvy appear:

• gums become loose, bleed;
• begin to loosen up and drop out teeth;
• small hemorrhages (hematomas) appear on the skin.

It is generally believed that at this time of mass diseases scurvy does not occur. But in some areas of the north, as well as in the countries of the third world, rare cases of this disease occur. Therefore, it is important to know the reasons to resist the development of the disease.

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Symptoms of scurvy

The first signs most often make themselves felt about 2 months after the onset of vitamin deficiency in humans.

The patient has a feeling of constant weakness, fatigue, he is worried about dizziness and pain in the head. Close people notice that the person has become capricious, sluggish. The patient himself can complain of sudden soreness in the joints and muscles.

The listed symptoms are not yet typical of scurvy, but these signs can already cause suspicion that something is wrong with the body. If, against the background of the above symptoms, the patient had periods of hunger, poor nutrition or digestive tract diseases, then one might think of hypoiliitis.

Further expansion of the clinical picture is more typical for scurvy:

• pathological anemic pallor of the skin;
• bluish mucous membranes;
• discharge of blood from the gums;
• change in the shape of the gums, swelling;
• pain when biting on the teeth;
• increased salivation;
• in neglected cases - loss of teeth.

Basically on the legs in the calf area there are different sizes of hemorrhage, the type of hematoma. Less often, they can be found on the hands or other parts of the body. As the disease progresses, there may be bleeding in the digestive system, kidneys, bronchi, etc.

In later stages of the course of scurvy, ulcers can form at the site of hemorrhage.

Almost always patients have anemia, severe weight loss, deterioration of skin.

Consequences and complications of scurvy

If the scurvy treatment is not started on time, a secondary infection can occur. This is manifested by sores in the gum area, an unpleasant odor from the mouth. Teeth loosen and eventually begin to fall out.

Patients with scurvy can be recognized by their appearance: tuberous skin with numerous hematomas of varying degrees of maturity, edema. Such people hardly walk, since hemorrhages can also occur in joints and in muscle tissue. Extensive joint bleeding often leads to suppuration - in such situations, surgical treatment can be prescribed.

Scurvy can last from several weeks to several years, alternately acquiring that easy, then heavy current. Sometimes an aggressive form of the disease develops, in which the symptoms appear very sharply and strongly: this course of the disease is called "fulminant".

In neglected cases, a lethal outcome is possible - from general exhaustion, from hemorrhages in the heart and the brain, from numerous ulcers, etc.

If the disease is detected and treated in a timely manner, then the prognosis of scurvy can be considered favorable.

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Diagnosis of scurvy

Diagnosis of scurvy is carried out mainly on the characteristic clinical signs of the disease. Most doctors can make the correct diagnosis even during the interview and examination of the patient. The doctor will definitely clarify the nature of nutrition of the sick person: what, how and when he eats, in what quantities, etc. Looking at the patient, it is important to pay attention to his skin and mucous membranes.

With early and hidden forms of scurvy make tests to determine the degree of saturation of the body with ascorbic acid and other vitamins. Such an analysis is carried out by means of vacuum testing of capillary strength. Above a certain area of the skin is a vacuum, and then calculated how many hemorrhages formed. The more capillaries are damaged, the less vitamin C in the tissues of the body.

Instrumental diagnosis can be used only in the development of complications - for example, with extensive hemorrhages in the stomach, kidneys, joints, etc.

Differential diagnosis is performed with hemorrhagic diathesis. For this purpose, a blood test is done for the level of platelets, and the clotting system of the blood is evaluated.

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Treatment of scurvy

Treatment of scurvy involves the appointment of the single most effective drug - ascorbic acid. Vitamin is given orally administered intravenously, 250 mg 4 times a day. In addition, a full-fledged diet is enriched with natural sources of vitamin C - vegetables, berries, greens, fruits, freshly squeezed juices.

In the inflammatory process in the oral cavity, rinses with hydrogen peroxide, as well as lubrication of the mucous oil solution of vitamins A and E.

With anemia, the course of treatment can be supplemented with iron-containing drugs and cyanocobalamin.

Food at scurvy should include a large amount of plant foods, including root crops, citrus fruits, kiwi, herbs, berries, and also dried fruits. Fruits and vegetables must be eaten mostly in raw form, or with a minimum period of heat treatment.

Alternative treatment of scurvy is not only the treatment of herbs, but also a lot of useful recommendations on nutrition:

• you need to consume as much fresh cow milk as possible;
• in the spring it is useful to include in the diet natural birch sap;
• with sores in the oral cavity, a good effect is provided by the juice from black radish, which the mouth rinses up to 4 times a day;
• after eating it is recommended to drink fresh juice from carrots or potatoes;
• it is good after eating to rinse the mouth with a warm infusion of oak bark (5 grams of bark for 250 ml of boiling water);
• It is useful to chew at least one clove of garlic daily;
• with soreness of the gums can be treated with mucus sea-buckthorn oil, up to 3 times a day;
• during the day to drink herbal teas based on dog rose, currant, plantain, dandelion.

In the treatment of scurvy, homeopathy can also be used, however, the use of ascorbic acid and the revision of the diet are already an effective tool for accelerating the recovery process. Therefore, before buying another jar with the drug, ask your doctor if there is a need for it.

Prophylaxis of scurvy

Prophylaxis is the daily sufficient intake of ascorbic acid. In adults, the daily dosage can be from 50 to 120 mg, and in children from 30 to 75 mg. During the off-season, the issue of prevention should be given special attention.

It is worth saying that ascorbic acid is not produced in the human body, so the necessary amount of vitamin should come with food. Especially in need of large doses of vitamin C, students and students, workers of mental and hard physical labor.

With frequent use of alcohol and smoking, vitamin C enters the digestive tract and is destroyed and not absorbed by the body, therefore, in order to prevent avitaminosis, it is recommended to abandon bad habits.

Fortunately, in our time scurvy - a fairly rare disease. However, no one is immune from beriberi. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully treat your diet and lifestyle, not to allow long hunger strikes and debilitating diets, because all this negatively affects the overall health.