Signs of Vitamin Deficiency in Seniors

02/17/2015
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Signs of Vitamin Deficiency: Seniors need to be sure they’re getting their vitamins

Most of us know how important it is to take vitamins in order to maintain our health. But as we age, ensuring we get our daily vitamin allowance becomes even more critical and challenging. Mild vitamin deficiencies are common among seniors, and particularly so among the frail and institutionalized elderly. This is because many seniors don’t eat a well-balanced diet each day, but can also be due to the body’s natural decrease in vitamin absorption ability and medications taken.

Vitamin D deficiency is particularly common among seniors. Older people are prone to develop vitamin D deficiency because of various risk factors: decreased dietary intake, diminished sunlight exposure, reduced skin thickness, impaired intestinal absorption, and impaired hydroxylation in the liver and kidneys. This deficiency is associated with muscle weakness and is manifested by a feeling of heaviness in the legs, tiring easily, and difficulty in mounting stairs and rising from a chair. Vitamin D and B12 deficiency are most common for seniors, others are shown below.

 

Signs of Vitamin Deficiency

 

Deficient Vitamin

Signs and Symptoms

Vitamin A

Impaired dark adaptation of the eyes, which can lead to night blindness, drying and thickening of the skin, dry hair, broken nails, goose bumps on skin, dry eyes/no tears, respiratory infections, impaired immunity system

Folic Acid (folate)

Megaloblastic anemia, glossitis, diarrhea, fatigue, increased risk of cardiovascular disorders, possibly cancer

B-12

Pernicious anemia, glossitis, spinal cord degeneration,

Peripheral neuropathy (tingling or numbness in the hands and feet), weakness, loss of balance, personality changes, mental confusion or dementia if deficiency is severe

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)

Impaired wound healing, bleeding, ecchymosis, swollen gums, anemia, enlargement and keratosis of hair follicles, lethargy, depression

Vitamin D

Osteomalacia, muscle weakness, increased risk of fracture

Vitamin E

Rare but signs include chronic diarrhea, greasy stools, inability to secrete bile

Vitamin K

Bleeding, hematoma, ecchymosis

 

Visit this site for a more complete list.

 

If you think you may be suffering from a vitamin deficiency, increase your intake of foods that contain the particular vitamin you feel you’re not getting enough of. But note that while single vitamin deficiencies do occur, usually multiple vitamin deficiencies are seen with general malnutrition. So you’ll want to make sure you eat a well-balance diet that consists of a variety of vitamins and minerals. You’ll also want to schedule an appointment with your physician and mention your symptoms.

 

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BLOG Date:  Tuesday, February 17, 2015
Writer: Ryan Allen

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