Scurvy: illness, symptoms and treatment.

Scurvy is a disease that develops with a constant vitamin C deficiency in food. This disease is known since ancient times and is directly related to malnutrition and the lack of essential nutrients in the diet. Earlier, scurvy were sick seafarers or travelers, because they did not have enough fresh food.

Often in the northern regions, because of a lack of vitamin C in the spring period, there is scurvy. This disease in infants for about four months is not observed, since the necessary vitamin C comes from breastfeeding, but with artificial feeding, the first symptoms of scurvy may appear.

The usual symptoms of scurvy in children begin to appear at the age of one to two years, less often children's scurvy manifests itself in older age. The first symptoms of scurvy look like this: there is no appetite, the child complains of an upset stomach or digestive tract, diarrhea, vomiting can occur. Children become sluggish, a pale complexion appears, they grow thin and, as a rule, their growth slows down. Children's immunity weakens, resistance to infections decreases. Various infections can occur in the middle ear, lungs, genitals and so on. After a while, children of preschool age display hemorrhagic diathesis - a rash that appears on the cheeks, in the neck folds, in the eye area and in the ear shells. Skin covers crack and wounds appear, which heal very slowly. Functional disorders are observed in the joints, bones, vessel walls, cartilage.

In childhood, symptoms of scurvy may be pain in the limbs. Pay attention to the child, who cries and complains of pain in the muscles - this can be the first manifestation of such a disease as scurvy. Symptoms appear due to subperiosteal hematoma, which in the initial stage causes, quite painful sensations and tumors on the hands and feet. In complex form, the patient begins to "protect" his painful sensations, that is, when touched, strains the limbs, making the impression of paralyzed. In this case, the epiphyses begin to peel off.

Scurvy is a disease that you can fight if you take timely measures, knowing the main symptoms. For example, at the initial stage the surface of the gums is smooth enough, smooth, shining, afterwards the gum begins to crack and, as a rule, bleed, flow off. Subsequently, the color of the gums changes, becomes blue, and sometimes even a purple hue. As a result of the changes, an unpleasant smell comes from the mouth, which visually demonstrates to us that the person is sick, and the name of the given affliction is scurvy. Disease in this form in children in modern times almost never occur. Sometimes scurvy manifests itself in a lighter form, and its symptom is weakened immunity and minor bleeding from the gums.

Also there are such symptoms of childhood illness as subperiosteal hemorrhages and hemorrhages in the bone. In infants, the symptoms of scurvy are high fever, rapid heart rate and breathing.

With such a disease, as scurvy treatment begins with replenishment of the missing vitamin C. Ascorbic acid is the basic element necessary for the restoration and maintenance of all the functions of the body. Combination of ascorbic acid with vitamin B2 activates the synthesis of folic acid. Vitamin C is found in the following foods: fruits, berries, as well as lemon, tomato, orange juice, grated carrots and so on. In a mild form, treatment takes place on an outpatient basis, in severe form - under the supervision of a doctor while observing a bed rest.