Even people who frequently visit their GP can have their vitamin B12 deficiency go undiagnosed for years. But knowing the signs to look for can help when diagnosing the condition.
A doctor recently took to his YouTube channel to shed light on some signs of the disease, which is notoriously hard to spot.
Dr Leonid Kim, MD, explained that fatigue is the most widely reported sign, but because it is also the most non-specific symptom, it’s worth looking for other indicators.
“The first thing you may notice, even with a very mild deficiency, is fatigue or low energy,” he explained.
Dr Kim warned the signs can be really easy to miss
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“The fatigue that we get from B12 deficiency is usually exertional fatigue, so it’s a fatigue that comes on pretty quickly and is relatively short-lived. And it comes on even after mild physical activity or mental strain.”
The sneaky condition presents in multiple different ways, however, with the signs and symptoms of low B12 ranging from physical to psychological changes.
“It is so important to identify vitamin B12 deficiency as early as possible, as low B12 can lead to serious health problems if left untreated,” said Dr Kim.
“A lot of these signs are very easy to miss, and the symptoms overlap with other conditions.”
If you often experience fatigue, Dr Kim recommends looking out for tiredness specifically accompanied by shortness of breath or even heart palpitations.
He continued: “Another common presentation is headaches, especially migraine headaches.
“Next is painful tongue swelling, or inflammation of the tongue, known as glossitis.”
With glossitis, people may describe a burning sensation or itching, or even a loss of taste or a metallic taste on the tongue, the expert explained.
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Patients with glossitis may describe itching of the tongue
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He noted that further tests would be required to rule out other common causes, including iron deficiency.
“Another common sign of vitamin B12 deficiency is skin changes," he added. “More specifically, you may get pallor or pale skin, caused by the underlying anaemia.
“In more severe cases, vitamin B12 deficiency may cause jaundice or yellowing of the skin, or yellowing of the whites of the eyes.
“This happens because the bone marrow has trouble producing healthy blood cells, which eventually leads to the destruction of immature red blood cells.”
It’s not just vegetarians or vegans who need to be careful, Dr Kim cautioned, so keeping an eye out for symptoms could prevent complications down the line.
