Pernicious Anemia (Vitamin B-12 Deficiency Anemia)

category: Dafé’s Café - Daily Dose of Medical News,Nutrition & Wellness
by Dafé,

Pernicious anemia (Vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia) is a condition in which the body can’t make enough healthy red blood cells because it doesn’t have enough vitamin B12.

Vitamin B-12 is released from food in your stomach. Intrinsic factor is a protein secreted by the stomach that joins vitamin B-12 in the stomach and escorts it through the small intestine to be absorbed by your bloodstream. Without intrinsic factor, vitamin B-12 can’t be absorbed and leaves your body as waste. Lack of intrinsic factor may be due to an autoimmune reaction, in which your immune system mistakenly attacks the stomach cells that produce it. Vitamin B-12 deficiency ultimately leads to anemia.

If the deficiency is from a lack of intrinsic factor, it’s called pernicious anemia. Pernicious means “deadly.” Lack of intrinsic factor was often fatal before the availability of vitamin B-12 shots. Because vitamin B-12 is stored in large amounts in your liver, it may take several years before signs of deficiency appear.

Without enough vitamin B12, your red blood cells don’t divide normally and are too large. They may have trouble getting out of the bone marrow—a sponge-like tissue inside the bones where blood cells are made. Without enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to your body, you may feel tired and weak. Severe or long-lasting pernicious anemia can damage the heart, brain, and other organs in the body.

Pernicious anemia also can cause other complications, such as nerve damage, neurological problems (such as memory loss), and digestive tract problems. People who have pernicious anemia also may be at higher risk for stomach cancer.

Tests for Pernicious Anemia may include:

Antibodies test. Your doctor may draw a sample of your blood to check for antibodies to intrinsic factor. Their presence indicates pernicious anemia.

Methylmalonic acid test. You may undergo a blood and urine test to measure the presence of a substance called methylmalonic acid. The level of this substance is higher in people with vitamin B-12 deficiency.
Schilling test. In this test, you first ingest a tiny amount of radioactive vitamin B-12. Then your blood is checked to see if your body absorbed the vitamin B-12. After that, you ingest a combination of radioactive vitamin B-12 and intrinsic factor. If the radioactive B-12 is absorbed only when taken with intrinsic factor, it confirms that you lack your own intrinsic factor. If your body doesn’t absorb vitamin B-12 with or without intrinsic factor, you likely have a more general absorption problem.

Comments

7 Comments so far

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A10s02h | 14 December 2010, 15:39
I have been getting B12 Shots for 2 Years now, every week. I find that when I dont get them Every week- say I go 2x/mo i get more and more symptoms. I want to do it myself becuase I am paying $ 30 / shot but does anyone know if this is legal in CA?
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