What are symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency?

Vitamin B12 deficiency can be indicated by a number of symptoms, including cold hands and feet.

This is because the role of red blood cells is to carry oxygen throughout the body, and when this vitamin is deficient, the number of red blood cells usually decreases.

Constant fatigue, a sore red tongue, and visual impairment can also be symptoms of deficiency of this vitamin. However, as the number of red blood cells decreases further, patients may notice a change in body temperature.

According to experts at the Mayo Clinic, without enough B12, the body may not have enough healthy red blood cells to move oxygen around the body. As a result, the patient will be constantly freezing.

The longer the number of red blood cells remains in the suboptimal range, the greater the risk of developing anemia. It should be noted that cold hands and feet are usually the result of poor circulation, a complication associated with multiple diseases.

Diabetes and obesity, for example, also cause reduced blood flow to the extremities. But when cold extremities result from low B12 levels, patients may also experience tingling in their hands and feet.

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