5 Signs of a Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Everyone knows that vitamins are important for health and wellness, but the role specific vitamins play in your own personal health journey can be a little confusing. Vitamin B12 is one vitamin that doesn’t get a lot of attention, but it plays a critical role in keeping you healthy.

Vitamin B12 is one of 13 essential vitamins — micronutrients necessary in order for the body to function the way it’s supposed to. Your body can’t synthesize vitamin B12 on its own, so that means you need to get it from the foods you eat, including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products.  

While it’s certainly possible to get all of the vitamin B12 you need from a healthy, balanced diet, the fact is, many people don’t have consistently healthy eating habits, while others have digestive issues that interfere with the way vitamin B12 is absorbed. Because vegetarians and vegans avoid most or all animal products, they can be prone to B12 deficiency, too.

At Boost Hydro, our team supplements vitamin B12 levels with B12 shots, injections that deliver the vitamin directly to your bloodstream, bypassing the digestive tract and eliminating absorption-related issues. This post reviews five signs of vitamin B12 deficiency to help you decide if B12 shots might be a good addition to your wellness routine.

1. Fatigue

Vitamin B12 helps your body produce red blood cells, which are responsible for delivering oxygen to every tissue and organ in your body. When B12 levels are low, your red blood cell count can dip, too, or your blood cells may have an abnormal shape. 

The result is an overall lack of energy and persistent feelings of fatigue, even after a good night’s sleep. Many people get vitamin B12 shots to restore energy and help them feel more focused and on task throughout their busy day.

2. Numbness or tingling

Vitamin B12 also supports normal nerve health and function. If you’re deficient in vitamin B12, your nerves can’t transmit messages the way they normally do. 

Over time, tiny nerve endings become damaged, leading to sensations of numbness or tingling. Like many symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, these issues may be mild at first, growing worse as nerve damage continues.

3. Coordination and balance problems

Vitamin B12 deficiency doesn’t just affect the nerves responsible for feelings and sensations. It affects the nerves that control your muscles, too. 

As a result, you can wind up developing problems with balance and coordination, resulting in changes to the way you walk, an increased risk of falls, and related symptoms. Like numbness sensations, problems with balance and coordination grow worse the longer the underlying deficiency remains untreated.

4. Problems with memory and mood

Cognitive functions also depend on an ample supply of vitamin B12. When levels are low, you’re more likely to experience problems with memory and concentration, a condition sometimes referred to as “brain fog.” 

Over time, low B12 levels can cause mood changes, too, including irritability and depression. In fact, B12 is essential for the production of serotonin, a chemical that directly influences mood and plays a major role in depression.

5. Oral health issues

Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause some lesser-known symptoms, too, including oral health issues. Low levels of vitamin D can lead to chronic bad breath, burning sensations in your tongue or gums, and a swollen, sore tongue. 

You might notice that your tongue doesn’t look as bumpy, appearing smooth instead. These problems happen as a result of nerve damage and a lack of oxygen reaching your gums, tongue, and palate.

Vitamin B12 shots optimize your levels of this important micronutrient, supporting better health and a better quality of life. To learn more about vitamin B12 shots and how they can become part of your wellness routine, request an appointment online or over the phone with the team at Boost Hydro in Brooklyn, New York, today.