Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia
Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is a condition where your body lacks enough healthy red blood cells because you do not have enough vitamin B12.
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Your body needs vitamin B12 to create red blood cells, which are the tiny, disc-shaped cells that carry oxygen from your lungs to the rest of your body. When you do not have enough of this vitamin, your body produces red blood cells that are abnormally large and shaped incorrectly, preventing them from working properly.
This condition primarily affects your blood and can eventually impact your nervous system, which includes your brain and the nerves that run throughout your body. Because your body cannot make its own B12, you must get it from the food you eat or through supplements.
Common Symptoms
- Feeling unusually tired or weak.
- Pale or slightly yellowish skin.
- A smooth, red, and sore-feeling tongue.
- A sensation of 'pins and needles' or tingling in your hands and feet.
- Difficulty with balance or walking.
- Feeling lightheaded or short of breath.