Facts on Scurvy

On a voyage to India in 1499, the maritime explorer Vasco De Gama lost two thirds of his crew to scurvy – a condition which develops due to a severe lack of vitamin C in one’s diet over a period of weeks.

In this article:

What is scurvy?

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

How Chemist Online can help

Advice & Support

What is scurvy?
Over the centuries, thousands of sailors’ lives have been lost due to scurvy. It was only when physicians eventually traced the cause of the illness as being due to a lack of vitamin C that levels of scurvy were finally brought under control worldwide.

In British society today, scurvy is not a common health condition. This is due to government drives which urge people across the UK to try to maintain a healthy diet which has at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day (so that people everywhere can get the vitamins their bodies’ need, and in sufficient quantities).

Symptoms
The symptoms of scurvy usually have a gradual onset, and include:

Swollen, bleeding gums and loosening of teeth

A general feeling of being unwell

Fatigue

Muscle and joint pain (soreness and stiffness)

Anaemia

Slow wound healing

Bleeding under the skin

Skin changes

Halitosis (bad breath)

Jaundice

Fever-like symptoms


Causes
Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in your diet. When the vitamin C deficiency continues for up to 3 months, the symptoms of full-blown scurvy are usually apparent. However, this can vary from person to person.

Scurvy is a common associated condition of malnutrition in developing countries.

Diagnosis
If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms, make an appointment to see your GP. After taking your medical history and asking you some questions about your diet and lifestyle overall, your GP will carry out a short physical examination of your gums.

Generally, scurvy is diagnosed through a blood test.

If a confirmed diagnosis is made, an appropriate course of treatment will be recommended to you.

Treatment
Vitamin C is a nutrient found in many fruits and vegetables. Try to eat citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemons. Your GP will advise other dietary changes and improvements.

Improvement of symptoms (particularly with regard to gums problems) should be rapid once sufficient levels of vitamin C are maintained.

How Chemist Online can help
Through this website we have Vitamin C supplements available to buy.

We can also offer you a range of mouthwashes and toothpastes which can all help you to maintain a healthy mouth and relieve the symptoms of bad breath – an associated symptom of scurvy.


www.chemistonline.co.uk


Advice & Support
Department of Health
Tel: 020 7210 4850
Website: www.dh.gov.uk

And for bad breath: Online forum for bad breath sufferers


This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.






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