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Vitamin B12 shots are one of several options for people suffering from vitamin B12 deficiency. Sometimes, people complain of side effects immediately after getting a B12 injection, such as dizziness and pain.

You can’t overdose on vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is one of those nutrients that are impossible to get too much of. Any excess amount of vitamin B12 that you take, whether it’s from a vitamin B12 shot or similar supplement, is excreted out of your body in your urine. There are currently no FDA regulations regarding maximum intakes of vitamin B12- any amount, even mega-doses are completely safe.

So, if you feel light-headed or nauseous after getting a B12 injection, rest assured that you haven’t OD’d on B12- it’s just not possible.

You can be sensitive to B12 shots, though

Still, some people may have an extreme reaction to injections, specifically. This may result from bruising on the injection site, blood clotting, skin infection, or a heart condition.

Because cobalamin must be injected into thick, muscular tissue in order to be effective, vitamin B12 shots are usually quite painful, during insertion and for several minutes afterwards.

Symptoms associated with vitamin B12 shots may include:

• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Heart palpitations
• Nausea
• Itchy skin rash, or hives
• Swelling
• Pain and bruising at the injection site
• Scarring at the shot site
• Infection

Tips for B12 shot users

If you’re currently administering your own vitamin B12 shots, then follow these basic guidelines:

• Become familiar with which body parts are optimal for injecting vitamin B12. Choose well-developed muscles in the hips, thighs, or abdomen over weaker, less fleshy parts of the body.
• Rotate injection sites whenever possible, in order to prevent nerve damage.
• Avoid hitting a vein or artery. If you notice bleeding, pull out immediately.

For more tips, read Self-Injecting Vitamin B12 Shots- 12 Tips and Warnings

Alternatives to B12 shots

Thankfully, there are several options available to people with vitamin B12 deficiency that prefer to avoid injections.

Sublingual vitamin B12 tablets are often effective, but need to be taken as instructed by the manufacturer. Allow the B12 tablet to dissolve under your tongue for ½ hour, for optimal digestion.

Avoid vitamin B12 pills, as most people diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency are unable to digest them efficiently.

Also, non-dietary vitamin B12 supplements provide a safe, gentle and digestible alternative to vitamin B12 shots, and are available over the counter.

Preparing your Children for Shots- 6 Tips to Ease the Pain

Sources:

B12 Injections Side Effects

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Dysautonomia refers to a breakdown of the autonomic nervous system. Pernicious anemia, a common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency, also impairs your nervous system functioning. So, what’s the correlation?

What is Dysautonomia?

Your autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a part of your peripheral nervous system that controls all of your subconscious biological functions, reactions automatically controlled by the various organs in your body, such as your heart, kidneys, or digestive system. Breathing, heart rate, digestion, and perspiration- these things are all managed by your autonomic nervous system.

With dysautonomia, you experience symptoms that indicate a malfunctioning of your bodily organs. Increased heart rate, profuse sweating, poor libido, and gastrointestinal disorders may result from dysautonomia.

Because the autonomic nervous system controls such a vast network of biological reactions, symptoms of dysautonomia may appear to be unrelated, and possibly misdiagnosed.

Many of the symptoms of dysautonomia correlate with typical symptoms of pernicious anemia.

Pernicious anemia

Pernicious anemia is a major cause of vitamin B12 deficiency. How is this related to dysautonomia?

Vitamin B12 is an essential nutrient that controls many vital biochemical reactions throughout your body. Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is responsible for protecting your nervous system, maintaining healthy red blood cells, and synthesizing DNA.

When vitamin B12 levels are low, the earliest symptoms usually indicate damage to the peripheral nervous system, including functions controlled by the autonomic nervous system.

Peripheral neuropathy, damage to the peripheral nervous system, is one of the most dangerous symptoms of pernicious anemia, which was once a fatal disease!

Pernicious Anemia and Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Which Causes Which?

Symptoms of pernicious anemia include:

• Fatigue
• Memory problems
• Poor concentration
• “Brain fog”
• Irregular heart rate
• Shortness of breath
• Painful tingling or numbness in the hands and feet
• Muscle spasms
• Stomach cramps
• Incontinence
• Constipation
• Difficulty swallowing
• Gait (walking) impairments
• Reduced ability to control arms and legs
• Infertility
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Headaches
• Tinnitus

Pernicious anemia or dysautonomia?

There are various types of dysautonomia, including:

• Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS)
• Neurocardiogenic Syncope (NCS)
• Neurally Mediated Hypotension (NMH)
• Vasovagal Syncope
• Post-Viral Dysautonomia
• Non-Familial Dysautonomia
• Generalized Dysautonomia

There are only two ways of developing pernicious anemia:

• Autoimmune intrinsic factor- an autoimmune condition which inhibits your ability to produce intrinsic factor, an enzyme which is necessary for digesting vitamin B12 naturally from the foods you eat.
• Gastrointestinal damage- any type of gastrointestinal disorder, such as Crohn’s disease, may impair your ability to produce intrinsic factor. Patients of gastric bypass or other types of bariatric surgery are also at risk.

Ask your doctor!

It’s important to be aware of the high correlation between pernicious anemia and dysautonomia. If you suffer from conditions related to your peripheral nervous system, then ask your doctor to include a vitamin B12 blood screening during your examination.

Only immediate and long-term supplementation of vitamin B12 can reverse the symptoms of pernicious anemia.

What Is Dysautonomia? What Causes Dysautonomia?

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Vitamin B12 deficiency is a condition that can affect children, though it is more common in middle-aged adults. Pernicious anemia can create a host of debilitating symptoms that may be overlooked by your doctor- especially in the case of pediatric vitamin B12 deficiency.

Your body needs vitamin B12 (cobalamin) for healthy red blood cells, DNA synthesis, and neurological functioning. A depletion of vitamin B12 in children may result in a breakdown of these basic biological functions.

Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms

When children get vitamin B12 deficiency, symptoms arise that affect multiple parts of the body, including the gastrointestinal tract, nervous system, musculoskeletal network, and various other functions.

Gastrointestinal symptoms:

• Constipation
• Nausea
• Loss of appetite
• Stomach cramps
• Difficulty swallowing

Cognitive problems:

• Depression
• Mood swings
• Difficulty concentrating
• Memory problems
• “Brain fog”

What is vitamin B12, and why is it so important?

Musculoskeletal disorders:

• Difficulty walking
• Poor hand-eye coordination
• Difficulty controlling arms or legs
• Frequently dropping items

Neurological damage:

• Painful tingling or numbness in the hands and feet
• Sore muscles
• Muscle spasms
• Vision problems

Causes of vitamin B12 deficiency in children

It’s unusual for children to develop vitamin B12 deficiency, as most of the risk factors apply for adults and senior citizens. One of the most common causes of pernicious anemia in children results from vegan dieting, as meat products are the only viable source of cobalamin in existence.

There are no vegan sources of vitamin B12, so vegan dieters are advised to supplement with synthetic vitamin B12 in order to prevent vitamin B12 deficiency.

Possible risk factors for childhood vitamin B12 deficiency include:

• Vegan diet
• Mother kept vegan diet during pregnancy and nursing
• Family history for pernicious anemia
• Mother had pernicious anemia or vitamin B12 deficiency during pregnancy
• Autoimmune disorders
• Poor absorption of vitamin B12
• Gastrointestinal disorders, such as Crohn’s disease or celiac

Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Infants- Developmental Disabilities

Treatment for vitamin B12 deficiency

A doctor can confirm if your child is suffering from symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency by issuing a simple blood test. However, because many blood screenings for vitamin B12 levels are often inaccurate, it’s important to pay closer attention to the symptoms and react accordingly.

Usually, doctors prescribe several rounds of vitamin B12 injections for treatment, particularly is vitamin B12 absorption is an issue. This is acceptable for preventing severe nerve damage or death from pernicious anemia.

However, many patients find that the recommended dose of vitamin B12 shots is not enough for a complete reversal of symptoms, and continue to feel fatigued and sore long after they’ve been diagnosed as “B12 normal.”

In such instances, it can be helpful to supplement with extra cobalamin in the form of non-dietary vitamin B12, which is available over the counter and does not require oral digestion.

Your turn!

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

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Like this? Read more:

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Sources:

Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Children

Deficiency of Vitamin B12 in Children

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How does vitamin B12 help to cure hangovers? It’s scientific, actually. One night of excessive alcohol consumption is enough to drain your body of much-needed nutrients, causing throbbing headaches, nausea, and fatigue the day after. Below are some trusted tips for avoiding New Years’ Day hangover, including vitamin B12 supplementation.

This New Years’, avoid the typical hangover symptoms that occur after a night of partying. By preparing yourself the day before (and treating yourself the day after) with vitamin B12 and other nutrients, you can dramatically cut down or prevent many of the harmful effects of alcohol, such as head pain, body aches, stomach cramps, and general lethargy.

Here are four tips for preventing hangovers:

Vitamin B12

Alcohol use robs your body of many important nutrients; these include vitamin A, vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin D, and vitamin E. When you wake up feeling ill after an alcohol binge, you’re experiencing the ill effects of vitamin depletion.

Out of all these vitamins, however, vitamin B12 is the most critical, as it disperses at a much faster rate than the others. Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is an essential nutrient that controls many vital bodily functions, including protecting the nervous system, maintaining healthy red blood cell production, and providing cellular energy. When vitamin B12 levels are low, you may feel out-of-focus, fatigued, confused, and achy.

In order to prevent vitamin depletion, specifically vitamin B12 depletion, after a night of drinking, make certain to take plenty of vitamin supplements before, during, and after festivities begin.

For best results in avoiding hangovers, take vitamin B12, vitamin B complex, and vitamins A, C, D, and E before going to sleep at night, and upon wakening, throughout the holiday season.

Also read: Why do Hangover Remedies often include Vitamin B12?

Water

Alcohol is a diuretic; often, when you feel tired and headache-y after drinking, it’s because you’re severely dehydrated.

The day before a party, build up your H2O supply by drinking plenty of water. During the celebrations, alternate drinking an alcoholic beverage with a glass of water. The next day, continue to replace lost fluids by drinking water, juice, or decaffeinated tea. Avoid drinking coffee; like alcohol, coffee also has a dehydrating effect on the body.

Coconut water

If you’re severely dehydrated and drinking water doesn’t seem to be helping, then you may need to replenish some lost electrolytes. Instead of turning to the Gatorade aisle, try drinking coconut water, an all-natural rehydrator. Coconut water has the identical five electrolytes found in human blood, of which Gatorade only has two.

Headache pills

If your main hangover symptom is headache, then you may safely take over-the-counter headache medicine to combat bodily aches. However, consult a doctor if headaches occur often, as long-term use of NSAIDs may cause damage to your body organs.

Your turn!

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Like this? Read more:

Getting Enough Vitamin B12? Three Reasons Why You Might Not Be

Low Energy could mean Low B12- It’s Correlational

Sources:

How to Prevent Hangover With Vitamin B Complex

Top 10 Hangover Cures

Dude, Where’s My B12? (Vitamin B12 Deficiency & Alcohol)

Images courtesy of Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Tell somebody you have vitamin B12 deficiency, and you usually get a blank stare, or they’ll ask, “Is that an illness or something?” Then you wonder, is vitamin B12 deficiency an illness? The truth is, vitamin B12 deficiency, or pernicious anemia, is complicated.
 

Vitamin B12 sources

Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) is a necessary nutrient that you get from eating animal-based foods. The richest sources of vitamin B12 occur in beef liver, halibut, clams, oysters, and poultry. Other foods that contain small amounts of vitamin B12 are cheese, yogurt, and eggs.

Most people who eat a steady diet that includes meat, fish, and dairy products will never develop illness from vitamin B12 deficiency.

There are virtually no vegan sources of vitamin B12. Therefore, vegans and vegetarians must take regular vitamin B12 supplements in order to avoid developing illness from vitamin B12 deficiency.

Vitamin B12- How Much in Enough?

Vitamin B12 deficiency

Still, there are several ways of developing vitamin B12 deficiency, even if you eat meat and fish.

1. If you have a family history for pernicious anemia, then you are at risk for developing vitamin B12 deficiency illness. Pernicious anemia sometimes occurs because of an autoimmune disorder that inhibits your ability to digest vitamin B12 naturally from foods.  Sometimes, pernicious anemia is inherited.
2. If you don’t have pernicious anemia, but suffer from other autoimmune disorder illness, then you are at risk for developing vitamin B12 deficiency from pernicious anemia in the future.
3. Pernicious anemia also occurs with gastrointestinal disorders, as inflammation of the stomach linings, esophagus, or small intestines interferes with your ability to digest vitamin B12 normally, resulting in illness from vitamin B12 deficiency.
4. Comorbid conditions can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency illness. People who suffer from fibromyalgia, lupus, migraines, Crohn’s disease, or celiac disease run a high risk for developing illness from vitamin B12 deficiency.
5. Certain medications indirectly cause vitamin B12 deficiency. Protein pump inhibitors (PPIs) that are prescribed for acid reflux inhibit your ability to extract vitamin B12 from the food you eat. Also, metformin, a popular drug for diabetes, may cause vitamin B12 deficiency after long-term use.
6. People who have had gastrointestinal surgery are required to take vitamin B12 supplements in order to prevent vitamin B12 deficiency. These include patients of bariatric surgery (gastric bypass) and ileectomy for the treatment of Crohn’s disease.
7. Excessive alcohol usage is a known cause of vitamin B12 deficiency.
8. Old age is a risk factor for vitamin B12 deficiency, as fewer stomach acids are produced, resulting in vitamin B12 absorption.

Diagnosing Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Pernicious Anemia: Top 10 Tests

Is vitamin B12 deficiency an illness?

Medically, vitamin B12 deficiency is defined as a condition that occurs when your B12 levels drop to a dangerous low. So, in and of itself, vitamin B12 deficiency is not an “illness.”

However, vitamin B12 deficiency can result from an underlying illness, something previously undetected because the symptoms weren’t there. Such is the case with autoimmune disorders, which can interfere with your ability to absorb vitamin B12.

Like a withdrawn bank account that suddenly reaches zero, your stores of vitamin B12 may gradually decline, unbeknownst to you, until you get the warning signs indicating severe deficiency and the need for immediate supplementation.

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency may include:

• Long-term, constant overwhelming fatigue
• Depression or anxiety for longer than a few months
• Frequent memory problems that are not related to age
• Painful numbness, tingling, or burning sensations in the hands, feet, arms, legs, and tongue
• Muscle pain and spasms
• Eye problems

Treatment

If you think you have vitamin B12 deficiency, then immediate supplementation should commence in order to replenish vitamin B12 levels and reverse symptoms of illness.

This is important: Not all vitamin B12 supplements work.

If you can’t digest vitamin B12 from foods, then you won’t be able to digest it from vitamin B12 pills, either.

For that reason, it’s essential to use a non-dietary form of vitamin B12, for optimum digestion and relief from symptoms such as fatigue, sluggishness, muscle pain, and brain fog. Excellent choices include a combination of vitamin B12 shots and synthetic over-the-counter (OTC) vitamin B12 supplementation.

Please tell us…

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Vitamin B12 Malabsorption

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Vitamin B12 deficiency misdiagnosis

Vitamin B12 is essential for many important biological functions throughout the body; vitamin B12 (cobalamin) helps to maintain neurological health, DNA production, and continuous development of normal red blood cells.

Often, symptoms that indicate vitamin B12 deficiency- memory loss, fatigue, vision problems, and chronic pain- are confused with conditions that occur in aging, such as early-onset dementia, arthritis, and glaucoma.

Because symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency usually don’t occur until middle age, and because old age is often a risk factor for developing vitamin B12 deficiency, finding- and treating- the cause of shared symptoms can be tricky, as the rate of misdiagnosis is unusually high.

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency and aging

Losing your train of thought

• Difficulty summoning familiar words
• Memory loss
• Difficulty integrating new information

Here’s Your Brain on B12 Deficiency- Memory Loss and Aging

Feeling tired all the time

• Feeling mentally sluggish
• Lethargy
• Constant extreme fatigue
• Severe muscle fatigue
• Muscular weakness

Will Vitamin B12 Boost Energy if I don’t have B12 Deficiency? YES!

Confused and disoriented

• Frequently confused
• “Brain fog”
• Poor concentration
• Dizziness

7 Reasons You Have Brain Fog…And What to do About It

Anxious and depressed

• Irritable
• Feeling depressed for months
• Panic attacks
• Shortness of breath
• Mood swings
• Paranoia
• Hallucinations

Vitamin B12, the Anti-Aging Vitamin that Rocks

Muscles and joints always aching

• Burning muscle pain
• Constant muscle pains following exercise
• Stiff neck muscles
• Frequent muscle spasms
• Bone loss

Vitamin B12 and your Bones- Osteoporosis from B12 Deficiency

Arms and legs always “falling asleep”

• Paresthesia- painful tingling and numbness in extremities (hands, feet, arms, legs)
• Hands and feet feel “gloved”
• Unsteady gait
• Trembling, shakiness
• Electric-like shocks
• Frequent tripping or dropping things

Stomach or urinary problems

• Nausea
• Stomach not emptying
• Bloating, flatulence
• Acid reflux
• Loss of appetite for B12-rich foods like meat, fish, and cheese
• Esophageal or stomach ulcers
• Difficulty emptying or controlling bladder

Aging skin and hair

• Greying or whitening of hair
• Premature baldness or hair thinning
• Pale complexion
• Dry, itchy skin patches
• Brittle, thin nails
• Dents or ridges in nails
• Mouth sores

Vitamin B12 for Healthy Hair, Skin and Nails

Vision problems

• Eye floaters
• Blurred vision
• Double vision
• Night blindness
• Hypersensitivity to bright light

Fertility problems

• Reduced libido
• Low testosterone or estrogen
• Low sperm count
• Frequent miscarriages or stillborn births
• Early onset of menopause

Pregnancy and B12 Deficiency

Treating vitamin B12 deficiency

The most widely-endorsed treatment for vitamin B12 deficiency is supplementation through synthetic vitamin B12 injections. B12 shots are helpful for preventing severe neurological damage or death resulting from pernicious anemia, the most common cause of vitamin B12 deficiency.

However, for complete alleviation of symptoms associated with vitamin B12 deficiency, you may need to supplement beyond the recommended dose of vitamin B12.

Many forms of sublingual or non-dietary over-the-counter (OTC) vitamin B12 supplements are available to help you achieve the goal of total recovery from vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms, and may be taken safely without the need for prescription.

Please tell us…

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Like this? Read more:

Aging begins at 45- Tips on how to Prevent Early Memory Loss

Sources:

It Could Be Old Age, or It Could Be Low B12

Seven Signs that You Might Have a Vitamin B12 Deficiency

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DASH diet basics

To properly follow the DASH diet, you should strive to include foods that are rich in:

• Potassium
• Fiber
• Calcium
• Lean protein
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin B12

Additionally, you are advised to avoid salt and high-caloric fatty processed foods, while enjoying ample supplies of whole vegetables, fruits, and grains.

Health benefits of the DASH diet include weight loss, cardiovascular health, diabetes prevention, good digestion, normal blood pressure, and bone health.

And because the DASH diet promotes consumption of vitamin B12-rich foods, you will also experience enhanced neurological functioning, cognitive excellence, and an increase in energy.

DASH diet with B12 malabsorption

However, even if you follow the DASH diet by the book, you may require extra vitamin B12 supplementation in order to achieve maximum health benefits.

For many, vitamin B12 malabsorption interferes with your ability to extract cobalamin (vitamin B12) from DASH diet foods such as lean poultry, seafood, and yogurt. Over years, your vitamin B12 levels drop incrementally, resulting in eventual vitamin B12 deficiency by your mid-30s or 40s.

It’s very difficult to tell if you suffer from vitamin B12 malabsorption through blood tests alone, as typical screenings only check for total serum vitamin B12 levels, and don’t isolate specific “active” vitamin B12 molecules in your body.

(Related: Vitamin B12 Malabsorption)

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency

The best way for your doctor to tell if you’re experiencing vitamin B12 deficiency (despite following the DASH diet) is by diagnosing common symptoms of early onset and advanced vitamin B12 deficiency, sometimes referred to as pernicious anemia.

Tell your doctor if you frequently experience the following unusual symptoms:

• Overwhelming fatigue
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Memory loss
• Confusion
• Slow thinking (“brain fog”)
• Dizziness
• Painful numbness and tingling in the extremities (hands, feet, legs, arms)
• Difficulty swallowing
• “Electric shock” sensations
• Sore, red tongue
• Burning sensations
• Muscle twitches, spasms
• Partial paralysis
• Eye floaters
• Vision problems
• Difficulty walking
• Difficulty controlling arm or leg movements

(Related: What are the Symptoms of Pernicious Anemia- B12 deficiency?)

Getting enough B12 on DASH

If you’re diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency, despite following the DASH diet, then you’re most likely not able to benefit from vitamin B12 from dietary sources. Instead, it is crucial to get proper supplementation of vitamin B12 by non-dietary means, and avoiding vitamin B12 pills, which are ineffective.

Popular sources of vitamin B12 for people suffering from B12 malabsorption include vitamin B12 injections and sublingual vitamin B12 tablets.

Also, you may safely complement prescription vitamin B12 with additional over-the-counter (OTC) B12 supplements, without concern for health risks.

(Quite the contrary, multiple scientific sources cite the various health benefits gained by taking mega-doses of vitamin B12 each day. For more, read Vitamin B12: the Energy Elixir.)

Please tell us…

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

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Like this? Read more:

Prevent Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Beyond Nutrition

Sources:

DASH Diet — What You Need to Know — US News Best Diets

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For many, chronic pain is an unwelcome visitor that shows up every day and refuses to leave. To manage chronic pain, you need the right doctor for your specific ailments. Below are some helpful tips and links for finding the right chronic pain specialist.

What’s chronic pain?

For healthy individuals, pain is temporary. If you have ever fallen and broken your leg, or if you have injured your neck in a car accident, then you know that the pain will disappear in time with treatment.

Chronic pain, however, lasts day in, day out- and may last for years, or for a lifetime. Chronic pain may occur as a result of an untreatable illness, such as arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS), or migraines.

Or, chronic pain may result from an underlying health condition yet to be detected, such as pernicious anemia (vitamin B12 deficiency), autoimmune disorders, or chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).

Chronically Pained? Here’s your Essential Chronic Pain Checklist…

Examples of chronic pain include:

• Chronic nerve pain (neuropathy)
• Chronic back pain
• Carpal tunnel syndrome
• Chronic back pain
• Migraines
• Chronic hip pain
• Chronic knee pain

Where’s Dr. Right?

A specialized chronic pain doctor can help you diagnose the cause of chronic pain and prescribe suitable treatments, such as pain relievers, pain management tools, and natural chronic pain therapies.

To treat chronic pain, you may require the services of an

• Anesthesiologist;
• Neurologist;
• Neurosurgeon;
• Orthopedic surgeon;
• Or psychiatrist;

What should I look for?

A good chronic pain doctor should have the following traits:

• Patience in listening to symptoms
• Knowledge of the most current chronic pain management treatments
• Trustworthiness
• Thoroughness
• Interest in your symptoms
• A good reputation

Chronic pain links

Sometimes, it helps to search for a chronic pain doctor by accessing a search engine that covers your area, especially if you live in a remote city.

US News has conducted a list of the top pain management specialists.

PainDoctor.com provides up-to-date information on chronic pain management treatments and specialists.

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) is a world-wide organization that supports chronic pain research.

Please tell us…

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

Share with your friends!

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Like this? Read more:

Vitamin B12 Deficiency- Total Body Invasion

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

Sources:

Pain Management: Doctors Who Treat Pain

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Even in you suffer from GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease); heartburn doesn’t have to be on the holiday menu every time December rolls around. Here are some tips for preventing acid reflux, stomach pain, and debilitating heartburn this holiday season, including which foods to avoid, which medications work best for treating heartburn, and some helpful lifestyle changes that dramatically decrease acid reflux episodes.

GERD led to B12 Deficiency- What do I eat now?

Shopping might be the #1 activity for most people during the holidays, but eating comes in as a close second…

December is a time for celebrating, and what better way to celebrate than by inviting all of your closest friends, coworkers, and family to your home, laying out a generous spread of sauce-laden casseroles, buttery side dishes, and as assortment of rich pastries?

And then do it all over again the next day- same menu, same heartburn, different location.

It’s no wonder that more people complain about heartburn, stomach cramps, and severe bloating during the holiday season than any other time of the year.

But don’t feel helpless! Here is a handy anti-heartburn checklist to help you get through holiday festivities without suffering the fiery aftereffects later.

Stick to these suggestions, and you can get your New Year’s celebrations off to a healthy, pain-free start.

Foods that love you back:

1- Oatmeal is soothing to the stomach and aids healthy digestion- a great line of defense against heartburn!

2- Bananas, put them on your oatmeal for a treat that’s gentle on your tummy.

3- Ginger is spicy, but also an excellent anti-inflammatory ingredient.

4- Aloe Vera has a healing effect on acid reflux.

5– Melons such as honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon are easily digested, even if you get chronic heartburn.

6- Fennel prevents heartburn by promoting healthy digestion.

7- Celery is a cousin of fennel, and also tummy-friendly.

8- Chicken, cooked without the skin and served as a low-fat entrée is part of the GERD diet.

9- Seafood, like chicken, is also a nutritious source of protein and vitamin B12 that is a green-light food for heartburn patients.

10- Greens such as salads, broccoli and green beans provide essential vitamins and minerals while also sustaining healthy digestion and preventing acid reflux.

11- Brown rice provides vitamins and is a good source of dietary fiber.

12- Parsley has been used for centuries to aid digestion and fight bad breath.

Get parsley capsules from Amazon.com

Foods to avoid

13- Peppermint can ease stomach upset for some, but for people who have GERD, it can worsen acid reflux.

14- Chocolate is one of the top-ranking red light foods for heartburn sufferers, as it contains caffeine, unhealthy fats, and cocoa- all acid reflux triggers.

15- Fizzy drinks such as colas and lemon-lime sodas have way too much carbonation, causing your stomach to expand and trigger acid reflux.

16– French fries and other deep-fried delicacies are a common cause of chest pain and stomach upset caused by acid reflux and heartburn.

17- Fish oil supplements are generally healthy, unless oil is a heartburn trigger.

18- Chili peppers and other spicy foods irritate the stomach walls, especially if you already suffer from chronic heartburn or acid reflux.

19- Raw onions aggravate stomach inflammation.

20- Citrus fruits and tomatoes are also harsh on the stomach walls and esophagus.

21- Coffee is fine if you limit your caffeine to one cup per day, but anything more than that will make heartburn and acid reflux worse.

22- Butter, cheeses, and other dairy products are sometimes the cause of chronic heartburn.

23– Steaks and other high-fat cuts of meat are notorious for causing a host of stomach ailments.

24- Alcoholic beverages contribute to acid reflux disorder by loosening the valve at the bottom of your esophagus.

Lifestyle changes that help

25- Eat small meals throughout the day to prevent heartburn.

26- Chew, chew your food well between bites.

27- Don’t sip water while eating, as it dissolves essential stomach acids needed for digestion.

28- Manage your weight, and you manage heartburn.

29- Dress loosely and avoid tight clothing.

30- Keep your head up while you sleep, or rest on your left side.

31- Relax and prevent stress, a common trigger of heartburn during the holidays.

32- Quit smoking, as besides destroying your lungs, it also aggravates your esophagus.

33- Zegerid OTC is a helpful drug treatment for heartburn that has helped many GERD patients.

Please tell us…

Do you have any questions or suggestions?  Please leave your comments below.

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For individuals suffering from a deficiency in vitamin B12, fertility problems may be an underlying, often undiagnosed side effect. Vitamin B12 is essential for conceiving a baby, carrying a pregnancy to full term, and providing nourishment in the months that follow. Listed are some ways in which vitamin B12 improves your chances for healthy fertility.

Numerous oft-cited scientific studies have been conducted on the effects of vitamin B12 on fertility; in one, researchers found a strong connection between raised homocysteine levels (a symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency) and increased rate of miscarriage and difficulty conceiving.

Vitamin B12 and DNA

Vitamin B12 is essential for growing healthy cells, as it promotes cellular metabolism. Likewise, a deficiency in vitamin B12 that occurs even before conception can result in poor DNA formation and irregular cell growth, increasing your risk for infertility, miscarriage, and stillborn births. To prevent infertility and complications in pregnancies, women and men should consider checking their vitamin B12 levels before planning a family.

Vitamin B12 and your blood

Vitamin B12 is a crucial nutrient for producing plenty of healthy red blood cells. Without an adequate level of vitamin B12 in your blood, you risk suffering the effect of oxygen depletion caused by a sharp decrease in hemoglobin, which carries vital oxygen to all the various cells of your body.

As a result, you feel fatigued, confused, and dizzy. More importantly, the fetus developing in your body will not receive enough oxygen from red blood cells, and may suffer from developmental problems later in life. (See Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Infants- Developmental Disabilities)

To sustain healthy fertility, it is crucial to maintain normal levels of vitamin B12, either from diet or vitamin B12 supplements.

Vitamin B12 and menstruation

Vitamin B12 also aids in fertility by regulating your hormones, keeping them in balance. Sometimes, difficulties with ovulation or menstruation abnormalities are a result of underlying vitamin B12 deficiency.

“Do I have vitamin B12 deficiency?”

To find out if vitamin B12 deficiency is causing fertility problems, as your doctor for a vitamin B12 blood test. Because blood screenings for vitamin B12 deficiency are not always reliable, it’s important to be aware of the early warning signs of vitamin B12 deficiency anemia.

Symptoms indicating vitamin B12 deficiency may include:

• Constant fatigue
• Memory problems
• Dizziness
• Painful tingling and numbness in the hands and feet
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Partial paralysis
• Electric-like shocks
• Sore, red tongue
• Burning sensations
• Difficulty controlling arm or leg movements
• Difficulty balancing on one leg

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Share with your friends!

If you found this article helpful, then please share with your friends, family, and coworkers by email, Facebook, or Google+.

Like this? Read more:

Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Pregnancy, Part I: Planning a Baby

Babies, B12, and Fertility- B12 Deficiency during Pregnancy

Sources:

Vitamin B12 deficiency, infertility and recurrent fetal loss

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