If you are wondering: “Scurvy is what kind of illness?” Then be sure to read our article to the end. In it, we will talk about what constitutes a given ailment. We also find out what its symptoms and treatment methods are.
general information
Scurvy is a rather serious disease that is caused by an acute deficiency of vitamin C (or the so-called ascorbic acid). It should be noted that a deficiency of this element in the human body can very quickly lead to disruption of collagen synthesis, as a result of which connective tissue simply loses its former strength.
Medical history
Scurvy is an ailment, the first information about which dates back to the beginning of the 13th century. Historians estimate that between 1600 and 1800 about a million sailors died from this disease, which usually occurred on ships. These values exceeded casualties in all battles of that time.
As for the mainland, there were mass diseases only in isolated places where a lot of people gathered (for example, in besieged fortresses, remote villages, prisons, etc.).
Disease discovery
As mentioned above, scurvy is a disease that is caused by a lack of vitamin C. This fact was proved only in 1932. Initially, this disease was attributed to an infectious nature. However, sailors during wanderings around the world noticed that on the ships, on which citrus fruits constituted a significant part of the crew’s ration, losses from scurvy were insignificant.
Soon, employees in the Navy began to receive rations, significantly different from the usual lunch of a military man. It included lemons, oranges and cranberries.
In 1747, after conducting the first clinical study, the doctor of the marine hospital, James Lind, proved that citrus fruits and herbs can prevent the development of the disease in question. About the means of preventing scurvy in the same year, the British admiral Richard Hawkins also spoke, who during his entire career lost about ten thousand subordinates who died from scurvy.
When does the disease manifest?
Disease of scurvy begins to develop with the complete cessation of ascorbic acid intake. As a rule, symptoms begin to appear as early as the 4th week. As for the usual hypovitaminosis, the clinical manifestations in this case are less pronounced. They make themselves felt at a later date, namely after 4-7 months.
Main symptoms
Scurvy (vitamin C deficiency) is primarily characterized by fragility of blood vessels. As a result, a hemorrhagic rash appears on the human body . Also, patients often complain of excessive bleeding of the gums. This fact is due to the fact that collagen, in the production of which vitamin C is directly involved, is the most important component of the vascular walls.
As a result of such a disease, a person's fixation of teeth weakens due to poor attachment of the periosteum in the holes and bones. In the future, scurvy (lack of vitamin C) can lead to their loss. In addition, a subperiosteal hemorrhage appears in a person, causing very severe pain in all limbs.
It should be noted that the disease in question contributes to a decrease in immunity and the appearance of hypochromic anemia.
Treatment process
Now you know what causes scurvy. It should be noted that it is quite easy to find this disease in yourself. For this, it is only necessary to observe the symptoms that appear. If you notice the signs described above, then your body is deficient in ascorbic acid.
Treatment for scurvy can be done independently, without going to the doctor. After all, the therapy of this disease boils down only to providing your body with a sufficient amount of vitamin C. But if you doubt that you have this disease, it is better to consult a doctor. The doctor will be able to quickly identify the presence or absence of this ailment in you and, if necessary, prescribe a vitamin complex.
Disease prevention
Vitamins with scurvy can be purchased in pharmacies, but you can also use foods that are rich in ascorbic acid.
Particularly important is the prevention of this ailment in the winter, as well as with prolonged stays in those areas where it is very difficult to secure a complete and balanced diet.
Daily requirement for ascorbic acid
Preservation of vitamin C in foods occurs only subject to strict rules for their cooking and storage. If you do not have the opportunity to get the required amount of ascorbic acid with food, it is recommended to take this element in the form of dragees or tablets. However, it should be noted that an overdose of vitamin C also threatens to cause serious health problems. That is why it is very important to have information about the daily requirement of the body for ascorbic acid. So, the dose for children is from 30 to 75 mg per day, and for adults - 50-120 mg. In addition, it is recommended to take other multivitamin complexes.
Folk remedies for scurvy
If you have been diagnosed with this, then you should not postpone the treatment of this ailment in a long box. After all, the longer your body experiences a deficiency of ascorbic acid, the more symptoms will manifest itself. So, a prolonged lack of vitamin C can cause tooth loss, as well as problems with blood vessels, heart, etc.
We have already talked about what measures must be taken to overcome the aforementioned disease. If you do not want to take vitamin complexes purchased in a pharmacy, we recommend using folk recipes. Thanks to them, in a few weeks you will be able to notice a decrease in unpleasant symptoms.
So, we will consider recipes of folk remedies against scurvy in more detail:
- To cure this disease, you need to take fresh needles, rinse it in cool water, and then put it in a pan, add sugar and boil jam. The resulting treat is recommended to be consumed with tea and lemon three times a day.
- If you do not like sweets, then from the needles you can make not a jam, but a decoction. For this, 30 g of well-washed needles are taken, and then filled with water in an amount of 160 ml. The resulting mixture is boiled for 20 minutes in the winter and 40 in the summer. Ready broth must be drunk in two doses. Additionally, you can add a little fresh honey or a spoonful of sugar.
- For self-treatment of scurvy, lemon water is often used. To prepare such a product, 1 small fruit is squeezed into a glass. Lemon water is taken throughout the day. By the way, you can rinse the resulting liquid with your mouth.
- In the event that you do not have time to make lemon water, then the mentioned fruit can be consumed just like that. To do this, it is washed, cut into slices, and then lightly sprinkled with sugar and eat, washed down with water or tea.
Among other things, with scurvy, you should also eat a variety of citrus fruits to your taste (tangerines, grapefruits, oranges, etc.). It is also necessary to include cranberries, cranberry juice, baked potatoes, fresh parsley and dill, green salad, sauerkraut and other foods high in vitamin C in your diet.