Affected people often notice vitamin K deficiency symptoms quickly and very clearly. If the body lacks vitamin K, this leads to increased bleeding and a longer blood clotting time.
In vitamin K deficiency disease, the human body lacks vitamins K1, K2, and K3. Depending on the particular vitamin, the deficiency syndrome is also known as phylloquinone deficiency, farninoquinone deficiency, and menaquinone deficiency.
The optimal daily requirement for vitamin K is 65 to 80 milligrams. If those affected are below this amount due to an unhealthy diet, vitamin K deficiency causes several symptoms.
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Signs of vitamin K deficiency
In addition to the already known deficiency for vitamin K, there is a deficiency of vitamins K4, K5, K6 and K7. Common signs of this disease include:
- A performance limitation.
- A high susceptibility to infections.
- Immunodeficiency weakness.
- Lack of concentration.
- Sudden bruising and bleeding.
If the person is lacking vitamin K for a longer period of time, more serious disorders will occur. Bleeding will occur in the organs and tissues with no apparent cause. This is due to a lack of blood clotting factors caused by a lack of vitamin K.
This means that in the case of vitamin K deficiency, there are symptoms of a low level of healing. This complication works down to the cellular level. Also, clear features include bleeding from the gums after brushing your teeth and lots of nosebleeds.
If the body lacks vitamin K, there is a decrease in prothrombin levels. This leads to increased blood clotting time. This leads to an increase in the clotting time of the blood. Doctors refer to this in technical language as the thromboplastin time.
If the time value increases, those affected vomit blood in some cases. The phenomenon is called Hematemesis. Other signs of vitamin K deficiency are caused by disturbed plasma factors.
The hematomas are formed primarily in joints. After surgery, abnormal bleeding occurs in patients who are deficient in vitamin K.
Other features of vitamin K deficiency
There are some symptoms of vitamin K deficiency that may be reason for a call. These include, for example, sudden paralysis. In addition, those affected may suffer from a sensation of numbness in the face or in the middle of the body. In some cases, part of the mouth does not move and hangs down.
Particularly clear features of vitamin K deficiency are demonstrated in speech disorders. Those affected may experience blurred vision and temporary blindness in one eye. In the case of visual disturbances, patients often perceive that they see things twice. They may also get pinching headaches. If these symptoms persist for more than a week, the patient should visit a doctor.
Bleeding
Bleeds on the skin turn into pronounced bruises. Thus, the sick suffers more and more from bruises. There is invisible bleeding in the area of the mucous membranes, in the brain, in the adrenal glands and in the liver. There is also bleeding in the intestine. The bloody urine is also one of the clear signs of deficiency of vitamin K.
Wounds heal more slowly than in healthy people. This leads to an exacerbation of normally harmless ulcers. In an emergency, these can lead to dangerous blood loss. Some patients suffer from brain hemorrhages.
Here are associated the symptoms of vitamin K deficiency due to stroke. Blood clotting disorders are among the deficiency symptoms, as well as lower bone density. This condition is called vernacular osteoporosis. Especially in women between 36 and 63 years there is an increased risk of bone fractures.
Symptoms of Vitamin K Deficiency in Newborns
In particular, babies are deficient in vitamin K. This is due to the low concentration of the vitamin in breast milk. An indication of deficiency is the bleeding tendency of babies. Doctors refer to this disease as hemorrhagic neonatum.
The parts especially affected by these hemorrhages are the abdominal cavity, the lungs, the liver and the intestine. The situation is similar with the skin and mucous membranes of babies. Brain hemorrhage causes physical and mental disabilities in babies.
Symptoms appear faster than in adults
In babies, symptoms of vitamin K deficiency are faster than in adults. Doctors notice lower prothrombin levels in babies with this deficiency. These levels decrease by 20 to 40 percent within 72 hours of birth. Also, the prothrombin time is prolonged for the little ones. Healthy babies have a fast value of 13 seconds. In babies with vitamin K deficiency, this value is 19 to 22 seconds.
If symptoms such as paralysis, numbness or blurred vision develop in the case of a vitamin K deficiency, those affected should urgently visit a doctor.
The first signs of deficiency include decreased performance, fatigue, headache, and prolonged bleeding. Vitamin K is a variety of vitamins, which are produced mainly in green leaves, such as lettuce.