VITAMIN B12 deficiency symptoms may occur if a person isn’t getting enough of the vital vitamin from their diet. If the condition goes untreated, serious health complications can occur, so recognising symptoms is important. One sign to watch out for may appear in the hands and feet.

Vitamin B12 deficiency may develop if a person lacks the vitamin from the foods they’re eating. B12 is vital in the production of red blood cells in the body, and also for keeping nerves healthy. If B12 is in short supply in the body, this will effect a person’s red blood cell count and nerves can become damaged. If vitamin B12 deficiency is left untreated, complications, including heart failure, can occur. People who eat a vegan or vegetarian diet may be at risk of the condition because the vitamin is best gained from foods of an animal origin.

Other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency

Bupa outlines other symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency to watch out for:

• Feeling very tired
• Breathlessness even after little exercise
• Heart palpitations
• Headaches
• A reduced appetite
• A sore mouth and tongue.

It adds: “If you have vitamin B12-deficiency anaemia, you may also look pale or jaundiced (have a yellowy tinge to your skin and the whites of your eyes).” Express