Beriberi is a vitamin B1 deficiency that affects metabolism, energy production, and the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Treatment involves administering thiamine and magnesium, and addressing residual symptoms. The disease is endemic in Asia due to rice polishing, and is rare in industrialized countries. Diagnosis can be difficult, and physical therapy is often required to address damage.
Beriberi is a vitamin deficiency caused by insufficient intake of thiamine, also known as vitamin B1. Thiamine plays an important role in the human body, helping to regulate metabolism, process carbohydrates and glucose, and produce energy. Treatment for a deficiency of this vitamin involves administering thiamine, along with magnesium, which helps the thiamine function. Once the patient has stabilized, therapy can be started to treat residual symptoms.
There are five types of this deficiency. Wet beriberi involves the cardiovascular system and is characterized by difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, congestion of the lungs, and enlarged heart and liver. Edema, a swelling of the limbs with fluid, is also associated with the condition. Shoshin is a wet form with a rapid onset and is often fatal.
Dry beriberi is a nervous system manifestation of deficiency and includes numbness, difficulty walking, balance problems, speech problems, and cramps. Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome is a dry form related to alcoholism. Alcoholics often have poor diets, and alcohol also interferes with the function of thiamine. The fifth form, infantile beriberi, occurs in nursing infants from thiamine-deficient mothers.
The disease is an endemic problem in Asia, due to the practice of “polishing” rice after it has been hulled. Husking the rice to make white rice removes most of the thiamine-rich outer shell, and polishing removes the rest of the thiamine. Among the working poor on a restricted diet, thiamine deficiency is unfortunately quite common. Other sources of the vitamin include legumes, pork and other whole grains, which can be difficult for people in poverty to obtain.
Westerners first observed and documented beriberi in the 1600s among Asian workers in their colonies. The disease is relatively rare in most industrialized countries because there are abundant sources of vitamin B1 in the Western diet. The disease’s name comes from a Sinhalese phrase meaning “I can’t, I can’t,” a reference to the debilitating symptoms of advanced cases.
The disease can be difficult to diagnose, as many things can lead to similar symptoms. Often, the condition is revealed only after the supplements are administered. After the patient’s diet has been addressed, physical therapy and other treatments are undertaken to address the neurological and physical damage.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
