Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C and can be fatal if left untreated. It was historically common among sailors and travelers without access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Treatment involves increasing vitamin C intake through fresh produce. Infants, the elderly, and those with dietary deficiencies are at risk.
Scurvy, also known as scurvy, is a medical condition caused by a lack of vitamin C. If left untreated, scurvy can be fatal, but fortunately this condition is extremely easy to deal with, as all that is needed to get rid of scurvy is an increase in vitamin C intake. Scurvy is relatively rare in the modern era, thanks to widespread knowledge of the need for vitamin C, but it does sometimes appear in malnourished individuals, infants, and the elderly.
The history of this disease is ancient. Historically, it was often seen in travelers and sailors, both of which lacked access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Hippocrates wrote about scurvy, indicating that he was familiar with it, and in the age of exploration, scurvy was a very serious problem among sailors and passengers aboard ships. In the 1700s, a researcher named James Lind established a link between citrus fruit consumption and a decline in scurvy, and the frequency of the disease dropped dramatically. Lind’s discovery also led to the slang term “limey” for “sailor,” referring to fresh limes eaten to ward off scurvy.
Early signs of scurvy include fatigue and joint pain. If the condition is allowed to progress, a distinctive rash will develop on the legs, mucous membranes will begin to bleed, previous fracture sites may rupture, and the patient will experience severe muscle weakness. A lack of vitamin C allows the body’s connective tissues to essentially separate, allowing blood to flow freely through blood vessels and causing long-term damage to muscles if the condition isn’t diagnosed early.
About 10 to 10 milligrams of vitamin C per day prevents scurvy, which means that a single orange contains over four times the vitamin C needed. Treatment for vitamin C deficiency usually involves a very high intake of vitamin C, accompanied by fresh fruits and vegetables to address the deficiencies that often accompany scurvy. Vitamin C can also be difficult to absorb when served on its own, so combining it with foods and spreading the dosage across multiple meals ensures that the body has a chance to absorb as much of it as possible.
Infants are sometimes at risk of scurvy if they are fed formula because pasteurized milk lacks vitamin C. Older adults can also develop scurvy due to dietary deficiencies; “widower’s scurvy,” for example, occurs in old people who are unable to cook for themselves. People with anorexia and other eating disorders can also develop scurvy, as well as a host of other problems related to the inevitable dietary deficiencies that accompany eating disorders.
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