What are the symptoms of vitamin B-12 deficiency/ pernicious anemia?
As discussed previously, true pernicious anemia results from an autoimmune condition that impairs absorption of dietary vitamin B-12, resulting in vitamin B-12 deficiency. Vitamin B-12 deficiency of any cause will result in anemia and neurologic symptoms. Because the body has large stores of vitamin B-12, a deficiency takes many years to establish. Vitamin B-12 deficiency affects the nervous system, leading to a variety of symptoms. Sometimes, these may be apparent before symptoms related to the anemia. Neurological symptoms vary and may be nonspecific (meaning that these are symptoms that can be caused by a number of different conditions). Feelings of numbness, tingling, weakness, lack of coordination, clumsiness, impaired memory, and personality changes can all occur. Both sides of the body are usually affected, and the legs are typically more affected than the arms. A severe deficiency can result in more serious neurological symptoms, including severe weakness, spasticity, paraplegi
