Vitamin B12 Deficiency

Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin that is essential to help optimize conversion of food into energy. This energy is needed by the body to utilize numerous physiologic processes such as respiration, blood circulation, and immune system response. Vitamin B12 also helps maintain healthy nerve cells in the body and is needed by the red blood cells for the formation and production of Deoxyribonucleic acid or is what we all know as the DNA. This vitamin can be found in different kinds of food groups such as fish, shellfish, meat and daily products. This vitamin is stored in the body for several years, thus deficiency of Vitamin B12 is extremely rare since it is stored for the longest time. Most factors that predispose one for Vitamin B12 deficiency is age, diet and loss of the intrinsic factor. The elderly is at risk of deficiency and so are the people who are vegetarians or the vegans since vitamin b12 is seen less in vegetables hence vitamin b12 is absorbed less by the body. Loss of Intrinsic factor by the intestines could also predispose one in having a deficiency in this vitamin since the intrinsic factor is needed for the absorption of vitamin b12.

Megaloblastic anemia results from a deficiency in vitamin b12. This is a type of anemia in which there is a malformation of the red blood cells. These red blood cells are found to be larger than normal and the ratio of the nucleus is way too increased than that of the cell cytoplasm. One main cause of which is alcohol abuse, wherein alcohol intake depletes vitamin b 12 which leads to deficiency of the vitamin if alcohol is abused by the body. Symptoms of the said disease includes change in skin color, diarrhea and headache. Other risk factors of vitamin b12 deficiency is being at risk for having neurologic and psychiatric problems. Patients with neurological deficits and psychiatric problems is ought to display signs of ataxia in which patient appears to be shaky and is displaying an unsteady gait, muscle weakness, visual problems, incontinence, hypotension or the lowering of blood pressure, psychosis, dementia and mood disturbances.

Cataract

Cataracts, opacities in the lens of the eye, result in the distortion of images projected onto the retina.Cataracts are usually associated with aging, trauma and diseases of the eye, prolonged use of steroids and exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet light. congenital cataracts of the newborn are characterized by the absence of the red reflex.

Syptoms:
Blurred, hazy vision (most common)
Glare from bright lights
Yellow, white or gray discoloration of the pupil
Gradual Loss of vision

Cataract surgery is generally performed in an outpaient surgery center. The client is given a sedative to reduce anxiety. Medications such are given to reduce Intraocular pressure. Mydriatic eye drops are used in combination with cycloplegics to paralyze the muscles of accommodation.

Aftre the client is in the oprative area, an intravenous injection can be given to induce light anesthesia during administration of local anesthesia.