Scurvy
Scurvy is a common disease among children that is caused by the deficiency of vitamin C. This disease is characterized by bleeding and swelling in the gums and was earlier known as the sailor’s disease due to its regular occurrence in men at sea, who were deprived of foods rich in vitamin C. This disease is also known by other names such as Cheadle's disease, Barlow's disease and Moeller's disease. This disease mostly afflicts children and is often mistaken for paralysis, rheumatism or rickets.
Causes of Scurvy
Scurvy is caused by deficiency of vitamin C or ascorbic acid. Insufficient intake of fresh fruit and vegetables can lead to this situation. Another important cause of Scurvy is strain which increases the use of ascorbic acid.
Symptoms of Scurvy
Symptoms of scurvy generally develop after at least 3 months of severe or total vitamin C deficiency. The first symptoms of the disease are tiredness and general weakness. At the later stages, there is bleeding of the gums, because the lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) makes the capillaries fragile and their rupture is ordinary. This may lead to general hemorrhaging. Other common symptoms of scurvy are joint pains, liver spots, bleeding of gums, and weakness of the body and inability of the body to heal the wounds.
Scurvy Symptoms in Children
Children who have scurvy usually feel anxious. Infants may cry incessantly and may be very irritable. The irritability is usually progressive. There may be psuedoparalysis in children, and to find relief from that, they may tend to keep their body on their front foot more. They may also experience hemorrhages in which there is incessant bleeding at the lower ends of the long bones in the body.
There are some natural home remedies for scurvy and you can easily get relief from this disease.
1.Gooseberry, Sugar, Milk
The deficiency of vitamin C is the main cause behind getting this condition. Emblica gooseberry is one such fruit, which is rich source of vitamin C. Eating Emblica gooseberry is highly beneficial in the treatment of scurvy. Make a fine powder of 1kg dried Emblica gooseberry and mix with two cups of sugar. This powder should be given in doses of one teaspoon, three times daily. You can even dissolve the mixture into water and drink it. It is better if you will have it with milk. Adding a teaspoon of this mixture to hot milk and drinking it before you go to bed can help reduce the symptoms of scurvy.
2.Lime juice, Lemon Juice, Honey
Lime and lemon are also highly beneficial in the prevention and treatment of scurvy. Being rich sources of vitamin C, lemon and lime are of therapeutic value when it comes to dealing with this disease. The juice of one lime or lemon mixed in a glass of water, with a tbs of honey, should be taken twice a day till the symptoms begin to subside.
3.Potato, Tomato
Another helpful natural remedy for treating scurvy is potato and tomato. The deficiency of vitamin C is the main cause behind getting this condition. Potato and tomato are also very good source of vitamin C. It is essential for individuals suffering from this disease to include potatoes and tomatoes in their diet on a regular basis. You can eat potatoes and tomatoes in any form for dealing with scurvy. Boil some potatoes and make yourself some mash potatoes. You can also make some tomato gravy to go with it. Both tomatoes and potatoes are rich in vitamin C and this combination can help you deal with scurvy symptoms.
4.Mango Powder
Powdered dry green mangoes are another effective therapy for scurvy. For making aamchur, you will need to skin the mangoes and stone them and cut into pieces. Then dry these pieces in sunlight for few days. Then grind it in mixture grinder and make powder of it. This powder is very rich source of vitamin C. You can either have this powder as it is or you can put it while cooking food. Fifteen grams of aamchur are supposed to be equal to thirty grams of good lime on account of its citric content. The citric element in aamchur proves beneficial for the treatment of scurvy.
5.Jaundice Berry
Jaundice berry is good herbal remedy fur scurvy. The leaves of the Jaundice berry herb have anti-scurvy or anti-scorbutic property. A decoction of the leaves can be prepared by boiling 15 gm of dried leaves in 500 ml of water till it is reduced by one-third level. Almost 150 to 175 ml of the decoction can be taken at a time. The juice of the berry is also useful and can be taken in doses of 2 to 5 ml.
6.Mother’s milk, Cow’s milk
The most vital factor in the avoidance and treatment of Scurvy is appropriate feeding. After birth, all children must be breast-fed wherever possible. If infants will not get enough of mother's milk, then there is high chance of the baby getting scurvy. Hence mother's milk is must for newborn baby. Breastfeed your child as long as you can. Mother's milk has so many nutrients that there is no real substitute for it. If, for any reason, it is not probable to breast-feed the baby, he or she should be fed either on cow's milk or commercially available milk methods.For the treatment of scurvy in infants, you will need to mix together cow’s milk with breast milk. This will allow the child to receive the required daily allowance of vitamin C.
7.Well-balanced Diet
Diet plays an important role in the prevention and treatment of Scurvy in adults. The patient should take a well-balanced diet comprising of seeds, nuts, grains, vegetables, and fruit. This diet should be added with certain unique foods such as milk, vegetable oils, and honey.
Liberal quantities of vitamin C should be included in the patient’s diet that if found in citrus fruits and vegetables but is destroyed when cooked. 10-20 mg of vitamin C can be supplemented on a daily basis.
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