Scurvy is probably best known as a disease that affected sailors on long sea voyages. There is one cause of this disease, and that is an inadequate amount of vitamin C in the diet. Sailors used to carry large amounts of fruit onboard ship, usually lemons, and when the fruit ran out on long voyages, scurvy would set in.

Scurvy occurs when the body has depleted its store of vitamin C. The exact time scale for the disease appearing depends on how much vitamin C the body has stored up. After intake of vitamin C has ceased, scurvy can set in within anywhere from a week to three months.

The symptoms of scurvy include a number of ailments within the body. Sufferers can feel extremely fatigued, as well as nauseated. They may also experience an overall feeling of discomfort, and pain will appear in the muscles and joints of the body.

If the sufferer has cuts or wounds, they will take a long time to heal properly. In the mouth area, teeth may become loose, and there may be some swelling and bleeding in the gums. The hair and skin will become dry.

Another major symptom of scurvy is bleeding into the body’s muscles and joints, such as in the knees and arms. This symptom is extremely painful. If scurvy appears in a child, it can have consequences on the child’s natural growth. Thin tissue that encases the child’s bones will begin to bleed, causing pain and growth irregularities.

Scurvy is not as common a disease as it once was. Vitamin C can easily be obtained from fruits, vegetables, and drinks, including fresh milk. The body needs vitamin C in order to maintain healthy skin and bones. It also ensures healthy growth in the hair and helps to heal any wounds, cuts, or bruises.

Some people are more susceptible to an insufficiency of this important vitamin. Older people may be lacking in it, and people who live in poor countries may not be able to obtain the vitamin easily. A diet poor in vitamin C is biggest risk factor for scurvy. Scurvy can be diagnosed by a simple blood test. If there is a deficiency in the vitamin C levels in the white blood cells, then adequate treatment will be required.

Scurvy is very easily treated. Improving the diet to strengthen the levels of vitamin C is all that is necessary. The symptoms should disappear within a day to a few weeks. Maintaining a diet that is rich in vitamin C will prevent any further attacks of the disease.