A Guide To Vitamin K Deficiency
Are you curious about what vitamin K deficiency is? Then brace yourself because this article will enlighten your mind so, just read the succeeding paragraphs because you will have so many things to discover.
The Benefits Of Vitamin K
But before that, you should know first the benefits of vitamin K to the body. The major role of this vitamin is to aid in blood clotting. Apart from that, it also serves as a treatment for the following: burns, stretch marks, scars, bruises and spider veins as well. Now that you already recognize the importance of this vitamin, it is time to discover what vitamin K deficiency really is.
Vitamin K Deficiency Symptoms
Vitamin K deficiency is a type of condition resulting from the usage of coumarin anticoagulants, inadequate intake and fat mal-absorption. The breastfed infants are the ones who suffer from this condition that is popularly known to impair blood clotting. But wait, how will this condition be diagnosed? It is diagnosed based on the routine coagulation study’s findings that will soon be confirmed by the body’s response to vitamin K. It is treated by means of parental or oral Vitamin K intake.
This type of vitamin comes in two types such as vitamin K1 and vitamin k2.The former, also known as phylloquinone is a type of dietary vitamin. Dietary fat enhances its absorption. On the other hand, the latter is a compound group known as menaquinones which are created by bacteria located in the intestinal tract and the synthesized amount doesn’t satisfy the daily vitamin K requirement of the body. So, this only goes to show that the reason why deficiency development is due to the lack of vitamin K1 wherein the prothrombin levels just like other coagulation factors dependent on vitamin K are decreased. This later on causes excess bleeding and inadequate coagulation.
Vitamin K deficiency is characterized by bleeding, mucosal bleeding, epistaxis, bruises development and GI hemorrhage. So, if you are suffering from any of these conditions, you need to consult your doctor immediately. Prevention is better than cure, right?
Hemorrhagic diseases present in newborns and infants may also cause intracranial bleeding, intrathoracic, cutaneous and GI. If an infant is suffering from obstructive jaundice, bleeding can start after the 4th or 5th day of the infant. Actually, it may possibly start from the surgical incisions, GI mucosa, gums and nose. The worst is a massive GI tract bleeding.
Vitamin K deficiency can lead to fatal conditions. So, in order protect your health and your life, make sure that you have an adequate vitamin K level in the body. Never the less always consult your doctor.
