what causes scurvy? and the history behind it?

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what is it and what is the history behind it?
Its a lack of Vitamin C. The pirates and explorers got it on there ships because they could only have fresh fruits on board for a limited time. After that they would go to rot. It leads to spots on the skin, Spongy Gums, bleeding from the mucus membranes, spots on the thighs and legs. People with scurvy look pale and depressed. People with advanced scurvy have opened spurrated wounds and loss of teeth.  (+ info)

what is scurvy and what are the symptoms?

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Note that Scurvy symptoms usually refers to various symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase Scurvy signs may refer to those signs only noticable by a doctor:

Tiredness
Weakness
Irritability
Aches and pains
Poor healing
Bleeding symptoms
Weak capillaries
Fingertip bleeding
Bruises
Bruising easily
Bleeding from old scars
Internal bleeding
Dental symptoms
Swollen purple spongy gums
Bleeding gums
Bone symptoms
Other causes of these symptoms: Click on any of the above symptoms to see a full list of other diseases, toxin, or drugs side effect causes of that symptom. To research other symptoms use the symptom center, or to research causes of more than one symptom in combination, try our multi-symptom search.


More about symptoms of Scurvy:

More information about symptoms of Scurvy and related conditions:
Symptoms that may be caused by complications of Scurvy
Underlying causes of Scurvy
Risk factors for Scurvy



Scurvy as a cause:

When considering symptoms of Scurvy, it is also important to consider Scurvy as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Scurvy may cause:
Macrocytosis (erythrocyte)
Periosteal reaction
Haemolytic anaemia
Pathological fracture
Microcytosis (erythrocyte)
Genu varum
Vascular hemostatic disorder
Splinter haemorrhages
Genu valgum
Gum pathology
Eye red
Alkaline phosphatase levels low (plasma or serum)
Red cell production reduced  (+ info)

Is Scurvy considered a skin disorder/disease?

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Is it? because im doing a project in my anatomy class and i need to find a skin disorder//disease. if its not do you have a cool interesting idea of a skin disorder??


:D thankss.
Scurvy is a disease resulting from a deficiency of vitamin C.
You can do your project on Vitiligo, its a skin disorder that Michael Jackson had.  (+ info)

Why do the elderly get scurvy in the winter?

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See Web search "scurvy elderly winter" and

http://www.independentliving.co.uk/vitamin3.html

The above reference provides lots of information to explain the effects of vitamin C deficiency in the elderly. The solution is more fresh fruit , oranges /lemon juice etc. A good diet prevents this problem, but in a Western society scurvy isn't that common. Watch out for elderly care homes that economize on fresh fruit etc this could be a hidden source of vitamin deficiency.  (+ info)

How come Eskimos dont get scurvy?

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The old time sailors feared it! How did the old eskimos not get it...they had no fruit or vitamin C tablets!!
sailors could have caught fish too..
They now prefer to be called Inuit rather than Eskimo.  (+ info)

what is the mechanism by which scurvy can cause peripheral neuropathy?

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Scurvy is dietary deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). It takes about three months of vitamin C deprivation for the symptoms of scurvy to manifest.
Pathophysiology of Scurvy is → Vitamin C deficiency results in impaired collagen synthesis. The typical pathological manifestations of vitamin C deficiency are noted in dentine, osteoid, and capillary vessel wall tissues. Pathological changes are a function of the rate of growth of the affected tissues; hence, the bone changes are often observed only in infants during periods of rapid bone growth.
Defective collagen synthesis leads to defective dentine formation, hemorrhaging into the gums, and loss of teeth. Hemorrhaging is a hallmark feature of scurvy and can occur in any organ. Hair follicles are one of the common sites of cutaneous bleeding.
Bone involvement is typical for infantile scurvy. The bony changes occur at the junction between the end of the diaphysis and growth cartilage. Osteoblasts fail to form osteoid (bone matrix), resulting in cessation of endochondral bone formation. Calcification of the growth cartilage at the end of the long bones continues, leading to the thickening of the growth plate. The typical invasion of the growth cartilage by the capillaries does not occur. Preexisting bone becomes brittle and undergoes resorption at a normal rate, resulting in microscopic fractures of the spicules between the shaft and calcified cartilage. With these fractures, the periosteum becomes loosened resulting in the classic subperiosteal hemorrhage at the ends of the long bones. Intra-articular hemorrhage is rare, because the periosteal attachment to the growth plate is very firm.

These are some of the symptoms of scurvy:
•Tiredness
•Weakness
•Irritability
•Nausea
•Aches and pains -- muscle and joint pain,
•Poor healing
•Bleeding symptoms
oWeak capillaries
oFingertip bleeding
oBruises
oBruising easily
oBleeding from old scars
oInternal bleeding
•Dental symptoms
oSwollen purple spongy gums
oBleeding gums
oloosening of teeth,
•Bone symptoms
•A feeling of discomfort
•Wounds healing slowly and poorly
•Dry skin and hair
•Bleeding into muscles and joints, causing pain.

The symptom is not peripheral neuropathy – there is no neuropathy in scurvy as far as I know. There is pain and tenderness in the joint and muscles, psuedoparalysis. The pain can be called neuralgia, but would be incorrect as it is not nerve pain...The whole pathology is to do with collagen and bones.  (+ info)

in the olden days sailors used to get scurvy on long voyages. How id they cure it?

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Help blodge homework!!! xxxx
Vitamin C! Seriously. They figured out it was from a lack of it, and started carrying citrus fruits on voyages, especially limes. That's where the term "limey'" came from in referring to a British sailor.  (+ info)

how long does it take for someone to die of scurvy?

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i am asking just out of curiousity, i know it is treatable with vitamin c i was just wondering how long the body could go without...
Why ever would you ask? It is exceedingly preventable with Vitamin C.  (+ info)

what was the historical treatment for scurvy?

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lemons  (+ info)

how long does it take for scurvy to kill someone?

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  (+ info)

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