Emily Chan
Before humans knew about the importance of vitamin C, seafarers in the 18th century would set sail with nothing but salted meats and dry biscuits to sustain them on long voyages.
Those foods may be preserved well, but they did not provide the necessary nutrients to prevent sailors from developing scurvy.
Scurvy is a disease caused by a serious vitamin C deficiency and can lead to major dental issues if left untreated, such as bleeding gums and loosened teeth.
Scurvy is usually associated with pirates, and it makes sense why the disease would crop up because they didn’t have access to fruits and vegetables in the middle of the ocean.
In today’s day and age, it seems that scurvy shouldn’t be a problem because we have plenty of fresh produce and vitamin supplements available.
However, scurvy is still affecting people in 2024, even if they’re not sailing across the sea for months at a time.
A new study has recorded a case of scurvy in a 65-year-old woman dealing with mobility issues and social isolation.
The patient arrived at a hospital emergency room with some strange symptoms. She had difficulty moving around, and her legs were weakening progressively.
About three months before, she noticed that she had skin discoloration on her thighs. It was misdiagnosed as a fungal infection during a telehealth visit with her family doctor. So, the anti-fungal cream she was prescribed did not help at all.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
