Scurvy
What is Scurvy?
Scurvy is a disease caused by severe vitamin C deficiency. Your body needs vitamin C to make collagen, a protein that helps build and repair tissues throughout your body. When you don't get enough vitamin C for at least 3 months, your body can't produce enough collagen.
Without adequate collagen, your blood vessels weaken, your gums become fragile, and wounds heal slowly. Scurvy was common among sailors centuries ago who had no access to fresh fruits and vegetables for months at sea. Today, scurvy is rare in developed countries but can still occur in people with very limited diets.
The good news is that scurvy is entirely preventable and reversible with proper vitamin C intake. Most adults need about 75 to 90 milligrams of vitamin C daily. You can get this amount easily from citrus fruits, berries, peppers, and leafy greens.
Symptoms
- Fatigue and weakness that worsens over time
- Swollen, bleeding, or purple gums
- Loose teeth or tooth loss
- Joint pain and swelling, especially in legs
- Bruising easily with small red or purple spots on skin
- Slow wound healing
- Dry, rough, or scaly skin
- Corkscrew-shaped body hair
- Shortness of breath
- Mood changes including irritability and depression
Scurvy develops slowly over several months. Early symptoms like fatigue and weakness are often mistaken for other conditions. If left untreated, symptoms become more severe and can lead to serious complications.
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Causes and risk factors
Scurvy is caused by consuming too little vitamin C over an extended period, typically 3 months or longer. Your body cannot make or store vitamin C, so you must get it from food every day. People at higher risk include those with very restrictive diets, food insecurity, eating disorders, or certain mental health conditions that affect eating habits. Older adults who live alone and rely on processed foods may also be at risk.
Other risk factors include heavy alcohol use, smoking, dialysis treatment, and digestive disorders that limit nutrient absorption. Infants fed only cow's milk instead of formula or breast milk can develop scurvy. Some medications and medical treatments may increase vitamin C needs. People who avoid fruits and vegetables due to allergies, texture sensitivities, or personal preferences are also vulnerable.
How it's diagnosed
Doctors diagnose scurvy based on your symptoms, dietary history, and physical examination. Blood tests can measure your vitamin C levels to confirm the diagnosis. Low vitamin C levels combined with classic symptoms like bleeding gums and skin changes strongly suggest scurvy.
Your doctor may also check for anemia, which often occurs alongside scurvy. Talk to a healthcare provider if you have symptoms of vitamin C deficiency. They can recommend appropriate testing and help you understand your nutritional status.
Treatment options
- Vitamin C supplementation, typically 300 to 1,000 milligrams daily for several weeks
- Eating vitamin C-rich foods like oranges, strawberries, kiwi, bell peppers, and broccoli
- Addressing underlying causes such as poor diet, alcohol use, or eating disorders
- Dental care for gum disease and loose teeth
- Pain management for joint discomfort during recovery
- Regular follow-up to monitor symptom improvement
- Long-term dietary changes to prevent recurrence
- Treatment of any related nutritional deficiencies
Frequently asked questions
Scurvy typically develops after 3 months of consuming less than 10 milligrams of vitamin C per day. Symptoms appear gradually as your body's vitamin C stores become depleted. Early signs like fatigue may show up first, followed by more obvious symptoms like bleeding gums. The timeline varies based on your initial vitamin C stores and overall health status.
Yes, scurvy is completely curable with vitamin C treatment. Most people see improvement within days of starting supplementation, with fatigue and mood symptoms improving first. Gum bleeding typically stops within 2 weeks, while joint pain and skin changes may take several weeks to resolve. Complete recovery usually occurs within 3 months of adequate vitamin C intake.
Citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits are excellent sources of vitamin C. Other good options include strawberries, kiwi, bell peppers, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, and leafy greens. Even a small serving of these foods daily provides enough vitamin C to prevent scurvy. Cooking can reduce vitamin C content, so eating some raw fruits and vegetables is beneficial.
People with very limited diets are at highest risk, including those with food insecurity or eating disorders. Heavy alcohol users, smokers, and older adults who live alone may not get enough vitamin C. People with digestive disorders that affect nutrient absorption are also vulnerable. Infants fed only cow's milk without proper formula or breast milk can develop scurvy.
Most adults need 75 to 90 milligrams of vitamin C each day. Smokers need an additional 35 milligrams daily because smoking depletes vitamin C faster. Pregnant and breastfeeding women need slightly more, around 85 to 120 milligrams. You can easily meet these needs by eating one orange or half a cup of red bell pepper daily.
Vitamin C is water-soluble, so your body eliminates excess amounts through urine. Very high doses above 2,000 milligrams per day may cause digestive upset, diarrhea, or kidney stones in susceptible people. For most healthy adults, getting vitamin C from food poses no risk of excess. Supplements should be used as directed by a healthcare provider.
Scurvy is rare in developed countries today but still occurs occasionally. Most cases involve people with severely restricted diets, mental health conditions affecting eating, or substance use disorders. Some cases appear in older adults or people with limited access to fresh foods. When scurvy does occur, it is often diagnosed late because doctors don't expect to see it.
Untreated scurvy can lead to severe anemia, infections, and internal bleeding. Teeth may fall out due to gum disease and bone loss. Wounds fail to heal properly, increasing infection risk. In extreme cases, untreated scurvy can be fatal due to bleeding or heart problems. Fortunately, treatment with vitamin C reverses these effects quickly.
Yes, children can develop scurvy if they don't get enough vitamin C. This is most common in infants fed only cow's milk or in children with very selective eating patterns. Symptoms in children include irritability, bone pain, poor growth, and bleeding. Pediatric scurvy is rare but requires prompt treatment to prevent developmental problems.
Blood tests measure the amount of vitamin C in your blood plasma. Normal vitamin C levels range from 0.4 to 2.0 milligrams per deciliter. Levels below 0.2 milligrams per deciliter indicate deficiency and possible scurvy. Your doctor may also check for anemia, which commonly occurs with vitamin C deficiency because vitamin C helps your body absorb iron.