Home :: Family Health :: Beriberi

Beriberi - Beriberi symptom, treatment, causes

What is Beriberi ?

Beriberi is a disorder caused by a deficiency of vitamin B1 (thiamine), a vitamin found in a wide variety of animal and plant foods. Beriberi is now rare and occurs mainly in malnourished people and alcoholics (who obtain most of their energy from alcohol and neglect their diet).

Beriberi is a nervous system ailment caused by thiamine (vitamin B1 ) deficiency. Beriberi can affect both genders, though alcoholism is more prevalent in males. Beriberi has become rare in the United States because most foods are now vitamin-enriched, which means that a normal diet contains adequate amounts of thiamine. Dialysis and high doses of diuretics raise your risk of beriberi. Its symptoms include weight loss, emotional disturbances, impaired sensory perception, weakness and pain in the limbs, and periods of irregular heart rate. Edema (swelling of bodily tissues) is common. In advanced cases, the disease may cause heart failure and death. Beriberi can also occur in breast-fed infants when the mother's body is lacking in thiamine. The condition can also affect infants who are fed unusual formulas with inadequate thiamine supplements. Beriberi is observed predominantly in adults and in infants aged 1-4 months. Because alcoholism affects more males than females, rates of beriberi in developed countries are higher among males. Beriberi can also occur in breast-fed infants when the mother's body is lacking in thiamine. The condition can also affect infants who are fed unusual formulas with inadequate thiamine supplements.

Beriberi comes in two forms, "wet," which affects the heart, and "dry," which affects the nerves. Symptoms of beriberi are caused by abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates throughout the body, resulting in a decreased production of energy, and particular injury to the heart muscle and the nervous system. In adults, there are different forms of beriberi, classified according to the body systems most affected. Dry beriberi involves the nervous system; wet beriberi affects the heart and circulation. Extended periods of diarrhea or chronic liver disease can result in the body's inability to maintain normal levels of many nutrients, including thiamine. Other persons at risk are patients with kidney failure on dialysis and those with severe digestive problems who are unable to absorb nutrients. Beriberi is often classified as dry beriberi when features are neurological and muscular and wet beriberi when there is predominantly heart failure. The prevention of beriberi is accomplished by eating a well-balanced diet, since thiamine is present in most raw and untreated foods. The goal of treatment is to replace the thiamine that the person's body is lacking. This is done with thiamine supplements. Thiamine supplements are given through a shot or taken by mouth.

Causes of Beriberi

The common causes and risk factor's of Beriberi include the following:

• A lack of thiamine.
• If a baby consumes the milk of a mother who suffers from thiamine deficiency, the child may develop beriberi.
• Dialysis and high doses of diuretics raise your risk of beriberi.
• Malnutrition.
• Beriberi now occurs primarily in patients who abuse alcohol, because drinking heavily can lead to malnutrition and poor absorption and storage of thiamine.
• Malabsorption syndrome - Celiac and tropical sprue.

Symptoms of Beriberi

Early symptoms of Beriberi disease are loss of appetite, tiredness, irritability and aching muscles. Later symptom of Beriberi disease include shooting pains in the limbs, swollen joints, paralysis of the hands and feet, and disturbances of heart function that can lead to congestive heart failure. Some sign and symptoms related to Beriberi are as follows:

• Fatigue and apathy.
• Difficulty with speech.
• Shortness of breath.
• Drowsiness, depression poor concentration.
• Restlessness.
• Tender leg muscles and muscle cramps.
• Congestive heart failure with dyspnoea, orthopnoea and oedema.

Treatment of Beriberi

Treatment of Beriberi Disease is by giving thiamine by tablet or injection, and ensuring a well-balanced diet in the future. Here is list of the methods to treat Beriberi:

• Treatment is with thiamine hydrochloride, either in tablet form or injection.
• Heart failure may require additional treatment with diuretics that help eliminate excess fluid and with heart-strengthening drugs like digitalis.
• Additional supplements of B vitamins, a multivitamin and mineral complex, and Vitamin C are also recommended.
• Other types of vitamins may also be recommended.