Facts on Scurvy

On a voyage to India in 1499, the maritime explorer Vasco De Gama lost two thirds of his crew to scurvy – a condition which develops due to a severe lack of vitamin C in one’s diet over a period of weeks.

In this article:

What is scurvy?

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

How Chemist Online can help

Advice & Support

What is scurvy?
Over the centuries, thousands of sailors’ lives have been lost due to scurvy. It was only when physicians eventually traced the cause of the illness as being due to a lack of vitamin C that levels of scurvy were finally brought under control worldwide.

In British society today, scurvy is not a common health condition. This is due to government drives which urge people across the UK to try to maintain a healthy diet which has at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day (so that people everywhere can get the vitamins their bodies’ need, and in sufficient quantities).

Symptoms
The symptoms of scurvy usually have a gradual onset, and include:

Swollen, bleeding gums and loosening of teeth

A general feeling of being unwell

Fatigue

Muscle and joint pain (soreness and stiffness)

Anaemia

Slow wound healing

Bleeding under the skin

Skin changes

Halitosis (bad breath)

Jaundice

Fever-like symptoms

Causes
Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) in your diet. When the vitamin C deficiency continues for up to 3 months, the symptoms of full-blown scurvy are usually apparent. However, this can vary from person to person.

Scurvy is a common associated condition of malnutrition in developing countries.

Diagnosis
If you are suffering from the aforementioned symptoms, make an appointment to see your GP. After taking your medical history and asking you some questions about your diet and lifestyle overall, your GP will carry out a short physical examination of your gums.

Generally, scurvy is diagnosed through a blood test.

If a confirmed diagnosis is made, an appropriate course of treatment will be recommended to you.

Treatment
Vitamin C is a nutrient found in many fruits and vegetables. Try to eat citrus fruits, such as oranges and lemons. Your GP will advise other dietary changes and improvements.

Improvement of symptoms (particularly with regard to gums problems) should be rapid once sufficient levels of vitamin C are maintained.

How Chemist Online can help
Through this website we have Vitamin C supplements available to buy.

We can also offer you a range of mouthwashes and toothpastes which can all help you to maintain a healthy mouth and relieve the symptoms of bad breath – an associated symptom of scurvy.

www.chemistonline.co.uk

Advice & Support
Department of Health
Tel: 020 7210 4850
Website: www.dh.gov.uk

And for bad breath: Online forum for bad breath sufferers

This information and advice is not intended to replace the advice of your GP or chemist. Chemist Online is also not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based upon the content of the Chemist Online website. Chemist Online is also not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites.

No More Mistakes with Types of Car Insurance Before You Get a Quote

On the surface, car insurance might look the same, but one size doesn’t fit all. You need to research and understand your needs before buying your policy. Being over-covered or under-covered is one of the most common mistakes made by policyholders. Read on to know more about the mistakes you can avoid before you look for a car insurance quote.

1. Picking the Wrong Level of Cover
There are two kinds of coverage you can buy – one that offers minimum coverage and is cheaper, and the second that offers extensive coverage but costs a little extra.

Third-party Liability Coverage – This insurance plan covers damages caused to the other party in case of an accident. However, it does not cover any medical expenses or damages caused to your own vehicle. This a mandatory insurance in Canada and helps you pay for bodily injury and property damage caused to someone else during an accident.

Comprehensive Coverage – You can add this along with liability coverage to your policy. It helps to pay for any damages caused to your car in an accident or because of a natural calamity or theft. It is a wholesome protection but it can cost more on your premiums.

2. Forgoing Optional Coverage
If you’re trying to save on your premiums, you might be tempted to only buy the minimum insurance as required by your province. However, when you’re on the road, everyone might not have even the minimum required insurance. This means that if you’re hit by an uninsured motorist, you’ll run out of luck when you file a claim. When you select uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage in your policy, it might bump your premium costs a little, but it will give you extra peace of mind when driving on the road.

3. Not Opting for Add-ons
In an attempt to save money, many car owners tend to skip all the add-ons offered by an insurance company. Sometimes, the add-ons are available at affordable prices, and they can be highly beneficial in the future. Things like road-side assistance, engine protector, towing facility, hydrostatic cover, etc. don’t cost much but can be a boon in times of an emergency.

4. Not Knowing Your Policy
Sometimes, car owners are unaware of what is insured and what is not in their auto insurance policy. This can be disastrous when you need to file a claim and realize you’re underinsured and don’t even have the funds to pay for necessary damages. Ask all the important questions to your broker, agent or insurance company before you sign the papers and read the terms and condition to avoid any disappointments or financial troubles later.

Before you search for auto insurance quotes, it’s always a good idea to understand the different types of coverages, analyze what you need and only then select your policy. Remember those small additions to your premium costs can save you from potentially expensive surprises in the long run.

Top Healthcare Products We Can Use Against COVID-19.

PPE KITS- Our frontline workers and healthcare providers are working every day to save lives. They are the ones most at risk of COVID-19, as they are in close contact with suspected/confirmed cases of COVID-19. Personal Protective Equipments (PPEs) are protective gears designed to safeguard doctors and nurses by minimizing the exposure to such biological agents. We have different kits tailored for specific needs – all of which guarantee a tight barrier that stops particles up to 0.1μm as well as pressurized liquids and aerosols. We have ensured that all protective properties and quality standards are upheld.

Surgical Masks – Respiratory viruses like the Coronavirus mainly target the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Therefore, protecting the airway from the particulate matter generated by droplets/aerosols prevents human infection. It protects the contamination of mucous membranes of the mouth and nose from infective droplets or contact with a contaminated hand. We supply surgical masks, normal masks, five-fold masks, and N95 masks. Our N-95 respirator masks provide good breathability, are fluid resistant, and have high filtration efficiency to airborne particles.

Mobile Hand wash stations – Prevent community spread and protect doctors, nurses, staff, patients, offices, etc with Insights Mobile hand wash and sanitizing station. Built with heavy-duty metal, our mobile hand wash station lasts long. Complete with an auto-filling water tank and handwash dispenser, you can wash off any exposure or contamination. The station comes with a hand sanitizer dispenser to rid the hands of any residual contamination. This prevents corona contamination via places and items of common contact in closed/office spaces.

Face Shield – The coronavirus is spread only through small airborne droplets from the nose or mouth of an infected person – which then enters another host through the mucous membranes. This can happen in many ways – via the eyes, nose, mouth – when the parties are openly exposed to such particles. Face-Shield protects the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and mouth from exposure or contamination. Our face-shields become an essential gear during testing – when aerosol-generating procedures are carried out in a clinical setting.

Aerosol Boxes – Aerosol boxes are used by healthcare workers during tracheal intubation. The number of deaths of doctors all over the world is increasing. As the cases increase, the testing also increases, increasing exposure to positive patients. Even with the protection of face shields and masks, the aerosol-generating process puts nurses and doctors in a situation of high risk. Aerosol boxes effectively separate the patients from healthcare providers – effectively blocking chances of exposure during aerosol generation.