Beriberi is a vitamin deficiency disorder which occurs due to deficiency of thiamine or vitamin B1. Vitamins are essential micronutrient, though they are required in the small amounts but still we must obtain it from our diet because our body cannot synthesize it. The term beriberi literally means ‘extreme weakness’. A long-term deficiency of this vitamin can cause irreversible damage to nervous system and heart. Therefore, beriberi can be a serious life-threatening condition if left unmanaged.
Thiamine is essential for the functioning of muscle and nervous system. It helps in breaking down carbohydrates, creating glucose, helping in muscle contraction and nerve conduction. A severe thiamine deficiency leads to disruption of these functions. On the basis of whether muscle or nervous system is affected, there are main two forms of beriberi but overlap can be present in the patient
Wet beriberi: as the name tells it is related to the fluids. It mainly affects the muscle of the heart causing poor functioning of cardiovascular system. It leads to poor circulation of blood in the body
Dry beriberi: it mainly affects the nervous system of the body leading to the degeneration of the nerves.
Depending upon the type symptoms can vary and there can be overlap between the symptoms of two different types beriberi
Symptoms pertaining to wet beriberi are those of heart failure
Symptoms of dry beriberi are related to those of nervous system
Long term deficiency of thiamine can cause irreversible damage to brain neurons leading to a disorder known as Wernicke – Korsakoff syndrome and can have following symptoms
For the body to be deficient in thiamine there can be three reasons.
First, the diet is low in thiamine. It is the most common reason of beriberi in overall world but in the developed countries where the food items are fortified with vitamins it rarely occurs. It cab occur due to intake of these foods
The second reason is that the body is not able to absorb or process the thiamine present in the diet.
Third reason is that the body becomes deficient in thiamine due to its excessive use which occurs in
Most of the times patient presents with the feature of heart failure or abnormalities with the nervous system. Your doctor will use your medical history, perform a medical examination and order some tests to find out the cause
Both the symptoms of heart failure and neurological disturbances are reversible. It can be easily treated with the help of thiamine supplements. Supplements can be in the form of an injection shot or pills. The goal of the treatment is to replace the lacking levels of thiamine. Adequate and proper follow-up would be required to assess the improvement.
There is quick recovery after the beginning of the treatment. Heart and nerve damage are both usually reversible if the treatment is started at the earlier stages of the disease. Long term deficiency without management can progress to Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome in which permanent damage to brain occurs
Since, it is a disease which can be easily prevented by having a balanced diet. These are some of the foods, rich in thiamine: