This ancient sailor’s disease is making a comeback due to our lifestyle.

A middle-aged man went to the hospital complaining of small, red, painful spots on the legs. Urine was also found in his blood and he was noted to have severe anemia. The symptoms were confusing, and the doctors who treated him doubted their origin. However, everything was decided when the analysis confirmed that he vitamin c leveln blood were undetectable. The patient had scurvy.

At first it was quite surprising. Scurvy was discovered in the 15th centuryamong sailors who made long voyages across the ocean. When they lasted more than 5 or 6 months, many crew members the dead began to fall after a long agony. The reason was not known until a Scottish doctor discovered that orange juice solved all his problems. Thus, little by little, the incidence of scurvy decreased and, although the disease did not disappear completely, it was minimized to a level where many people today are not even aware of its existence.

That’s why it was so strange to discover this case of scurvy, recently described in a journal article. BMJ Case Reports. Upon review of the patient’s medical history, it was discovered that his finances were so poor that he was virtually unable to buy fresh food. His diet was devoid of fruits and vegetables, and as if that wasn’t enough, he also stopped taking nutritional supplements due to his condition. high price. Renaissance sailors avoided scurvy, but a large portion of the 21st century population was at risk of experiencing it again due to the high cost of living. Because if you have to choose between paying rent or eating fruit, priority usually comes first. This is where the reappearance of scurvy comes into play.

Scurvy: A Sailor’s Nightmare

The diet of ships making long ocean voyages during the Renaissance included foods that could be preserved relatively well for a long time. These included biscuits, salted meats, salted fish, legumes, cheese, butter, vinegar, wine and brandy, among other foods. Salting meat and fish This was important because it is a preservation mechanism that kills bacteria through dehydration.

Fruits and vegetables They were considered too perishable to be stockpiled on ships. For this reason, sailors could go months without using them. Thus, 6 weeks after sailing, many began to feel very weak. Soon after this, painful spots appeared on the skin, especially from the waist down. gums They bled and swollen to the point that the teeth fell out, and over time joint pain and external hemorrhages were replaced by others hemorrhagesthis time internally, which ultimately led to death. This happened 4 or 5 months after sailing and affected a large part of the crew. For example, in the 1740 English expedition across the Pacific Ocean, they died for this reason. 1300 out of 2000 men who traveled on ships.

The sailors did not know what was happening to them. They did not understand the origin of their illness. And so it went on until, in 1747, a Scottish doctor named James Lind have shown that oranges and lemons relieve symptoms of the disease. This is how the origin of scurvy was discovered and the ideal way to stop it was found.

The disease returns in the 21st century

It is now generally known that the origin of scurvy is associated with vitamin C deficiency. In developed countries it is practically absent, since foods rich in this vitamin are (or were) easily available to everyone. There are only a few exceptions. For example, there are drugs such as proton pump inhibitorsbetter known as stomach protectors, which interfere with the absorption of vitamin C. It has also been observed that bariatric surgery Gastric shrinkage in obese patients may be affected in a similar way. And of course there are bad habits, such as smoking or drinking alcohol this increases the risk.

In the case of the patient whose case has just been described, several factors came together. First, he recently had bariatric surgery. Since it is known how this can affect his vitamin C levels, his doctor prescribed supplements. However, the man, who had very little income, stopped taking them because of their high price. He also had stomach problems for which he regularly took proton pump inhibitors. And to add to this, as shopping cart prices have risen, their budget for buying fruits and vegetables has become insufficient. This is what happens to people with rhythm of life so high that they cannot eat well.

Therefore, although medicine has greatly advanced and it has been known for 300 years how to prevent scurvy, the disease appears again. The positive part of this story is that the patient made a full recovery. He was given vitamin C as well as other nutrients he was lacking in, e.g. vitamin D or folic acid. Thus, his symptoms completely disappeared. But when I return home, can I continue treatment or buy foods rich in vitamin C? Sometimes without structural changes, medicine cannot reach the desired location. Nowadays there is a lot to think about.