Every vitamin and nutrient is important for your body. But vitamin C is especially crucial. It maintains many body functions and protects your body from infections and oxidative damage. While the deficiency of vitamin C is rare, this can worsen your health and decrease the quality of your life significantly. Knowing the symptoms of deficiency can help you seek medical care early enough to prevent serious complications.

Below are 9 symptoms that can be linked to the deficiency of vitamin C. 

1. Frequent infections

Vitamin C supports your body’s ability to beat infections and kill disease-causing pathogens. When you are vitamin C deficient, this can result in the poor function of your immune system and frequent serious infections like pneumonia. To strengthen your immunity against harmful pathogens, try to include in your diet more vitamin C-containing fruits and vegetables. If your level of vitamin C is extremely low, you can try intravenous vitamin injections. 

2. Fatigue

Fatigue and mood swings are often the first symptoms of vitamin C deficiency. They may appear even before you actually get a deficiency. While fatigue and irritability can be severe, they usually resolve within a few days of taking high doses of vitamin C. You can replenish your levels of vitamin C by eating fruits and vegetables like bell pepper, orange, citrus, and pineapple. Taking supplements with vitamin C may also help you relieve the symptoms. 

3. Poor wound healing

The deficiency of vitamin C in your body can slow down the production of collagen significantly. Because of poor collagen production, wounds start healing slower. This can increase your risk of non-healing leg ulcers. In severe cases of vitamin C deficiency, old wounds may even reopen. This increases the risk of infections and can potentially lead to the amputation of the infected limb. 

4. Dry sagging skin

The deficiency of vitamin C can affect your skin in several ways. Because of poor collagen production, your skin starts sagging, loses its elasticity, and becomes dry. Besides, vitamin C protects your skin from oxidative damage from toxins and sun rays. Lack of this protection makes your skin prone to premature aging, pigmentation, and wrinkles. 

5. Dental problems

Because of vitamin C deficiency, you may become especially prone to dental problems like red, swollen, and bleeding gums. Without vitamin C, the tissue of your gums becomes weaker, increasing your risk of gum infections. Your gums may even become purple at the advanced stage of gum disease. Because of weakened unhealthy gums, your teeth may start falling out. 

6. Easy bruising

Because of sudden impact, the vessels beneath your skin rupture, and blood leaks into the surrounding areas, causing a bruise. Because of poor collagen production, vessels in your body become weaker and easier to damage. For this reason, people with vitamin C deficiency often get bruises easier compared to non-deficient people. 

7. Joint problems

Your joints contain a lot of collagen-rich tissues. Because of vitamin C deficiency, your body may fail to produce enough collagen. This can lead to joint stiffness, swelling, limited range of motion, and pain. All of these symptoms can be treated within one week with vitamin-rich foods and supplements. 

8. Iron deficiency

Low levels of vitamin C can contribute to iron deficiency by reducing the absorption of iron. The symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, trouble breathing, dry skin, hair loss, and headaches. Vitamin C deficiency also increases the risk of bleeding, another risk factor for anemia. 

9. Bone weakness

Vitamin C plays a key role in bone formation. The deficiency of this vitamin can make your bones weak and brittle. This is especially dangerous for children, who are still growing and developing. Adults who lack vitamin C are more prone to developing osteoarthritis and at higher risk of fractures.