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- What is beri beri?
- Symptoms of beri beri
- Causes of beri beri
- Prevention of beri beri
- Risk factors for beri beri
- Complications of beri beri
- When to see a doctor about beri beri
- Diagnosis of beri beri
- Conventional treatment of beri beri
- Alternative/complementary treatment of beri beri
- Living with beri beri
- Caring for someone with beri beri
There are a number of very serious complications of both wet and dry beri beri, especially if the deficiency of vitamin B1 (thiamin) has been undiagnosed for a long duration without adequate treatment.
Complications of dry beri beri are:
- Memory loss - if the beri beri is not caught early enough and vitamin B1 (thiamin) administered intravenously, the memory loss symptoms can become permanent, even with treatment, as the damage to the central nervous system tissue may be irreversible. If the dry beri beri is treated early, memory loss can be prevented
- Paralysis - if the beri beri is not caught early enough and vitamin B1 (thiamin) administered intravenously, paralysis of the legs (or arms) can become permanent, even with treatment, as the damage to the peripheral nervous system tissue may be irreversible. If the dry beri beri is treated early, paralysis can be prevented
- Psychosis - if the beri beri is not treated quickly with intravenous vitamin B1 (thiamin) the psychosis symptoms can becomes permanent, even with treatment at a later stage. If the dry beri beri is treated early, psychosis can be prevented
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Complications of wet beri beri are:
- Heart failure - the most serious complication of wet beri beri is cardiomyopathy, which includes heart enlargement and finally heart failure. If heart failure has already occurred due to untreated wet beri beri, the prognosis is very poor, with coma and death being the final prognosis of this nutritional deficiency. If wet beri beri is diagnosed and treated early enough, the heart problems can be reversed, so treatment is imperative to prevent serious complications
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< 5: risk factors 7: when to see a doctor > Last reviewed: 3 January 2009 || Last updated: 21 January 2010
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NOTE: Mega doses of any type of vitamin, mineral, amino acid or herbal supplement cannot cure illnesses and in fact can be very dangerous and produce toxic side effects and interfere with medicine you are taking. Always ensure you consult your doctor before taking any type of complementary supplements.
Disclaimer: This guide is not intended to be used for diagnostic or prescriptive purposes. For any treatment or diagnosis of illness, please see your doctor.
