It can be assumed that scurvy is a disease that disappeared in Victorian times.
But according to recent reports, the condition is making a comeback, with a 25 per cent increase in cases since 2007, which is said to be due to increased reliance on junk food amid the cost of living crisis.
Now, experts have warned that it is not just malnutrition that is behind the rise of the disease, which causes red spots on the skin and can be fatal if left untreated.
A common anti-reflux drug taken by millions of Brits can also cause scurvy, according to a recent report.
Writing in the British Medical Journal Case Reports, doctors at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital in Western Australia warned that proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), such as omeprazole, could be to blame.
This is because these medications reduce acid production in the stomach, making it difficult for the body to absorb vitamin C.
In July, doctors reported the case of a man in his 50s who developed the condition after taking PPIs and following a diet lacking vitamin C, which is vital for preventing the disease.
The first sign of the disease was a reddish-brown, pinpoint rash that covered the man’s legs and spread to his hands and arms.
Doctors in Australia described a man in his 50s who showed signs of scurvy in a study published in BMJ Case Reports. The image shows the progression of his rash towards his upper extremities.
The man, who recently underwent bariatric surgery to lose weight, had a reddish-brown, pinpoint rash that covered his legs (pictured) and spread to his hands and arms.
The study notes that taking medications that interfere with the absorption of vitamin C, such as proton pump inhibitors, which treat acid reflux, can also trigger the condition.
The case study details how doctors performed blood tests that ultimately revealed that he did not have vitamin C in his bloodstream. It also had very low levels of other key nutrients, another sign of scurvy.
She was given daily vitamin C (1000 mg), vitamin D3, folic acid, and multivitamin supplements, which helped her painful rash go away. Vitamin C levels soon returned to normal.
Doctors discovered that, in addition to taking PPIs, he did not eat fruits or vegetables and even skipped meals.
It was also revealed that he had He recently underwent bariatric surgery. weight loss surgery and could not afford to continue purchasing the nutritional supplements she had been prescribed.
Weight loss surgery, which involves reducing the size of the stomach so it feels fuller faster, can make it harder for the gut to absorb vitamins and minerals from food, risking malnutrition, the NHS warns.
But patients are usually given a strict diet and vitamin and mineral supplements to prevent this from happening.
The report highlights several risk factors for scurvy today, including lack of access to good quality nutritious food, eating disorders, low family income, obesity, alcoholism, smoking and kidney dialysis.
The authors of the case study wrote: ‘Our patient had multiple risk factors, namely poor eating habits, obesity, previous bariatric surgery, use of proton pump inhibitors, and low-income status. Her history of iron, vitamin D, and folate deficiencies were also clues to her underlying nutritional deficiency.
Statistics also revealed that 171 people were treated for scurvy and 482 for rickets, of which 405 were children.
A Freedom of Information request from the Times Health Commission shows that 10,896 NHS patients in England were hospitalized with malnutrition in the year to April 2023. There were only around 2,700 hospitalizations for malnutrition in 2007/8, rising to 5,500 in 2012/13.
It is estimated that around 15 per cent of adults in England take a proton pump inhibitor to treat conditions such as acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Scurvy and other diseases caused by malnutrition are also increasing across the UK.
Doctors previously warned in the BMJ that there is a resurgence of scurvy because Britons do not eat enough fruit and vegetables.
In 2022, there will be more than 800,000 admissions in England and Wales for conditions related to poor nutrition, including scurvy and rickets.
Almost 11,000 people in England, including hundreds of children, were hospitalized for malnutrition in 2022.
Data from NHS England shows that admissions due to this serious condition have quadrupled in the last 15 years and have doubled in a decade.
Doctors have claimed the cost of living crisis is to blame.
Brits facing this situation have been forced to reduce their consumption of fruit and vegetables and eat cheaper junk food, which lacks vital vitamins and minerals.
A Times Health Commission Freedom of Information request last year revealed that 10,896 NHS patients in England were hospitalized with malnutrition in the year to April 2023.
Malnutrition occurs when a diet does not include the adequate amount of nutrients, the key signs being unintentional weight loss, low body weight and feelings of tiredness and weakness.
Statistics also revealed that 171 people were treated for scurvy and 482 for rickets, of which 405 were children.
Scurvy is caused by not consuming enough vitamin C, which is found in citrus, broccoli, and potatoes.
Typical symptoms include feeling tired, weak and irritable, severe pain in the joints or legs, and swollen and bleeding gums.
Adults ages 19 to 64 need 40 mg of vitamin C daily (about the amount in one orange) to help maintain healthy skin, bones, and blood vessels.
