Scurvy (severe vitamin C deficiency) is rare as most people get enough vitamin C in their diet. It's usually easy to treat.

Scurvy is caused by not having enough vitamin C in your diet over a long period of time. Vitamin C is mainly found in fruit and vegetables.

However, even people who do not eat very healthily all the time are not usually considered at risk of scurvy.

Things that increase your risk of scurvy

Although scurvy is rare, you may be more at risk if you:

• have no fresh fruits or vegetables in your diet for a while
• eat very little food at all – possible reasons include treatments that make you feel very sick all the time (such as chemotherapy) or an eating disorder such as anorexia
• smoke, as smoking reduces how much vitamin C your body gets from food
• have a long-term dependency on drugs or alcohol that affects your diet
• have a poor diet while pregnant or breastfeeding, because the body needs more vitamin C at these times

Babies, children and older people who find it hard to have a healthy diet may also be more at risk of scurvy.

Symptoms of scurvy may include:

• feeling very tired and weak all the time
• feeling irritable and sad all the time
• joint, muscle or leg pain
• swollen, bleeding gums (sometimes teeth can fall out)
• developing red or blue spots on the skin, usually on the legs and feet, although this may be less noticeable on brown or black skin
• skin that bruises easily

See a GP if:

Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 now if:

Call 999 or go to A&E if:

It's important that scurvy is treated quickly. Without treatment, scurvy can cause serious problems and may even be life-threatening.

Mild cases of scurvy are often easily treated by adding some vitamin C to your diet, such as from fresh fruit and vegetables.

A GP may also recommend taking vitamin C supplements (also called ascorbic acid) until you feel better.

Most people treated for scurvy feel better within days and go on to make a full recovery.

The GP may refer you to a specialist for treatment, support or advice. This depends on what's causing your scurvy.

The best sources of vitamin C are fruit and vegetables.

The best way to prevent a vitamin C deficiency and get enough vitamins and minerals is to eat a healthy, balanced diet.

It's important to speak to a GP or midwife before taking any supplements or making changes to your diet during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.