This was a great question. Vitamin b12 deficiencies are actually very common. The Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) is the average amount of space occupied by a red blood cell. A high MCV can be caused by a b12 deficiency and should be monitored, because b12 deficiencies can cause issues like anemia and depression.

The deficiency is sometimes caused by a drop in your body’s absorption level. B12 is absorbed mostly through the stomach and small intestine. The absorption level can drop after a surgery, ulcer or medication (i.e. heartburn medicine). This means that your body has to intake more b12 to absorb it properly. Most people intake three times the amount of b12 in their daily diet. Foods high in b12 include meats and dairy. This means that vegetarians are at a higher risk of developing a b12 deficiency because they do not eat meat, and vegans are at an even higher risk because they eliminate meats and dairy products from their diets.

To fix this b12 deficiency problem, I suggest talking to your doctor about special vitamin b12 pills. The pills have more b12 than over-the-counter supplements. There is also a b12 shot you can get. Your doctor would be able to help you decide which method would be better. If you are a vegetarian, I would suggest taking supplements to make sure you are receiving your recommended daily intake of b12.

So to answer your questions,

• You will not die. However, you do need to have a doctor check on the situation. If untreated, b12 deficiencies can lead to severe issues with your nervous system and can cause anemia or depression. Do not worry though. Your MCV level is not alarmingly high, but I do suggest keeping an eye on it.
• Discuss with your physician recommendations to improve your b12 level.
• It can go away.

Thank you so much for your question!  Please keep me posted!

Symptoms
• Feelings of sadness, helplessness, hopelessness
• Change in sleeping patterns (sleep too much or can’t sleep)
• Lack of concentration
• Easy tasks become difficult
• No control over negative thoughts
• Change in eating habits (loss of appetite or increase in appetite)
• Irritable and short-tempered
• Thoughts of suicide
A person may not develop every symptom on the list. If the symptoms last two weeks or longer, a person has clinical depression. A person suffering from depression needs to see a doctor immediately to get his or her life back on track. A doctor can perform a test to determine whether or not a patient has depression and can recommend a therapist for treatment.
A person needs to especially seek help when thoughts of suicide arise.
After treatment, about 2/3 of people recover and are able to return to their daily lives after a few days or weeks depending on the patient.

DEPRESSION FACTS
• DEPRESSION AFFECTS 19 MILLION AMERICANS ANNUALLY
• CAN AFFECT ANYONE
• MORE COMMON IN ELDERLY PEOPLE THAN IN YOUNG PEOPLE
• CONTRIBUTES TO ½ OF ALL SUICIDES

Have you ever been affected by depression? If so, please share you inspirational story on how you overcame it.

June 1^st is the first day of hurricane season for the Gulf and Atlantic Coast areas.  That means a few months of waiting and watching for possibly devastating tropical storms and hurricanes.  This also means a few months of added high stressors that compound our normal, everyday stresses.

Stress is feeling overwhelmed or having to deal with more than you are used to physically and emotionally. Stress speeds up your heart rate and breathing. In many situations, these symptoms can actually be helpful, allowing you to speed up your normal reactions in.

Unfortunately, stress is unhealthy when it is frequent and/or lasts too long.  Stress can affect you both emotionally and physically. Physically, stress can lead to back pain, headaches, an upset stomach and restlessness. It can lower your immune system making it difficult to remain healthy and can affect weight gain. 

Stress can also affect you emotionally. People suffering from stress can become moody, irritated and depressed, and can even lower your self-confidence.

Hurricane season does not help New Orleanians relax. That is why it is important to know the signs and symptoms of stress disorders and to learn use little tricks and tactics to help deal with added stressors.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder      

Many people don’t realize that Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is actually an anxiety disorder.  People who suffer from OCD use obsessive thoughts about patterns and numbers to distract themselves from actually feeling the uncomfortable emotions surrounding stressful situations.  OCD causes people to spend hours of their day performing “rituals” that distract them from dealing with the world around them.

Some symptoms include fears and phobias such as a fear of germs, need for order and exactness, constant counting, eating foods in a specific order and constantly repeating words or phrases. 

OCD can be treated by a psychiatrist or mental disorder specialist.  The treatment process can be long and slow, but can allow many OCD sufferers to lead productive lives.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) materializes as exaggerated anxiety over normal, everyday things.  People who suffer from GAD generally can’t stop worrying about things like health, money, family and friends.  People who suffer from GAD generally are restless, irritable, constantly worry and experience headaches, nausea, trembling and insomnia.

GAD can sometimes be helped by some medications and psychological treatment.

Panic Disorder

Panic Disorder is one of the more common anxiety disorders.  Panic Disorder can usually be diagnosed by the frequent experience of panic attacks.  A panic attack occurs when the patient suddenly feels an overwhelming sense of fear.  Symptoms of a panic attack include difficulty breathing, chest pain, the fear of death, the sensation of choking, terror, dizziness, sweating and trembling.

Panic disorder can be treated by some medications and through psychological treatment.

Tips

Some helpful tips to reduce stress in your life include:

·         Figure out where the stress is coming from

·         Reduce the amount of stressors in your life

·         Find healthy ways to alleviate your stress (exercising, writing, etc…)

·         Make sure to get enough sleep

·         Be positive

·         Eat healthy, nutritious meals

These are just a few tips to help you relax during this hurricane season.

What has helped you alleviate your stress in the past?