Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
What is a Vitamin B12 test?
Vitamin B12 is a major category of vitamin that takes part in many crucial functions of a human body. Our body needs sufficient amounts of Vitamin B12 for the purpose of making red blood cells and also to keep the nervous system working in a proper manner. Abnormal levels of Vitamin B12 in the body can be truly harmful. Low levels of Vitamin B12 can start causing neurological symptoms like constipation, fatigue or weight loss. On the other hand, high levels of Vitamin B12 can lead to certain kinds of leukemia, diabetes or liver diseases.
It is extremely important to check for Vitamin B12 levels in the body and this is the reason why a Vitamin B12 test is necessary. The main purpose of performing a Vitamin B12 test is to measure the levels of Vitamin B12 in the blood or urine.
What is a Vitamin B12 deficiency?
Vitamin B12 deficiency is one of the most common health conditions. The lack of sufficient Vitamin B12 in the body is known as Vitamin B12 deficiency, which may give birth to certain health conditions. As mentioned before, a Vitamin B12 test is the most effective way to determine the presence of Vitamin B12 deficiency in an individual’s body.
What are the primary signs and symptoms of a Vitamin B12 deficiency?
The most common symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency may include
- Dementia
- Confusion
- Depression
- Faster heartbeat
- Difficulty to maintain balance
- Sore tongue or mouth
- Poor memory
- Tingling or numbness in feet and hands
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Moodiness
Which people are more likely to face a Vitamin B12 deficiency?
- Children
- Older adults
- People with diabetes
- People who have undergone gastric bypass surgery
- Vegetarians
- People who are suffering from Crohn’s disease or celiac disease
- The ones who are breastfeeding
- People who are on certain medications like H2 blockers, chloramphenicols or proton pump inhibitors
What physical conditions can be caused by low Vitamin B12 in the body?
- Memory loss
- Permanent damage to the nerves
- Temporary infertility in females
- Deteriorating brain functions
Which conditions may affect the Vitamin B12 levels in the body?
- Pernicious anemia
- Crohn’s disease
- Atrophic gastritis
- Celiac disease
What does a Vitamin B12 test look for?
- Overall Vitamin B12
- Homocysteine
- Methylmalonic acid
- Holotranscobalamin
- metmorphin
When to go for this test?
The medical experts may recommend you to go for this test when the primary signs and symptoms of Vitamin B12 deficiency start to become visible in your body. The doctors may also suggest the test to you if
- They suspect that you have a health condition that is hampering the Vitamin B12 absorption process of your body
- You have been diagnosed with anemia
- You are on medications that may interfere with the Vitamin B12 absorption process
- You are a vegetarian
Also, the doctors may suggest you to go for this test if they suspect that you might have pernicious anemia. When the intestines of our body can’t absorb enough amount of Vitamin B12, then it hampers the red blood cell production process, which causes reduction in red blood cells that ends up causing pernicious anemia
Although the symptoms may not be visible in people who are younger than 30 years old, it is necessary to go for a Vitamin B12 test when the symptoms start to grow, Some of the most mentionable signs and symptoms of pernicious anemia may include
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Pale skin
- Exhaustion
- Loss of appetite
- Bleeding gums
- Inflamed red tongue
Test preparations
No special preparations are needed before appearing for a Vitamin B12 test. As certain medications may hamper the test report accuracy, you must mention the names of all the medications you are taking when you appear for this test. Also, you should discuss with the healthcare professionals to know if there are any other necessary guidelines that are needed to be followed. You can now easily search for the Vitamin B12 test near me online.
Sample requirements
A specific amount of blood will be collected from your vein and the blood sample will be sent to the laboratory. The Vitamin B12 test will be performed on that blood sample and it should not be taking a lot of time to generate an error-free test report. These days, the Vitamin B12 test price has become really reasonable in almost every region.
Result interpretation
The normal range of Vitamin B12 in the body is 200 pg/mL to 600 pg/mL. If the vitamin B12 levels in your body are below 150 pg/mL, then it means that you have low concentration of Vitamin B12 in the body. Similarly, if your vitamin B12 levels are higher than 800 pg/mL, then it means that you have high levels of Vitamin B12 in the body.
What does the presence of high and low levels of Vitamin B12 indicate?
Low levels of Vitamin B12 in the body clearly signifies the presence of Vitamin B12 deficiency. Also, it indicates the possibility of the presence of pernicious anemia, hyperthyroidism or an internal parasite.
High levels of Vitamin B12 in the body can be the sign of
- Diabetes
- Liver disease
- Kidney failure
- Certain kinds of leukemia