If you are experiencing shortness of breath, it could be due to anxiety or a panic attack, anemia, lack of sleep, asthma, seasonal allergies, excessive exercise, or inadequate hydration. These are common reasons you might have heard before. However, I am going to tell you a reason for shortness of breath that you might not have heard before vitamin B1 deficiency.
Vitamin B1 deficiency symptoms
There is also a subclinical deficiency of vitamin B1, which means it does not show up in tests or as a fully developed disease. Symptoms of this include tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, which is common among diabetics and those who consume a lot of sugar. If you have dry Beriberi, and especially if you have wet Beriberi, you may experience shortness of breath.
Causes of shortness of breath
Additionally, potassium deficiency can cause shortness of breath, and if calcium levels in the body are too high since calcium is alkaline it can lead to metabolic alkalosis, which can also result in shortness of breath.
Beriberi disease
People who consume a lot of sugar and take anti-diabetic drugs without naturally managing their diabetes eventually lose vitamin B1 from their bodies. A deficiency of vitamin B1 can cause shortness of breath. This deficiency can also lead to a group of diseases called Beriberi, which has two types: dry Beriberi and wet Beriberi. Wet Beriberi affects the vascular tissues and heart, while dry Beriberi affects the nervous tissue.
Metformin side effects
Shortness of breath can also be caused by lactic acidosis resulting from anti-diabetic drugs like Metformin, biotin deficiency, diabetes, liver or kidney disease, or excessive alcohol consumption. It can also occur in metabolic alkalosis, which happens when the body's stress hormone, cortisol, is excessively high, causing air hunger and breathlessness.
Lactic acidosis causes
Vitamin B1 deficiency commonly occurs in people who take antibiotics, antacids, diabetics, alcoholics, and smokers. Did you know that vitamin B1 deficiency can also lead to lactic acidosis? This condition can result from a lack of vitamin B1, and it can cause breathlessness due to an overly acidic body pH. When your tissues become too acidic, a condition known as metabolic acidosis occurs, where the body starts retaining excess carbon dioxide, leading to a feeling of air hunger and deep, labored breathing. This is called lactic acidosis, which can also be treated with vitamin B1, among other treatments.