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Physical Manifestations of
Malnutrition
"The doctor of the future
will give no medicine, but will interest his patient in
the care of the human frame, in diet and in the cause and
prevention of disease." Thomas
Edison
Nutrition
plays a vital part in our wellness, health promotion,
disease prevention and rehabilitation. Nutrients support
metabolism of all cells thereby sustaining life as we
know it. Proper cellular functioning depends on at least
50 essential nutritional compounds and elements. Disease
and death may occur if only one of these essential
nutrients is deficient or excessive.
Nutritional
screening is a good first step to take when addressing
the nutrition-related problems amount older adults.
Malnutrition is frequently overlooked with this
population. A list of possible signs and symptoms of
under- and over-nutrition is listed below.
| Nutrient
Deficiency |
Physical
Manisfestation |
| Protein |
Edema,
hypoalbuminemia; enlarged liver; diarrhea |
| Protein/Energy |
Muscle wasting;
sparse, thin dry, brittle hair; dry, inelastic
skin; muscle weakness |
| Vitamin A |
Poor visual
accommodation to dark; Bitot's spots (eyes);
dryness of the eyes; hair loss; impaired taste;
gooseflesh |
| Vitamin D |
Bowed legs,
beading of ribs, and other skeletal deformities
(Rickets) |
| Vitamin K |
Bleeding (poor
coagulation of blood) |
| Thiamin (B1) |
Cardiac
enlargement, mental confusion; irritability; calf
muscle tenderness and foot drop; hypoflexia;
hyperesthesia; parethesia |
| Riboflavin (B2) |
Fissures around
mouth; reddened, scaly, greasy skin around the
nose and mouth; magenta-colored tongue |
| Niacin (B3) |
Bright red,
swollen, painful tongue; Pellagrous dermatitis;
Depression, insomnia, headaches, dizziness;
dementia; diarrhea |
| Pyriodoxine (B6) |
Neuropathies;
Glossitis; Nasolabial seborrhea |
| Folic Acid |
Red, painful,
shiny, smooth tongue; skin hyperpigmentation |
| Vitamin B12 |
Mild dementia;
sensory losses in hands and feet; red, smooth,
shiny, painful tongue; mild jaundice; optic
neuritis; anorexia; diarrhea |
| Vitamin C |
Joint
tenderness and swelling; hemorrhages under the
skin; spongy gums that bleed easily; poor wound
healing; petechiae |
| Essential Fatty
Acids |
Sparse hair
growth; dry flaky skin; depression and psychosis;
dementia |
| Calcium |
Poor reflexes;
poor cardiovascular accommodation to activity;
slow mental processing; depression; dementia |
| Magnesium |
Lethargy and
weakness; anorexia and vomiting; tremor;
convulsions |
| Iodine |
Goiter |
| Iron |
Pallor; pale,
atrophic tongue; spoon-shaped nails; pale
conjunctivae |
| Zinc |
Sluggish muscle
contraction; poor wound healing; diminshed taste
and appetite; dermatitis; hair loss; diarrhea |
By
Carol Glasscock, MS, PT
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