2 Diseases and how to notice them and

prevent them
By Amaryllis Irene L. Decosto from Grade 8, Section Jehoshaphat

Pellagra
One of the many forms of malnutrition, specifically, micronutrient undernutrition,. Niacin is crucial to
cell functioning throughout a person’s body, including the skin, mouth, bowels, and brain.If left
untreated, it can cause long-term damage to the nervous system and even death.

Treatment
Fortunately, it can be cured by replacing the missing nutrient. With niacin supplements, most people will
improve right away. Though you may need additional treatment for skin and mouth sores, if it was caused
by a pre-existing health condition, you have to get treatment for that too.

The side effects can include:

● Skin flushing
● Itching and rashes
● Bloating and indigestion
● Headaches and dizziness

Prevention
A balanced diet is an effective way to prevent malnutrition. If food choices are limited, enriched foods
and dietary supplements can also help. A B-complex vitamin supplement provides enough niacin for most
healthy adults; a daily dose of 15 milligrams is recommended.

The best food sources of niacin include:

● Beef liver
● Beets
● Brewer’s yeast
● Enriched bread and cereals
● Oily fish, such as salmon and tuna
● Peanuts
● Poultry
● Rice
● Sunflower seeds
● Spaghetti sauce
If there’s a chronic health condition that induces lagra, discuss long-term prevention with one’s healthcare
provider; it involves a diet, supplements, or changes to one’s medications.

Osteomalacia
Also known as "soft bone disease," which”, of course, is a metabolic bone disorder, often characterized
by the inadequate mineralization of bone tissue, this cause of malnutrition is vitamin D deficiency,
calcium, or phosphate, and, of course, the weakening and softening of the bones.

Treatment
It should focus on reversing the underlying disorder and correcting vitamin D and other nutritional or
electrolyte deficiencies.

Both serum calcium and urine calcium levels should be monitored for at least 1 and 3 months, and then 6
to 12 months until a 24-hour urine calcium excretion is normal. The serum 25(OH)D level can measured
3–4 months after starting therapy, If hypercalcemia or hypercalciuria is present, the dose can be adjusted
to prevent a potential overdose of vitamin D

For those with a severe vitamin D deficiency, below is a possible dosing approach

● 50, 000 IU of ergocalciferol aka vitamin D2 or cholecalciferol aka Vitamin D3, orally 1 day per
week for 8 to 12 weeks, followed by
● 800–2000 IU of vitamin D3 daily

Ergocalciferol is present in plant sources and fortified nutritional alternatives. Cholecalcideron is usually
found in fish, meat, and eggs. Although when using vitamin D supplements, there’s increasing evidence
that favors the use of cholecalciferol over ergocalciferol because its side chain has a higher affinity for
DPB, thus conferring a longer half-life and a more potent ability to increase vitamin D levels.

Since inadequate calcium intake may contribute to the development of osteomalacia, they should also
take atleast 1000 mg of calcium per day while being treated for vitamin D deficiency.

The healing of osteomalacia is achieved when there is an increase in urine calcium excretion and bone
mineral density. Serum calcium and phosphate can normalize after a few weeks of treatment, but the
normalization of bone alkaline phosphatase lags, and those levels may stay elevated for months.
Prevention
Having a diet that is rich in vitamin D and getting sufficient exposure to sunlight (i.e.,
sunbathing) can help prevent osteomalacia due to vitamin D deficiency.