A vitamin B1 deficiency can be very serious and may leave you with lasting symptoms. This is especially true if you do not get proper care in a prompt fashion, something that may occur if your doctor makes a mistake or ignores the symptoms.
Now, diet is not the only thing that plays into a deficiency of this sort, but it is part of the equation. It’s important to consider your eating habits and what they can mean for your risk levels when it comes to vitamin deficiencies in general and B1 deficiencies in specific.
How to know if you are at risk
The following is not intended to be medical advice and is not a comprehensive list of potential risks. That said, you could have a deficiency if you:
- Eat a lot of highly processed carbohydrates without a lot to supplement them
- Eat an excessive amount of white flour and white sugar
- Eat a lot of polished white rice, since many of the vitamins in rice are removed during the polishing process
- Struggle with eating disorders, such as anorexia
- Consume too much alcohol or struggle with alcoholism.
In addition to what you eat, you could have disorders like an overactive thyroid gland or a liver disorder. Since you can see that many of the issues with food are common ones in the United States, these could compound the issue. For instance, you could have a disorder that is problematic on its own and then eat mostly processed foods, making things even worse.
You trust your doctor to treat you properly and to see the signs of a serious medical problem, including B1 deficiencies. If they do not, you may want to know what legal options you have. If your doctor’s failure to recognize your medical problems led to a poor outcome, you may have the right to seek compensation for your losses.