5. Pins and Needles
One of the most alarming symptoms of a B12 deficiency is tingling in the extremities. You might notice that you feel tingling in your toes for instance or in your fingers.
This is due to the nerve damage that B12 deficiency can cause. B12 is important for maintaining the metabolic pathways that create the fatty substance known as ‘myelin’. Myelin meanwhile surrounds the nerves and forms protection and insulation.
When B12 is no longer being produced, your nervous system stops functioning properly and important networks start to break down. This is what causes the sensation of pins and needles – which is technically referred to as paresthesia.
There are other conditions that can cause this symptom, however. One of the most common is diabetes, which causes nerve damage via a build-up of sugars in the body. These sugars can damage the nerves in a similar way and if left untreated, it may lead to the permanent loss of limbs. For this reason, you should always treat paresthesia as a serious concern and have it checked by a doctor.