'Just getting older' complaints signal crisis: Dr Ramakrishnan shares 5 signs of vitamin B12 deficiency you can't ignore

Recognising the signs of vitamin B12 deficiency in older adults can enhance their health. Learn how families can play a vital role in supporting healthy ageing.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in vegetarians or vegans as they consume very little animal protein. (Shutterstock)

By Tavishi Dogra

Tavishi Dogra is a Deputy Chief Content Producer, Health & Wellness, at Hindustan Times. She has over 9 years of experience writing about fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, translating medical research and expert insights into practical advice readers can trust.

Career journey and experience
Tavishi began her health journalism journey in 2017, and has since reported for RSTV, Financial Express, Jagran, HT Media Labs and Zee. She joined Hindustan Times to simplify wellness subjects by cutting through jargon.

From decoding health trends and interviewing doctors to testing fitness routines herself, Tavishi always approaches content with one filter: “Will this help someone make a better decision today?”

Subject expertise
With 9+ years tracking India’s health conversations, Tavishi knows the gap between clinical advice and daily life. She knows fads from fundamentals and curates science-backed, expert-recommended solutions.

In fitness, she breaks down bodyweight training, recovery, and posture fixes for desk-bound readers. In nutrition, she translates guidelines into affordable, desi meal tweaks. In mental well-being, she focuses on stigma-free, actionable tools — all backed by research, expert input, and lived context.

Education and professional background
Tavishi holds a Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and began her career reporting on public affairs for broadcast. Those early years in policy and TV shaped how she writes today: fast, factual, and human-first.

Editorial Philosophy
I write with one single goal: To simplify health in a world full of noise by finding what’s actually doable, safe, and evidence-based for my readers. I test claims against research and user experiences. When all else fails, I speak to the expert who sees 50 patients a day, not the one with the most followers.

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A tingling sensation in the feet, numbness in the fingers, a burning sensation at night, or increasing weakness is often dismissed as a natural part of aging. But from a neurological perspective, these can also be early warning signs of Vitamin B12 deficiency and should not be overlooked.

“I often see older adults who have quietly adjusted to changes in their bodies without realizing that some of these symptoms may need medical attention,” Dr. T.C.R. Ramakrishnan, MD (Ped), DM (Neuro), tells Health Shots.

The nerve signals that often go unnoticed

Symptoms often begin subtly: persistent "pins and needles" in the hands or feet, numbness, or a feeling that limbs have fallen asleep. Some people experience burning in their feet at night. In contrast, others report reduced sensitivity to temperature, nerve pain, or general weakness. These sensory changes can sometimes be accompanied by problems such as balance issues, difficulty walking, or coordination problems. A person may become less steady on their feet, avoid stairs, or appear more hesitant while walking. Family members should notice these changes, especially when they occur alongside tingling or numbness.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can affect the peripheral nerves, and prolonged deficiency can cause lasting damage to the nervous system. If left unaddressed, the complications can become difficult to reverse. These symptoms are easy to miss because they often develop gradually. An older adult may say, "My legs feel weak today," or "My feet are tingling because I walked too much." Families should notice when such complaints recur, become more frequent, or interfere with daily activities.

Why vitamin B12 matters for nerve health?

Vitamin B12 plays an important role in maintaining the nervous system, including the myelin sheath, the protective covering around nerve fibers that helps nerve signals travel efficiently between the brain and body. When B12 remains low over time, normal nerve function can gradually be affected.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is more common in older adults than many realize; estimates suggest 10% to 25% of people over 80 may be affected, with factors such as reduced dietary intake, impaired absorption due to lower stomach acid or certain gastrointestinal conditions, and prolonged use of certain medications increasing the risk.

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Why are families often the first to notice?

Family members are usually the first to notice changes in an older person's routine. Are they less steady while walking? Avoiding stairs? Repeatedly complaining of numbness or burning in their feet? Dropping objects because their grip has weakened? These observations can open an important conversation about their health.

As parents and grandparents age, a natural role reversal occurs: children begin to notice changes that their aging family members may have quietly normalized. From a neurological perspective, the symptom pattern matters. A healthcare professional may assess these symptoms and recommend appropriate blood tests to determine whether they are due to Vitamin B12 deficiency or another underlying condition.

When it's time to see a doctor, not wait it out

Persistent tingling, numbness, burning, or unexplained weakness deserve attention and are worth acting on early. Medical evaluation becomes especially important when symptoms are severe, rapidly worsening, or accompanied by red flags like significant loss of balance, difficulty walking, or marked muscle weakness. In these cases, a doctor can rule out other causes and confirm the right course of treatment.

But for the everyday tingling, numbness, or weakness that many older adults quietly live with, timely nutritional support can make a meaningful difference, and that's exactly the kind of early action families should be encouraging, instead of dismissing recurring neurological changes as “part of getting older” and letting it go unaddressed. Vitamin B12 is a nutritional factor that can influence nerve health; identifying and addressing a deficiency early can be an important step toward protecting the nervous system.

Supporting nerve health through healthy aging

Healthy aging isn't simply about living longer; it's about preserving independence and quality of life. For families, sometimes that begins with noticing when a parent says, "My feet have been feeling strange lately," and knowing that the right response isn’t simply to say, “That’s the role reversal worth embracing: being attentive to the people who once watched over us and helping them recognize the signals their body may be sending,” says the doctor.

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