15/10/2025
Interesting Read from Council for Medical Schemes
🌿 Feeling tired all the time? It might be more than just fatigue…
If you often feel tired, weak, dizzy, or short of breath, your body might be lacking Vitamin B12 — an essential vitamin that helps make red blood cells, keeps your nerves healthy, and turns food into energy.
When your Vitamin B12 levels are too low, your body can’t produce enough healthy red blood cells. This can lead to Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anaemia, which affects oxygen flow throughout the body and can cause nerve damage or other health problems if not treated.
🩺 Common signs and symptoms include:
• Constant tiredness or weakness
• Pale or yellow skin
• A sore, red tongue or bleeding gums
• Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet
• Dizziness and shortness of breath
• Forgetfulness, slower thinking, or memory loss
⚠️ What can cause it?
• A vegan or vegetarian diet (Vitamin B12 is mostly found in animal products)
• Absorption problems (e.g. pernicious anaemia, Crohn’s, Celiac disease)
• Certain long-term medications, like metformin
• Ageing
• Poor nutrition or excessive alcohol use
💉 Diagnosis & Treatment
Your doctor can do a simple blood test to check your levels.
Treatment usually involves:
• Vitamin B12 supplements or injections
• Treating the underlying cause
• Eating foods rich in Vitamin B12 (meat, eggs, fish, dairy) or fortified foods if vegan.
🧾 Your medical scheme & PMB cover
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Anaemia is a Prescribed Minimum Benefit (PMB) condition.
This means your medical scheme must cover the diagnosis and treatment if the deficiency is life-threatening or causes serious complications — such as severe anaemia, heart strain, or nerve damage.
PMB cover can include:
• Blood tests
• Vitamin B12 supplements or injections
• Treatment for related complications
If the deficiency is mild, your treatment may still be covered through your normal medical aid benefits.
✨ Early diagnosis can make all the difference.
If you’re constantly tired or experiencing symptoms like tingling in your hands or feet, don’t ignore it — speak to your doctor.