Why do bleeding gums and slow wound healing occur in scurvy?
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nutritional disease
Children with rickets. The disease, which most commonly strikes children, causes bone deformities such as bowlegs. Rickets is caused by a lack of vitamin D or calcium.
Bleeding gums and slow wound healing in scurvy occur because of a deficiency in vitamin C, which is essential for the synthesis of collagen.12
Collagen is a structural protein that serves as a fundamental component of skin, blood vessels, bones, cartilage, and other connective tissues. Because vitamin C is required for the formation of these tissues, its absence interferes with normal tissue synthesis and maintenance. Consequently, the body cannot effectively repair wounds or maintain the integrity of the gums and blood vessels, leading to the characteristic swelling, bleeding, and impaired healing associated with the nutritional disease.21