Are you worried that you’ve suffered bleeding gums? This can be a worrying sign if your teeth are sensitive or painful to use. Although it isn’t always serious, it can indicate something more distressing.
But, what is the reason for bleeding gums? Can you treat it yourself, or do you need a further examination? The answers to these questions are below.
Too Little Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential for maintaining gum health. Without enough vitamin C, gums can become inflamed and bleed easily. Vitamin C helps build collagen, a critical structural component of gums.
It also promotes healing and inhibits inflammation. The body needs vitamin C to absorb iron, essential for maintaining healthy red blood cells. Without enough iron, anemia can develop, which can cause fatigue, pale skin, and shortness of breath.
Bleeding Gums: Scurvy
Bleeding gums occurs when the gums separate from the teeth and is a symptom of scurvy. Scurvy is caused by a lack of vitamin C in the diet.
Symptoms of scurvy include bleeding gums, easy bruising, joint pain, and fatigue.
Lack of Vitamin K
Vitamin K is an essential nutrient for the body. Without enough vitamin K, people can experience bleeding gums.
This can happen because vitamin K is needed to produce blood clotting factors. People who lack vitamin K may also tend to bruise easily.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, the levels of the hormone progesterone increase. This causes the gum tissue to become more sensitive and bleed more easily.
The increased progesterone levels make the gums more susceptible to inflammation and infection. Additionally, pregnancy can cause changes in the ranks of plaque-forming bacteria in the mouth, leading to bleeding gums.
Poor Diet
One of the leading causes of bleeding gums is a poor diet. If you don’t eat enough nutritious foods, your gums can become weak and begin to bleed.
A diet that is high in sugar can also cause bleeding gums. When the bacteria in your mouth break down the sugar, they produce acids that can damage your gums.
Gingivitis
Gingivitis is a form of periodontal disease that results in inflammation of the gums. This can be caused by several things, including plaque buildup, tobacco use, poor oral hygiene, and certain medications.
When the gums become inflamed, they can bleed easily. In some cases, gingivitis can lead to more severe periodontal disease, eventually leading to tooth loss.
Periodontitis
This condition results from a buildup of plaque and tartar on the teeth. If this plaque is not removed, it can harden and turn into tartar.
Tartar can irritate the gums and cause them to bleed. A bacterial infection can also cause periodontitis. If the condition is not treated, it can damage the tissues and bone that support the teeth.
Diabetes
When you have diabetes, your blood sugar levels are too high, which can cause damage to your gums and other tissues in your body. This damage makes it easier for bacteria to grow and your gums to bleed.
If you have diabetes, you must control your blood sugar levels and see your dentist regularly to check for any problems with your gums.
If you haven’t consulted a dentist in a long time, you can visit this page for tips on choosing a general dentist.
Leukemia
Leukemia is a cancer of the blood cells. The cause of leukemia is unknown, but it is thought to be caused by environmental and genetic factors.
Leukemia can cause bleeding gums because the cancer cells crowd out the normal blood cells in the bone marrow. This can lead to a shortage of blood cells and a decrease in the blood’s ability to clot.
Thrombocytopenia
Bleeding gums are often the first sign of thrombocytopenia or a low platelet count. Platelets are blood cells that help the blood clot, so that a low platelet count can cause excessive bleeding.
In some cases, thrombocytopenia is caused by a disorder of the bone marrow, where blood cells are made. This can be due to genetic conditions, certain medications, or cancer.
Other causes of thrombocytopenia include problems with the spleen, viral infections, and autoimmune diseases.
Hemophilia or Von Willebrand Disease
Hemophilia and von Willebrand disease are bleeding disorders that affect the blood’s ability to clot. People with these disorders experience prolonged bleeding from even a minor injury. In some cases, bleeding may occur spontaneously without an injury.
These disorders are caused by gene defects that encode proteins necessary for blood clotting. The proteins affected by these disorders include clotting factors VIII and IX (in hemophilia A and B, respectively) and the von Willebrand factor. These proteins are essential for the formation of a blood clot.
Mutations in the genes encoding these proteins can result in either no protein being produced or a protein that doesn’t work correctly. As a result, people with these disorders have reduced or absent levels of these proteins in their blood. This can lead to excessive bleeding.
Prevent Your Gums From Bleeding!
The leading cause of bleeding gums is inflammation. This can be caused by plaque buildup, gingivitis, or periodontitis. Other causes of bleeding gums include: brushing too hard, pregnancy, certain medications, and vitamin deficiencies.
If you’re wondering how to stop bleeding gums, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist. A dentist can tell you what else you can do to combat bleeding gums and gum disease.
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