Vitamin D Deficiency: Symptoms, Treatments, Causes and More

 Vitamin D Deficiency: Symptoms, Treatments, Causes 

Signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency

Frequent illness or infections

One of the most vital roles of vitamin D is helping immune health, which supports  you ward off viruses and bacteria that cause illness.

Vitamin D directly interacts with the cells that are accountable  for addressing infections  .

If you often become sick, mainly with colds or the flu, low vitamin D levels may be a contributing factor. Many large observational studies have shown a link between a deficiency and respiratory tract infections like  colds, bronchitis, and pneumonia  .

A number of studies have explored that taking up to 4,000 IU of vitamin D regularly may reduce the risk of respiratory tract infections  .

Currently , vitamin D deficiency has been linked to an increased risk of COVID-19, also  an increased risk of experiencing grave effects from the condition. However, it is vital  to note that taking vitamin D supplements — at any dosage — will not prevent COVID-19 .

Fatigue and tiredness

Feeling tired can stem from a number of reasons , one of which may be vitamin D deficiency.

Unlike more visible causes such as stress, depression, and insomnia, vitamin D deficiency is often overlooked as a probable cause of fatigue.

a One study in 480 older adults linked vitamin D deficiency with fatigue symptoms 

Plus, a study in 39 children associated low vitamin D levels with poor sleep quality, shorter sleep period , and delayed bedtimes  

One observational study in female nurses even searched a strong connection between low vitamin D levels and self-reported fatigue. What’s more, 89 per cent  of the participants were deficient in this vitamin  

Interestingly, many studies show that supplementing with this vitamin may decrease the severity of fatigue in people with a deficiency  

All the same, more research is required .

Bone and back pain

Bone and lower back pain may be symptoms of insufficient vitamin D levels  

Vitamin D supports maintain bone health by developing your body’s absorption of calcium.

One study in 98 adults with lower back pain linked lower levels of vitamin D to more grave pain. However, a large research review discovered that this association was inconsistent across other similar studies 

A review of 81 studies even discovered that people with arthritis, muscle pain, and chronic widespread pain tended to have lower levels of vitamin D than people without these conditions  

Still, more studies are required.

Depression

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to depression, mainly  in older adults — although some study results are conflicting  

The effects of vitamin D supplements have been mixed, but some reviews have discovered that they supported relieve symptoms of depression  

Still, more research is required to understand the relationship between vitamin D and depression.

Impaired wound healing

Slow wound healing after surgery or injury may be a sign that your vitamin D levels are very low.

In fact, results from a test-tube study suggest that vitamin D improves the production of compounds that are pivotal for forming new skin as part of the wound-healing process  

One review of four studies discovered that vitamin D deficiency compromised certain aspects of healing in humans who had dental surgery  

Vitamin D’s role in controlling inflammation and addressing infections may even be vital for proper healing.

One older study in 221 people, 112 of whom had diabetes-related foot infections, discovered that those with severe vitamin D deficiency were more likely to have higher levels of inflammatory markers that can jeopardize healing  

In a 12-week study including 60 people with diabetes-related foot ulcers, those who took a vitamin D supplement experienced significant developments in wound healing compared with the placebo group  

However, further research is required .

Bone loss

Vitamin D plays a pivotal role in calcium absorption and bone metabolism.

This is vital because taking vitamin D and calcium at the same time supports your body maximize absorption  

Low bone mineral density is   hint that your bones have lost calcium and other minerals. This places older adults, mainly women, at an increased risk of fractures  

In a large observational study in more than 1,100 middle-aged menopausal or postmenopausal women, researchers discovered  a strong link between low vitamin D levels and low bone mineral density  

However, research on vitamin D supplementation therapy in independent older adults has yielded mixed outcomes . While some studies show some advantages , like  reduced muscle pain, others have not found that it wards off fractures related to bone loss 

One study discovered that women deficient in vitamin D experienced no development in bone mineral density when they took high dose supplements, even if their blood levels developed .

Nonetheless, sufficient vitamin D intake may be a good strategy to save your bone mass and reduce fracture risk  

Hair loss

Several foods and nutrients may affect hair health.

While stress is a common reason of hair loss, severe hair loss may be the result of a disease or nutrient deficiency  

Hair loss in a women is linked to low vitamin D levels, though research is lacking  

In particular, studies tie low vitamin D levels to alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease characterized by grave hair loss  .

One study in people with this situation associated lower vitamin D levels with more grave hair loss. In another study in 48 people with this situation , applying a synthetic form of vitamin D topically for 12 weeks significantly improved hair regrowth  .

Another research review discovered that vitamin D levels may have an inverse relationship with non-scarring hair loss. This means the higher the vitamin D levels, the less hair loss found in the study, and vice versa  

Muscle pain

The reasons of muscle pain are often difficult to pinpoint. However, evidence suggests that vitamin D deficiency is a probable reason   .

In an older study, 71% of people with chronic pain were discovered to have a deficiency in the vitamin .

The vitamin D receptor is recent in nerve cells called nociceptors, which sense pain. This vitamin may even be involved in your body’s pain signaling pathways, which may play a role in chronic pain  .

A some studies note that high dose vitamin D supplements may reduce various kinds of pain in people with a vitamin D deficiency  .

One study in 120 children with vitamin D deficiency who had growing pains discovered that a single dose of this vitamin reduced pain scores by an average of 57% .

Weight gain

Obesity is one danger factor for vitamin D deficiency  .

One study in adults found a possible link between low vitamin D status and both belly fat and developed weight, although these effects were more pronounced in men  .

While vitamin D deficiency may be seen in cases of obesity, further studies are required to determine whether supplementing with this vitamin supports stop  weight gain  

Anxiety

Vitamin D deficiency is connected to anxiety disorders.

One review found that levels of calcidiol, a form of vitamin D, were lower in people with anxiety, also  in those with depression  .

A separate study in pregnant women found that having sufficient vitamin D levels may support reduce anxiety symptoms, improve sleep quality, and also help prevent postpartum depression  .

Still, more research is required .

What causes a vitamin D deficiency?

Vitamin D deficiency is normally defined as having blood levels below 20 ng/mL, while levels from 21–29 ng/mL are considered inadequate .

While there’s no single reason for deficiency, your overall risk may be higher as a result of certain underlying conditions or lifestyle factors. Some of the most common danger factors for vitamin D deficiency are  :

• having a dark skin
• being a older
• having a overweight or obesity
• not eating the much fish or dairy
• living far from the equator or in areas with little sunlight year-round  
• staying or working a indoors  
• working a overnight shifts  
• having a chronic kidney disease, liver disease, or hyperparathyroidism  
• having a health situation that affects nutrient absorption, such as Crohn’s disease or celiac disease  
• having gastric bypass surgery  
• Utilizing certain medications that affect vitamin D metabolism, like  statins and steroids  

People who live near the equator and obtain frequent sun exposure are less likely to have a deficiency, due to their skin produces enough vitamin D  .

While people who often wear sunscreen outdoors are even at an increased risk of deficiency, utilizing sunscreen is vital to reduce skin damage and cancer risk because of  sun exposure  .

Consult a healthcare professional about your vitamin D status if you’re at grew risk of deficiency.

How do you treat vitamin D deficiency?

Vitamin D deficiency is generally treated with supplements. If a healthcare professional explores  that you have a deficiency, they may recommend the following options.

Supplements

Oral supplements are the go-to treatment for the vitamin D deficiency. You can simply buy these over the counter but should ask a doctor for dosage recommendations.

Magnesium supports activate vitamin D, so you may wish to take this mineral too  .

For a grave deficiency, a doctor may recommend prescription vitamin D, which comes in much stronger doses of up to 50,000 IU. Your doctor may even consider vitamin D injections  .

Food sources

Eating more vitamin D-rich foods may even boost your levels. Options contain:

• fatty fish
• egg yolks
• fortified cereals
• fortified milk and juices
• yogurt
• beef liver

Due to sunlight is a natural source of vitamin D, your doctor may even  recommend going outdoors more often. However, provided the negative effects of excess ultraviolet exposure, it’s vital to take precautions by limiting your total time in the sun and applying sunscreen