All you need to know about Vitamin D deficiency?
Posted By Suborna Fermi
Posted on Aug 02, 2022
We all know that vitamin D is extremely essential for our healthy muscle and bone health, and they also have a wide group of body functions. Our body generally synthesizes vitamin D in return for your skin being exposed to the sun. Besides, there are also several foods that contain this vitamin as well.
What is Vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency is a condition, occurs when your body is not getting enough vitamin D, or cannot be able to generate enough of this vitamin.
What are the hazardous health effects of vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency can contribute to certain serious health diseases, such are:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Multiple sclerosis
- Colon cancer
- Breast cancer
- Prostate cancer
What are the signs and symptoms of vitamin d deficiency?
The general signs and symptoms includes:
- Fatigue
- Muscle cramps
- Muscle weakness
- Muscle ache
- Bone pain
- Severe mood swings
- Asthma issues in children
What are the causes of vitamin d deficiency?
You are at a high risk of developing vitamin D deficiency if:
- You are not exposed to the sunlight enough
- Your diet does not contain enough vitamin D
- Your liver and kidney is incapable to convert vitamin D
- Your body cannot able to absorb vitamin D from the food
- You are on certain medication including steroids, laxatives, cholesterol controlling medicines etc
What is the Ideal vitamin D level in the body?
- Infants (0-12 months): 400 IU
- Children (1-15 years): 600 IU
- Teengers (15-18 years): 600 IU
- Adults (19-70 years): 600 IU
- Adults over the age of 71: 800 IU
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women: 800 IU
Diagnosing of vitamin D deficiency:
To diagnose a vitamin D deficiency, your doctor may suggest you a vitamin d test or a vitamin d deficiency test.
Treatment of the vitamin D test:
Your doctor might give you supplements of vitamin D supplements such as ergocalciferol and cholecalciferol. Besides, several doctors also recommend taking calcium supplements, the doses will depend on the acuteness of your deficiency.
Vitamin D deficiency is absolutely curable. However, most importantly to treat vitamin D deficiency you need to have enough exposure to the sunlight and a good vitamin d rich diet.