Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms

When you know what to look for you can discover your own Vitamin D deficiency symptoms ... by Summer Banks, a prolific writer and certified medical assistant who has supervised customer support for multiple supplement companies..

A Vitamin D deficiency occurs when a person does not consume enough vitamin D or the body does not absorb the vitamin in healthy amounts.

The main role of vitamin D in the body involves promoting the flow of calcium into the bloodstream where it is moved to various organs promoting bone strength and growth. This essential vitamin can be produced by the skin in the form of vitamin D3. Other forms of vitamin D are consumed through foods.

What to look for

When the body does not receive enough sun exposure or vitamin D rich foods, deficiency can occur. Vitamin D deficiency symptoms include:

• muscle weakness,
  
• bone weakness and
  
• pain. 
  

Without enough vitamin D to move calcium into the bloodstream, calcium deficiency may also develop leading to muscle spasms.

Children and infants

Children and infants who develop a vitamin D deficiency known as rickets may develop more slowly with common motor skills like sitting and crawling being delayed.

What are Rickets?

Rickets is a disease caused by vitamin D deficiency.  The disease directly affects the skeletal system with a weakening of bones and development of painful joints.

In older children and adults, rickets can lead to an increase in bone fractures, flattening of the pelvis and narrowing of the birth canal in women. Infants who develop rickets will develop more slowly and may also experience slow fontanel closure, curvature of the spine and bowed leg bones.

symptoms are progressive

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms are progressive in nature. The longer the body goes without proper vitamin levels, the weaker the bones will become and the stronger the pain associated with the subsequent calcium deficiency. In most cases, vitamin D2 supplementation is enough to stop the degradation of bones and reverse the symptoms. Long term negative affects to bones associated with physical injuries such as fractures and misshapen growth will not be reversed.

UV sun lamps may also be used to promote the natural synthesis of vitamin D3. The lamps are commonly used with patients who are unable to leave the home for health related reasons. If sun exposure is unavailable, doctors may prescribe vitamin D supplementation. Most over the counter vitamin supplements do not include enough vitamin D to prevent rickets or other vitamin D deficiency symptoms.

In the United States, bottled milk is fortified with vitamin D to prevent deficiency. Certain breakfast cereals are also fortified. Yogurt, sour cream, butter and other foods made with liquid milk are not fortified so vitamin D amounts will be minimal at best.

Supplementing vitamin D to reverse the effects of deficiency may require treatment lasting one to two months.

Supplements are given orally or through injection, daily. Calcium and phosphate supplementation may be included if these minerals are also lacking in the body. Patients with liver or kidney disease will be prescribed an alternative form of vitamin D in order to protect these organs.

Vitamin D deficiency symptoms will often correct themselves after one to two months of supplementation. Doctors will often prescribe regulation doses of vitamin D in order to prevent the deficiency symptoms from reappearing.

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