Lack of Vitamin D: Symptoms

For a human body to function perfectly, it needs a balanced intake of all the vitamins and minerals on a regular basis. There are volumes of information available across a wide range of sources, explaining the many benefits of different kinds of nutrients that your body requires, and what are the food sources that provide you with these nutrients. Eating a balanced and healthy diet that is rich in all the necessary requirements will ensure that you lead a healthy and long life.

Out of all the vitamins that your body requires, vitamin D is one of the most important ones. You can easily tell that your body is not receiving sufficient amounts of vitamin D (a condition known as hypovitaminosis) if you can spot one of the many symptoms that indicate a lack of vitamin D in your body. These vitamin D deficiency symptoms are commonly known across the world, and if they are left untreated at an early stage it could prove to be very harmful for your body.

About Vitamin D

Vitamin D is very commonly known as the 'sunshine vitamin'. The reason for this is that vitamin D is produced in the body as a result of direct exposure to sunlight. The main purpose of vitamin D in the body is to make use of the calcium available in the diet to strengthen the bones and teeth. If a person is displaying some symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, it generally implies a lack of sunlight. Vitamin D deficiency symptoms are seen in many people across the world and people showing such symptoms usually have weak bones, and this leads to soft bones and skeletal deformities. There are a multitude of other health problems as well, that can be curbed by effectively noticing and curing symptoms for lack of vitamin D.

Common Symptoms of Lack of Vitamin D

There are a host of easily distinguishable vitamin D deficiency symptoms that you should look out for. If you notice any of these symptoms you must immediately visit a doctor and take some curative measures. Here are the effects of low vitamin D.

• Rickets: This is one of the biggest lack of vitamin D symptoms. Weak bones that get hurt easily or fractured regularly are one of the biggest effects vitamin D deficiency causes. The prevalence of hypovitaminosis D is seen mostly in elderly people.
• Skin pigmentation: If a person regularly notices pigmentation on their skin, it is very likely that this is being caused by an acute lack of vitamin D. Depression as a result of this is also a commonly observed symptom.
• Inflammatory bowel disease: People experiencing inflammatory bowel movements must also be wary, as this is also widely recognized as one of the most common symptoms of low vitamin D level in the human body.
• Obesity: People who are obese must also be very careful about their intake of vitamin D, as obese people are more prone to showing symptoms of vitamin D deficiency.
• Other symptoms which also commonly indicate a lack of vitamin D in the body include knock-kneed appearance, low blood calcium levels, high blood pressure, tuberculosis, depression, bowed limbs, chronic fatigue, type I diabetes and chronic bone pain, muscle pain or joint pain.

Besides the main symptoms of lack of vitamin D mentioned above, there are also some other low vitamin D symptoms. These include a higher risk of cardiovascular disease or heart attacks, breathing related problems like asthma, especially in children, an increased risk of cancer such as breast, ovarian and colon cancer, multiple sclerosis, and psoriasis. Since the lack of this sunshine vitamin also affects the immune system, there is also increased risk of suffering from everyday ailments like common cold and flu. Of course these are advanced symptoms and are noticed if there is continued lack of vitamin D in the body. For this reason, it is important to determine the causes of lack of vitamin D in the body and correct it as soon as possible.

What Causes Lack of Vitamin D?

There are many reasons that lead to the presence of these symptoms. Some of these reasons are given below.

• Lack of foods rich in vitamin D in your diet.
• Minimal exposure to sunlight.
• Failure of kidneys to convert vitamin D to its active form.
• Dark skin shade in people.
• Inability of digestive tract to absorb vitamin D.
• Using too much sunscreen.
• Age and hereditary conditions.

Individuals suffering from certain diseases are prone to lack of vitamin D levels, as are individuals who are under certain medications for different ailments. Celiac disease and gastric bypass surgery are some of the common ailments that cause the body to suffer from lack of or low vitamin D absorption. Similarly, any problems with the digestive tract, kidneys, or the liver causes a deficiency of this vitamin. As we age, the body fails to absorb the needed levels of vitamin D, and this is another major cause of lack of vitamin D in the body.

If you are displaying any of the various lack of vitamin D symptoms mentioned above, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. There are many cures and remedies available, and depending on your age, severity of the symptoms and hereditary factors, the doctor will prescribe certain medications and vitamin supplements to you to reduce and eradicate these ailments. He will either provide you with some long-term solutions, or alternately even give you some short-term solutions, depending on which will suit you better.