How to recognize a vitamin D deficiency and what to do about it

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

If there is no strength, but there is excess weight - perhaps you lack this particular substance.

Vitamin D is often associated exclusively with baby drops given to babies so they don't have rickets. In many ways, this is true: the element is indeed extremely important for the growth, development and strength of bones. However, these are far from all of its functions.

Why do we need vitamin D

Vitamin D Metabolism, Mechanism of Action, and Clinical Applications depends on whether there is enough of this substance in your body:

• Normal metabolism, including energy - that is, your ability to get the required amount of energy from food.
• The work of the immune system - how quickly and efficiently it reacts to viral, bacterial or other threats.
• The state of the hormonal system - with a lack of vitamin D, the risk of obesity, the development of diabetes and depression increases.
• Cardiovascular health.
• Well, and "on the little things": there is evidence that suggests a link between a lack of vitamin D and skin diseases, cancer, as well as autoimmune disorders - for example, multiple sclerosis.

About a billion people worldwide suffer from Vitamin D Deficiency from vitamin D deficiency and related complications. And many do not know about it.

Despite the fact that vitamin D is extremely important for health, its level is not always monitored. And most people are completely sure: just being in the sun sometimes is enough for the body to produce the required amount of the necessary substance on its own. It's a delusion. If you live in a city, even in a sunny region, then most likely you do not receive the Vitamin D deficiency: A single center analysis of patients from 136 countries the required daily dose.

There are other indirect signs that your body is likely to be deficient in the "sunshine" vitamin.

Who is most likely to lack vitamin D?

You are clearly at risk for Vitamin D Deficiency if:

• You work in an office and leave the premises in the middle of the day for less than an hour and a half.
• Work the night shift and sleep during the day.
• You are over 60 years old. Elderly people are vulnerable for two reasons. First, it is often difficult for them to go out. Secondly, with age, the body produces less and less of such a necessary substance.
• You have dark skin. The darker the shade, the lower its ability to produce vitamin D when exposed to sunlight.
• You are pregnant or breastfeeding.
• Are obese. Excess fat binds the vitamin and prevents it from entering the bloodstream.
• You have chronic kidney or liver disease.
• Are taking medications that affect the metabolism of vitamin D. For example, cholestyramine, antifungals and anticonvulsants, glucocorticoids, HIV or AIDS medications.
• You have one of the following conditions: celiac disease, Crohn's disease, hyperparathyroidism (increased production of a hormone that controls calcium levels), tuberculosis, histoplasmosis, sarcoidosis, and some types of lymphomas.

Also, breastfed babies face a shortage. Mother's milk does not contain the required amount of this substance.

If you find yourself in a risk group, be sure to analyze your well-being: you may find symptoms of vitamin D deficiency. However, this should be done anyway.

What are the signs of vitamin D deficiency

Lack of vitamin D is a tricky thing. The symptoms, at least in the initial stages, are very blurred. It is easy to confuse them with ordinary malaise or simple fatigue. However, if you observe several of the following symptoms at once, this is an alarming signal.

1. You often catch cold

Vitamin D directly interacts with cells that are responsible for fighting infections. Several large studies have established Vitamin D deficiency and lower respiratory tract infections in children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies, the link between its deficiency and respiratory diseases such as ARVI, bronchitis and pneumonia.

2. You get tired quickly

Vitamin D helps convert food into energy. If it is not enough, you simply have nowhere to take Vitamin D deficiency and fatigue: an unusual presentation. Hence, quick fatigue and a feeling of constant fatigue.

For example, in one study, Resolution of hypersomnia following identification and treatment of vitamin d deficiency, a 28-year-old woman who complained of chronic daytime fatigue and headaches found vitamin D levels nearly four times lower than normal. As soon as the girl started taking supplements with this substance, the level rose to normal, and the symptoms disappeared.

Another study by Fatigue and Vitamin D Status in Iranian Female Nurses, which focused on female nurses, also found a clear link between a lack of vitamin D and feelings of constant loss of energy.

3. You have depressive periods, most often in winter

There is a direct relationship between levels of vitamin D and serotonin, the hormone of good mood. There are studies on Vitamin D and depressive symptoms in women during the winter: a pilot study that shows vitamin D supplementation can help reduce symptoms of seasonal depression.

4. Your back and joints regularly hurt

People with a vitamin D deficiency are twice as likely to complain of bone and joint pain in the Association between nonspecific skeletal pain and vitamin D deficiency than those without a deficiency. Also, the lack of an element manifests itself as back pain - in particular, the lower back High Prevalence of Hypovitaminosis D in Indian Chronic Low Back Patients.

5. Your muscles often ache

The causes of myalgia - the so-called muscle pain - are difficult to establish. One of them may be a lack of vitamin D. This substance plays an important role in the normal functioning of nerve cells (nociceptors) that fix pain. With a deficiency of the element, nociceptors begin to fail Persistent limb pain and raised serum alkaline phosphatase the earliest markers of subclinical hypovitaminosis D in Kashmir, which is manifested by bouts of pain.

6. Scratches and other wounds heal too slowly

Vitamin D participates in the Synergistic effect of vitamin D and low concentration of transforming growth factor beta 1, a potential role in dermal wound healing in the development of compounds that are critical in the formation of new skin at the site of damaged skin. If it is not enough, the wounds heal more slowly than usual.

7. Your hair is falling out

Increased hair loss is associated with a variety of reasons, from micronutrient deficiencies to stress. Lack of vitamin D is one of those. It can be suspected of female pattern hair loss (when it thinns on the crown and front of the head) and alopecia areata.

What to do if you suspect a vitamin D deficiency

Never rush to the pharmacy for supplements. In the case of vitamin D, an overdose is just as dangerous as a deficiency. It can cause nausea, vomiting, blurred consciousness, impaired kidney function, and heart rhythm problems.

Therefore, the most competent way, if you suspect a deficiency of the "solar" vitamin, is to consult a therapist. The doctor will analyze the symptoms, lifestyle, chronic diseases. If your suspicions seem plausible to him, the specialist will suggest taking a blood test to determine the level of the element.

Fortunately, getting rid of your vitamin D deficiency is easy. More often than not, making some lifestyle changes is enough.

• Be in the fresh air and sun more often. Just don't overdo it to avoid sunburn.
• Eat foods rich in vitamin D. For example, fatty fish (salmon, herring, sardines), shrimp, egg yolks, mushrooms grown in the open field.
• Take a vitamin supplement. But only after consulting a therapist! It is the doctor who will help you choose the most effective and at the same time safe dose.