What Are The 5 Signs of Vitamin D Deficiency?

Do you buy all organic food and watch over your diet? Do you make sure to sleep at least six to eight hours a day? Do you tend to exercise at least two to three times a week?

Do you feel like you are forgetting something as you feel a bit depressed lately or maybe you notice your body starts to sweat in excessive amounts as you go through your day with normal, everyday activities?

Or maybe you have suffered a fracture after a simple fall and you start to wonder if there is any particular problem with your body? Are you also suffering from Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis or obesity?

Eggs, a great source of vitamin D; image source: goodnet.org

Or maybe you are following a vegan diet? Because these are all factors that contribute to Vitamin D deficiency. And the answer to all of your questions is that most likely you are suffering from Vitamin D deficiency!

Why is Vitamin D important?

Most of you already know the main function of Vitamin D – keeping our bones strong and healthy. But what other functions does Vitamin D has in our bodies?

The crucial part about Vitamin D is that our bodies are not able to produce this Vitamin on their own – on the contrary, if you want to satisfy your body’s needs for Vitamin D you must make sure to take it from its natural sources in food or as a supplement.

Most of our body’s functions depend on the intake of Vitamin D. Vitamin D regulates the function of our immune system, our cardiovascular system, the muscles and it also has anti-cancer effects so it is very efficient when used to prevent cancer, especially for individuals who belong to the risk factor group for cancer.

Why is important to prevent Vitamin D deficiency?

Vitamin D deficiency is the condition in which your body does not get enough Vitamin D. It is not uncommon for Vitamin D deficiency to cause a condition known as rickets in children and a condition known as osteomalacia in adults.

But these are not the only conditions that can occur as a result of Vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency has been also linked to a number of conditions – e.g. asthma, cancer, hypertension, diabetes, depression and etc.

What causes Vitamin D deficiency?

There are a number of potential causes for Vitamin D deficiency. Some of the causes are a result of your lifestyle – vegan diet (because most of the natural sources of Vitamin D are dairy products, eggs, fish and meat which vegans leave out from their diet), lack of exposure to the sun (since the sun is number one natural source of Vitamin D), obesity and etc. But there are other conditions which cause Vitamin D deficiency to occur:

  • Old age – As you grow older your body’s functions start to decrease, including your kidney’s functions. Your kidneys convert Vitamin D into its active form. But if their function is decreased it is most likely that you will suffer from Vitamin D deficiency.
  • Crohn’s disease, Cystic fibrosis, Celiac disease – are just a few of the diseases which decrease the absorption of Vitamin D in the digestive system.

What are the 5 most important signs of Vitamin D deficiency?

There are many signs of Vitamin D deficiency that you may experience. However, as always there are a few which are considered to be the most important ones. In this case, there are 5 most important signs of Vitamin D deficiency! Can you guess what they are?

  1. Excessive sweating – Do you notice that you sweat at excessive levels even if you are not performing any hard physical activity or even if the temperature of the room is normal?
  2. Unexplained weakness – Since Vitamin D plays a crucial part in maintaining healthy muscles and energy levels. So, if you are noticing some unexplained muscle weakness to occur even when you do get your 8 hours of sleep, it is time to visit your doctor for a quick examination.
  3. Bone fracture after a mild fall – Vitamin D helps your bones to absorb the calcium they need to maintain strong. But in the case of a deficiency, your bones does not receive the needed amounts of calcium which results in fractures due to weakened bones.
  4. Depression – Are you experiencing a down mood with no reason at all? One of the common causes of Depression involves Vitamin D deficiency since Vitamin D affects the same brain areas as serotonin – the hormone responsible for our happy mood.
  5. Osteomalacia – what is known as chronic bone pain, Osteomalacia is a common symptom of Vitamin D deficiency in adults. The pain can also affect your muscles and joints.

Conclusion

Over one billion of people in the world right now are diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency. Caused by many possible reasons, Vitamin D deficiency is a serious problem that we need to watch out for.

Its victims are most commonly not aware of the presence of the problem, and they do not know where to turn for their sudden chronic bone pain, excessive sweating, headaches, stress and anxiety as few of the common symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency.

Luckily, this problem can be quickly solved with the help of Vitamin D supplements and an improved diet. Next time you notice any of these symptoms, do not hesitate to ask your doctor for help and risk your health by causing additional problems in the future!

About author:
This article was contributed to healthiack.com by a guest author.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here