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Vitamin D deficiency
Description
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, found in natural foods and produced when skin is exposed to sunlight. It is important for strong bones as it helps in calcium absorption, balanced parathyroid function, and a stronger immune system. Vitamin D deficiency means that your body lacks sufficient amount of this vitamin. Healthy levels of vitamin D in body are 50-125 nmol/l, levels lower than 30 nmol/l may cause harmful effects in the body.
Causes
There are several causes of vitamin D deficiency, some of them are:
- Inadequate exposure to sunlight: Skin makes vitamin D when exposed to sunlight. We get 80% of our vitamin D from exposure to sunlight. Inadequate exposure to sunlight will lead to deficient levels of this vitamin.
- Diet: Food makes up for the remaining 20% of our body’s vitamin D. Diet which lacks vitamin D leads to its deficiency.
- Skin color: Darker skin colors produces less vitamin D when exposed to sunlight as compared to fair skin color.
- Obesity: Increased fat, increases absorption of vitamin D into the fat cells leading to decreased serum vitamin D levels.
- Kidney disease: Kidney converts vitamin D into its active form which can be used. Kidney impairment will also lead to vitamin D deficiency.
- Gastrointestinal diseases: Celiac disease and Crohn’s disease may cause impaired absorption of vitamin D from the intestines.
Risk factors
Following factors may increase your risk of developing deficiency of vitamin D:
- Exposure to sunlight: inadequate exposure to sunlight will increase your chances of getting vitamin D deficiency.
- Gastrointestinal diseases: Celiac disease and Crohn’s disease will impair the absorption of vitamin D.
- Age: Old people are more prone to getting this deficiency because their skin is less sensitive to exposure to sunlight, making less vitamin D.
- Medicines: Antifungals, glucocorticoids, or anticonvulsants may breakdown vitamin D in the body leading to its deficiency.
Symptoms
The most common sign and symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency include:
- Lethargy or tiredness
- Bone pain and muscle weakness.
- Dry skin or other skin issues such as eczema and psoriasis.
- Reduced immunity.
- Problems with memory and thinking skills (cognitive impairment)
- Bone pain
- Muscle weakness
- Osteoporosis (brittle or weak bones)
- Osteomalacia (softening of bones).
- Rickets
Diagnosis
To reach a diagnosis, your doctor will ask for your complete medical history and perform a simple physical exam. To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor will advise x-ray to find any abnormality of the bones, and perform blood tests including your complete blood count, and serum calcium and phosphate levels.
Management
Vitamin D can be produced by our skin on sun exposure; and may also be obtained from certain foods and supplements. The following foods may act as sources for vitamin D:
- Dairy products such as milk and cheese. Soy milk
- Egg yolk
- Tuna, salmon sardines, mackerel and caviar.
- Fish oils and cod liver oil.
- Vitamin D supplements.
When to consult a doctor?
Consult your doctor if your condition is persistent or worsens, and if you have nausea, vomiting, weakness, or loss of appetite after using vitamin supplements.
Available Medicine for Vitamin D deficiency
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