Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms in Adults

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is mainly found in the sun's rays, along with food sources, like egg yolk, fish oil, milk, and some vegetables. It plays an important role in metabolism and also helps to maintain the normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood.

It also plays a key role in the absorption of calcium and making the bones and teeth stronger. This vitamin also helps in preventing chronic diseases, like arthritis, diabetes, osteoporosis, depression, cancer, high blood pressure, multiple sclerosis, and immune system-related diseases.

Vitamin D deficiency can lead to birth defects, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, and heart diseases. This deficiency can be caused due to inadequate exposure to sunlight, genetic defect that leads to reduced absorption of the vitamin by the body, or due to liver and kidney diseases.

Elderly and obese people are more prone to the above diseases. Hence, in order to curb the deficiency-related diseases, it is important to understand the symptoms and treatment methods.

The symptoms do not have any early signs. They develop after a prolonged deficiency of vitamin D. Some generic symptoms are muscle ache, muscle weakness, and joint pain. Following are some of the symptoms and illnesses.

► Osteoporosis: This is a bone disease in which the bones become weak and prone to fractures. The main cause of this is lack of vitamin D, which leads to poor absorption of calcium resulting in weak bones. This is one of the major symptoms in adults.

► Rickets: In this condition, the bone mass density becomes less. Deficiency of vitamin D affects the bone tissue making them so soft and weak that the legs bow down due to the weight exerted by the body.

► Hypoparathyroidism: Low levels of vitamin D lowers the levels of calcium leading to a blood condition called hypocalcemia. All this leads to hypoparathyroidism (a condition where there is an underproduction of parathyroid hormone) resulting in further degradation of calcium in the blood.

► Osteomalacia: This is a bone-thinning disease. Bones become fragile and there is severe muscle weakness due to the low levels of vitamin D.

► Obesity: Low vitamin D levels lower the production of the hormone leptin, which regulates the fat in the body. Lack of vitamin D leads to malfunctioning of this hormone resulting in excessive weight gain.

► Fatigue: Lack of exposure to sunlight affects the energy levels of the body due to the lack of synthesis of vitamin D. There can be an increased tiredness and fatigue due to the lack of mineralization of the bones. This can also be the cause of backache in some people. So, spend some time outdoors everyday and enjoy some fresh air and sunlight.

► Depression: Some studies have linked depression with lack of vitamin D. They say that during winter, there is lack of exposure to sunlight, so many people suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and frequent mood swings. Many people today suffer from depression.

► Some other diseases: These are some health complications linked with heart diseases, autism, cancer, autoimmune diseases, diabetes, and hypertension.

➜ Exposure to sunlight is the main treatment/solution. Bring some sunshine into your life daily by exposing to the sunlight for 20 minutes, which can prove to be helpful in treating vitamin D deficiency.

➜ Along with this, include lots of food with vitamin D, like egg yolk, fish, cheese, beef liver, and fish oil. Doctors can also advice medicines and injections to fulfill the daily quota of this vitamin. Some vitamin supplements are also available, which must be taken under the doctor's supervision.

Vitamin D is as important as other vitamins, so it is essential to keep a track of the symptoms. Daily exposure to sunlight can synthesize about 20,000 IU of vitamin D in the body, which is more than sufficient to satisfy the daily required intake. So, for a change, enjoy facing the heat by letting the sun shine fall on your face.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.