Sunday, September 28, 2014

What Are Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms

By Kerri Stout


The world today is fast paced and hectic for most of the people who must live in it. Many are forced to choose between the pressures of their job and the basic need to take time for nutritious meals that will help maintain their skills. Choosing fast foods or energy bars and drinks can produce adverse effects to your health. Awareness of Vitamin D deficiency symptoms and their causes can prove beneficial to health and well being of everyone.

There are several ways to supplement the intake of basic vitamins starting with sitting in the sun. The body can create D vitamins for itself by metabolizing direct sunshine it is exposed to. Many foods contain needed amounts of D vitamins and additional supplements can be purchased over the counter in most stores.

Some of the risk factors for this problem include limited sun exposure, darker skin color, restricted activity, or diseases that affect absorption of nutrients by the body. There are also issues with diagnosis of a shortage of D vitamins in the body because the range of sufficiency varies considerably from one expert source to the next. The Institute of Medicine sets intake levels according to age with the highest levels attributed to senior women over seventy years of age.

Doctors list the most common indications of this problem as bone pain and muscle weakness. These signs are very subtle so this malady is often not considered when diagnosis is made. The doctor must ask for specific tests when ordering blood work to determine its existence.

Those who have endured this problem are able to give a more detailed description of the problems they had. Many of them say that their joints and especially their hips are very painful. The pain is so extreme that they have trouble standing up from a seated position. They also relate that they have suffered massive hair loss, cognitive problems that cause problems focusing and thinking and chronic fatigue that sometimes leaves them with no energy to move.

Women who have reached middle age are specifically at risk for this problem. Chemical and hormonal changes in their bodies can cause a loss of calcium available for bone density. Many women report suffering from multiple falls as they age and many of these falls are attributed to a lack of D vitamins. It is important to have bone density scans and monitor the level of vitamins in the body as they age to help prevent fractures.

Long term issues that can arise from this deficiency include cancer, heart disease, diabetes and liver and kidney problems. It can also cause serious asthma in children. Studies are being done to determine whether there is any effect on patients who have high blood pressure with very promising results. There are also studies that indicate a link between taking this supplement and decreasing the risk of precancerous polyps of the colon, reducing the risk of falling and development of multiple sclerosis in women.

Whether you have a shortage of D vitamins or not it may serve you well in the long run to supplement them by sitting in sunshine or purchasing the needed dosage at your favorite store.




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