Signs & Symptoms Of Too Little Vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency causes diseases, so signs and symptoms of the deficiency are the diseases themselves. Vitamin D deficiency affects approximately one billion people globally, of all ages and ethnic groups, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Lack of vitamin D causes loss of calcium and phosphatase, which may result in damage to bones, muscles, nerves and the immune system. Anyone may be deficient in vitamin D, but those most at risk are seniors, breastfed babies, people of color, those with liver disease and those who have had a gastric bypass.

Rickets

Deficiency of vitamin D has long been recognized as a cause of rickets, a children's disease. Rickets causes deformities and delays in bone formation and growth. Unfortunately, signs of rickets often appear before the deficiency is discovered.

Osteomalacia

Osteomalacia is the equivalent of rickets for adults. Especially for the elderly, it can cause bone fractures, and can worsen osteoporosis. Again, the vitamin D deficiency causing the problem may not be discovered until after damage is done.

Hyperparathyroidism

Because vitamin D is both nutrient and hormone, its lack may affect the thyroid and other organs. In hyperparathyroidism, a hormone in the endocrine system is too high, resulting in leaching of calcium from bones, thus weakening the bones.

Damage to Kidneys

According to the National Institutes of Health, there is strong evidence linking vitamin D deficiency to Fanconi syndrome, a disease of the renal tubes. Production of too little phosphate caused by lack of vitamin D leads to renal tubular acidosis, too much acid in the urine, causing dehydration, confusion and calcium loss.

Psoriasis

Vitamin D supplementation and skin products are now recognized as helpful in treating psoriasis. Psoriasis causes "plaques" and lesions of the skin. Since vitamin D helps, there appears to be a link between its deficiency and the disease.

Muscle Spasms, Including Heart Disease

The body manufactures vitamin D from cholesterol. When too little vitamin D is in the system, muscle spasms may result. When this occurs, the heart, a muscle, may be affected, causing high blood pressure and artery disease.

Asthma

A research study published by John M. Brehm and others on January 29, 2009 found that for children in a high sunlight region, Costa Rica, low vitamin D is linked to higher chemical indicators of severe allergies and asthma. Similar studies have already suggested a correlation between low vitamin D and asthma development and severity. These findings imply the body's immune system may be affected when vitamin D is too low.