Vitamin D Deficiency Treatment Guidelines

Vitamin D has several sources. Some foods, such as fish and mushrooms, naturally contain vitamin D, whereas others such milk, orange juice and breakfast cereals are fortified with vitamin D. In addition to dietary sources, exposure to the ultraviolet rays of the sun triggers the production of vitamin D in your skin. The treatment guidelines for vitamin D deficiency depend on the cause of the deficiency, its severity and associated conditions and the presence of complications.

Causes

Because few foods other than fortified foods contain vitamin D, most people get vitamin D through sun exposure, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Living in a geographic locations where sun exposure is limited by latitude, cloud cover or pollution influences the risk of vitamin D deficiency and its treatment. In addition, digestive diseases such as Crohn's disease inhibit the absorption of fats and fat-soluble nutrients such as vitamin D, which can lead to a deficiency. In some cases you may ingest adequate amounts of vitamin D but your body is unable to use it in that form: once vitamin D enters the blood, the kidneys must process it and convert it into its active form known as calcitriol. Diseases and conditions that affect kidney function, therefore, can also lead to vitamin D deficiency.

Risk Factors

Aside from environment and health, other factors can increase your risk of developing vitamin D deficiency. Individuals with dark skin cannot absorb the rays of the sun as effectively, for example, increasing the risk for deficiency. Obese patients who have had gastric bypass procedures have a higher risk owing to changes in fat and nutrient absorption that occur after the surgery. Even if you don't yet have a deficiency, your doctor may suggest taking vitamin D supplements if you have any of these risk factors.

Deficiency Complications

Because the body requires vitamin D for the absorption of calcium, a deficiency in vitamin D leads to the complications of calcium deficiency. Children may develop rickets, whereas adults develop osteomalacia, both of which cause soft and weak bones. Vitamin D deficiency also contributes to osteoporosis, a condition affecting 44 million people in the United States, according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. Treatment guidelines stress treating a vitamin D deficiency before the onset of complications to help protect the health of your bones.

Vitamin D Supplements

If you have a mild vitamin D deficiency or if you have risk factors but haven't yet developed a deficiency, you can benefit from taking vitamin D supplements. Some supplements contain vitamin D2, known as ergocalciferol, which comes from plants, whereas others contain vitamin D3, or cholecalciferol, which originates in animal sources.

Calcium Supplements

If you develop bone disease as a complication of vitamin D deficiency, you may need to take calcium supplements in addition to vitamin D supplements. Take these supplements as directed by a doctor because together they can cause you to have too much calcium in your blood, a condition known as hypercalcemia, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.