Login or Register

Signs & Symptoms of Low Vitamin D Level in Blood

Mar 28, 2011 | By Wildwater Wolf

Vitamin D is actually a hormone your body creates naturally after your skin's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet B rays, according to Dr. Steve D. Wheeler, in his 2010 article published by the American Headache Society. Vitamin D deficiency is diagnosed by a blood test that measures 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Deficiencies are easily treated with supplements, so ask your physician what dose is best for you.

Skeletal and Muscular Symptoms

If you are experiencing increased muscle pain, bone pain or bone fractures, you may have a vitamin D deficiency. Adequate levels of vitamin D are necessary for musculoskeletal health because vitamin D influences bone metabolism by making calcium absorption possible. Bone pain and lower back pain are associated with vitamin D deficiency; raising your vitamin D level can result in pain relief. Vitamin D deficiency can lead to the depletion of calcium stored in the skeleton, which increases calcium needs. This can eventually contribute to such serious conditions as thinning of bone mass and tissue, softening of bones and loss of bone density in adults. Vitamin D deficiency is also associated with muscle weakness and with being prone to falls.

Psychological Signs

Vitamin D deficiency may contribute to symptoms of depression, mood swings, low energy, fatigue and sleep irregularities. Seasonal affective disorder, also called SAD, is a mood disorder resulting from decreased daylight during winter. Some people with SAD find that taking high doses of vitamin D is an effective natural remedy, leading health practitioners to think that the healthy functioning of the brain's neurotransmitters relies in part on properly synthesizing enough vitamin D.

Pregnancy and Child Development

Vitamin D deficiency occurs in many pregnant women and is associated with increased birth defects, cesarean sections and the potential for children to develop rickets -- a condition that renders the body unable to mineralize its own bone. Vitamin D is important to a child's growth and development. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency in children may include muscle cramps, low calcium levels, breathing problems and fracture-prone bones.

Symptoms in the Elderly

Vitamin D deficiency is not uncommon among the elderly because aging can cause the body to slowly lose the ability to metabolize adequate amounts of vitamin D, which then lowers the rate of calcium. This creates a higher risk of osteoporosis in the elderly population, specifically in post-menopausal women.
Lowered vitamin D levels in the blood combined with high levels of parathyroid hormones may lead to a greater risk of depression in older adults. When treated with vitamin D supplements, the symptoms of depression decrease or disappear, according to a study published in May 2008 in the "Archives of General Psychiatry."

Symptoms in Women

There are symptoms of vitamin D deficiency that are evident only in women such as premenstrual moodiness. Recent research by University of Massachusetts scientists found that following a diet rich in vitamin D -- food and supplements combined -- and calcium can help reduce some premenstrual syndrome symptoms, such as anxiety, tearfulness and irritability. Because women have more difficulty absorbing and converting vitamin D, especially when estrogen levels are low, the deficiency may intensify renal or intestinal problems, such Crohn's disease or irritable bowel syndrome. Teenage girls -- especially those who live in northern climates where for much of the year their exposure to sunlight is too limited to produce vitamin D naturally -- need sufficient amounts of vitamin D for bone development and other conditions affected by a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with many diseases including multiple cancers, especially breast and ovarian cancers that affect women almost exclusively.

Immune System and Inflammation

Vitamin D deficiency can wreak havoc on your immune system, perhaps because with insufficient vitamin D levels, your body cannot balance overactive immune cells. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus, scleroderma and inflammatory bowel disease. It is also implicated in inflammatory disorders such as cardiovascular disease and serious arthritic conditions.

References

Article reviewed by Mia Paul Last updated on: Mar 28, 2011

Must see: Photo Galleries

Member Comments