Vitamin D deficiency and treatment recovery times will vary from person to person and depend greatly on the level of deficiency and complications and symptoms associated with deficiency. While treatment with a high dose of vitamin D may quickly return blood levels to the optimal range, symptoms of deficiency may take longer to recover from. Vitamin D deficiency, according to a 2009 report in the "Archives of Internal Medicine," is becoming a widespread health concern. Knowing how to look for signs and symptoms of vitamin D deficiency is important in order to know if you suffer from it and if you should talk to your doctor about treating it.
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble nutrient that is easily acquired through exposure of the skin to sunlight. Recent concerns from dermatologists and the rise in skin cancer have led to a push against sun exposure, resulting in many people becoming vitamin D deficient. While vitamin D can be found in some foods such as fortified milk and oily fish such as salmon, it is nearly impossible to receive adequate amounts of vitamin D through food alone. Vitamin D is responsible for aiding in calcium absorption and is essential for bone growth. Deficiencies can cause a softening of the bones and lead to rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include bone and muscle pain, weakness and muscle spasms.
Osteomalacia and Rickets
Rickets in children is a result of vitamin D deficiency and can result in soft bones, abnormal bone growth and deformities. According to the National Institutes of Health, rickets can be treated with high doses of vitamin D to correct the deficiency; bone x-rays and blood work can show improvement after as little as one week of treatment. Osteomalacia is essentially the same as rickets but occurs in adults. It causes a softening of the bones and can lead to fractures. It is also treated with vitamin D supplementation in order to return the vitamin D levels to optimal range. Improvement can be seen in patients as soon as a few weeks, though full healing of the bones can take six months or more.
Vitamin D Deficiency Treatments
Vitamin D deficiency treatment is dependent on your level of deficiency. Vitamin D levels in the blood are measured in nanograms per milliliter; the normal range is between 30 and 80 ng/mL. If you fall between 20 and 30 ng/mL, you are considered vitamin D insufficient, and those below 20 ng/mL are considered deficient. According to Dr. Marc K. Drezner, vitamin D insufficiency and deficiency are both treated with vitamin D supplements. Insufficiency is treated with 800 to 1000 international units, or IU, of vitamin D a day and is evaluated on a regular basis for the possible need of a higher dose. If you are vitamin D deficient, the standard treatment is 50,000 IU of vitamin D once or more per week for six to eight weeks. Once your levels return to normal range, you are placed on a maintenance dose of 800 to 1000 IU a day.
Considerations
Vitamin D deficiency is becoming a widespread health concern, and many people do not know they are vitamin D deficient until symptoms begin to show. If you do not follow a diet with high amounts of vitamin D, avoid sun exposure or believe you might be at risk for a vitamin D deficiency, consult your physician and ask to have your vitamin D levels checked. If your results show you are vitamin D deficient or insufficient, you can begin treatment and a maintenance program. Vitamin D deficiency can cause numerous symptoms and bone damage, but most can be reversed within a few months of treatment by vitamin D supplements and working to maintain vitamin D levels.
References
- "Archives of Internal Medicine"; Demographic Differences and Trends of Vitamin D Insufficiency in the US Population, 1988-2004; Adit A. Ginde, M.D., et al.; March 23, 2009
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin D
- MedlinePlus: Rickets; August 3, 2010
- MedlinePlus: Osteomalacia; August 31, 2010
- UpToDate: Patient Information: Vitamin D Deficiency; Marc K Drezner, M.D.; 2011
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