What is vitamin D deficiency or what they call the sunshine vitamin?

Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency

Mostly, signs of vitamin D deficiency do not appear in moderate and minor cases, but symptoms appear in severe deficiency. The most prominent of these common symptoms are the following:

• General weakness and fatigue.
• Mood fluctuations and may lead to depression.
• Increased feeling of lethargy and sleepiness.
• Anxiety and stress.
• Difficulty losing excess weight.
• Hair loss.
• Muscle pain that may lead to tremors.
• Weakness in the immune system and increased incidence of respiratory infections such as bronchitis, influenza and the common cold.
• Difficulty in healing wounds, whether injury or surgery.
• Weak body structure, especially in children.
• Erectile dysfunction.

Causes of vitamin D deficiency

There are several causes of vitamin D deficiency, والتي تشمل الآتي:

Do not expose to sunlight

Vitamin D is one of the vitamins that the body produces naturally, while 50-90% is made through the skin, but the manufacturing process requires exposure to the sun.

Therefore, not being exposed to sufficient sunlight during the day and at appropriate times may cause a deficiency in vitamin D. Among the reasons that result from lack of exposure to the sun are:

• Working in an environment where there is no sun.
• Do not leave the house for long periods, especially during the day.
• Wear long body coverings and head coverings.
• Use sunscreen when going out.
• Winter, as it is found in many countries.

It is worth noting that people with dark skin are more susceptible to vitamin D deficiency, because the layer of melanin on the skin reduces the absorption of vitamin D through the sun.

Not getting vitamin D from food

Young children and infants are more susceptible to vitamin D deficiency, because they do not get enough vitamin D from food and because breast milk and formula contain little vitamin D.

As for adults, not paying attention to consuming sufficient sources of vitamin D in food, such as: egg yolks and fish, may lead to infection.

Poor intestinal absorption of vitamin D

Some of the reasons are the lack of absorption of vitamin D in the intestine. There are some health reasons that lead to this, which are:

• Celiac disease.
• Short bowel syndrome.
• Inflammation of the intestine, such as Crohn's disease.
• Chronic pancreatic insufficiency.
• Cystic fibrosis.
• Perform operations such as: Gastric bypass, or small intestine resection.

السمنة

Since vitamin D dissolves in fat, a person with a body mass index greater than 30 is more susceptible to deficiency, since fat cells absorb the vitamin from the blood and store it inside them, which hinders its spread throughout the body.

Kidney and liver diseases

The kidneys and liver contain important enzymes for the body, which are involved in the manufacture of vitamin D. Therefore, if the liver or kidneys suffer from any diseases such as: kidney failure or liver damage, this leads to the person suffering from vitamin deficiency.

تناول بعض الأدوية

There are many medications that metabolize vitamin D from the body. Among these medications are the following:

• Phenobarbital.
• Rifampin.
• Carbamazepine.
• Dexamethasone.
• Nifedipine.
• Antifungal medications such as clotrimazole.
• Spironolactone.
• Cholestyramine.
• AIDS treatment medications.

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How is vitamin D deficiency diagnosed?

Doctors at Al Mousa Health Hospital recommend that when any symptom of vitamin D deficiency occurs, go directly to the center to conduct the necessary examination and diagnosis. Diagnostic methods include the following:

Medical history

Which includes the symptoms and diseases that the person suffers from, medications, nutritional supplements, lifestyle, and also the rate of exposure to the sun.

الفحص السريري

This examination is done especially for children, as it is performed on those who show symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, especially when there is curvature in the legs.

Laboratory examinations and analyses

Which include:

Measuring the level of vitamin D in the blood

It is considered one of the best tests to determine the percentage of vitamin D in the body. It is classified as follows:

• Normal vitamin D level: From 30: 50 ng/ml.
• Average vitamin D level: Its concentration is between 12 and 29 ng/ml.
• Poor vitamin D level: The concentration is less than 20 ng/ml.

Measuring the level of thyroid hormone in the blood

Thyroid analysis is often not relied upon for all cases of vitamin D deficiency, but it is used for diagnosis in some cases to determine the problem of vitamin D deficiency, because there are some people who suffer from high thyroid hormone levels who are deficient in this vitamin.

Complications of vitamin D deficiency

In addition to the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency that appear on the affected person, which may be severe and cause many complications, Which include the following:

• Decrease in the level of calcium in the blood.
• Decrease in the level of phosphate in the blood.
• Rickets for children and osteoporosis for adults.
• ضعف في العضلات.

Vitamin D deficiency is also linked to some health problems والتي منها:

• مرض السكري.
• Cancer such as: Breast, prostate and colon cancer.
• Immune diseases such as: Lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple plaques, Hashimoto's disease or Graves' disease.
• الربو Eczema, especially in children.
• Nervous system diseases such as: Dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, anxiety disorders, depression and schizophrenia.
• Cardiovascular diseases such as: Hyperlipidemia, high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and peripheral arteriopathies.

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Frequently asked questions

How do I know that I have a vitamin D deficiency without a test?

When some symptoms of vitamin D deficiency appear like: Physical and psychological symptoms, general fatigue, and pain in the bones and muscles.

Does vitamin D deficiency cause headaches and dizziness?

Yes, as it affects the nerves and is linked to a low level of magnesium, which is necessary for the functions of the nervous system.

What are severe vitamin D symptoms in women?

There are many symptoms of severe vitamin D deficiency in women, such as: extreme fatigue, exhaustion, bone and muscle pain, osteoporosis, weak immunity, and an effect on mood such as depression and hair loss. These symptoms are common in obese women due to vitamin D being stored in fatty tissue and not being used by the rest of the body.

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في الختامWe have explained the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency and the causes, as well as the complications that occur to the body. The importance of this vitamin deficiency and preventive measures to maintain public health must be understood. Therefore, if you experience any of these symptoms mentioned above, you must go to Al Mousa Health Hospital Immediately to determine the causes of the deficiency and begin treatment immediately.