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Symptoms And Health Risks Of Vitamin D Deficiency
Contents
D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body. These nutrients are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy. A lack of vitamin D can lead to bone deformities such as rickets in children, and bone pain caused by a condition called osteomalacia in adults.
Government advice is that everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter. People at high risk of not getting enough vitamin D, all children aged 1 to 4, and all babies (unless they’re having more than 500ml of infant formula a day) should take a daily supplement throughout the year. But there is currently not enough evidence to support taking vitamin D solely to prevent or treat COVID-19.
What Exactly Is Vitamin D?
Commonly known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is important for regulating the amount of calcium and phosphate we have in our bodies. These are the nutrients our body uses to keep our bones, teeth and muscles healthy. Typically, during the sunnier months, we get most of our vitamin D from spending time outdoors.
And now we’re in winter, it’s even more important to think about vitamin D and the other sources we can get it from.’.
Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms
Many people have no symptoms, or may complain of only vague ones such as tiredness or general aches. The diagnosis is more easily reached in severe deficiencies with some of the classical (typical) symptoms and bone deformities.
Symptoms in babies
Babies with severe vitamin D deficiency can get cramps (muscle spasms), fits (seizures) and breathing (respiratory) difficulties. Symptoms in children
Children with severe deficiency may have soft skull or leg bones. Height is usually affected more than weight.
Children with vitamin D deficiency may be late teething, as the development of the milk teeth has been affected. Breathing symptoms can occur in severe cases. Breathing can be affected because of weak chest muscles and a soft rib cage.
When rickets is very severe, it can cause low levels of calcium in the blood. These need urgent hospital treatment. Rarely, an extremely low vitamin D level can cause weakness of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy).
Symptoms in adults
Some people complain of a general tiredness, vague aches and pains and a general sense of not being well. In more severe deficiency (known as osteomalacia), there may be more severe pain and also weakness. Muscle weakness may cause difficulty in climbing stairs or getting up from the floor or a low chair, or can lead to the person walking with a waddling pattern.
Bones can feel painful to moderate pressure (often more noticeable in the ribs or shin bones).