Overview
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin that helps you preserve the strength and health of your bones and muscles. You can get this vitamin by exposing your skin to sunlight, eating certain foods, and taking vitamin D supplements.
Vitamin D deficiency can weaken your immunity and lead to various health problems, such as rickets, a condition in which children’s bones become weak and deformed.
What are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency?
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include:
- Anxiety and depression
- Bone and muscle ache
- Nausea and weakness
- Recurrent infections
- Slow wound healing
Having low vitamin D levels is linked to developing the following conditions:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- Cancer
- Multiple sclerosis
- Osteoporosis (a condition that causes your bones to become weak and can easily break)
What are the causes of vitamin D deficiency?
This condition can occur due to various factors, including:
- Poor nutrition. A problem in your diet (such as adopting a vegan diet) can prevent you from getting the appropriate vitamin D intake.
- Aging. As you get older, your liver and kidneys tend to become less capable of converting vitamin D to its active form.
- Lack of sun exposure. Vitamin D deficiency can occur if you spend most of your time indoors with minimal sun light exposure because of your job or lifestyle.
- Having dark skin. Dark-skinned people have a lower ability to produce vitamin D than fair-skinned people.
- Being overweight. If you are overweight, your fat cells take vitamin D from your blood without releasing it, causing low vitamin D levels.
- Medications. Taking certain medications, such as steroids and cholesterol-lowering drugs, can prevent your body from converting or absorbing vitamin D.
- Health disorders. Disorders such as cystic fibrosis and Crohn’s disease prevent the intestines from absorbing enough vitamin D from meals or supplements.
How is vitamin D deficiency treated?
To achieve and maintain the right level of vitamin D, the doctor will recommend the following approaches:
- Sun exposure. Exposing your skin to the sun for half an hour at least three times a week can help increase vitamin D level in your body.
- Vitamin D rich diet. Eating foods such as fish, fortified milk, and egg yolk, can help boost your vitamin D levels.
- Supplements. Taking vitamin D pills is the most effective way to increase its levels. The doctor will determine the sufficient vitamin D doses depending on your age and needs.
Schedule your appointment at Novomed today
If you have vitamin D deficiency symptoms, make an appointment with one of our expert endocrinologists in Dubai or Al Ain to receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment plan that suits your needs.
Book your consultation today by calling toll-free 8006686 or clicking the live chat icon at the bottom of the screen.
