What are vitamin D deficiency symptoms, causes, signs, and treatment?

Fa

ti🌤️ Overview

Vitamin D is essential for calcium absorption, bone mineralization, and immune & muscle function.It’s mainly produced in the skin under sunlight and partly obtained from diet.

⚠️ Causes of Vitamin D Deficiency

Category	Common Causes
Reduced sunlight exposure	Staying mostly indoors, living in polluted or northern areas, using sunscreen constantly, cultural clothing that covers most skin
Dietary deficiency	Low intake of fish, eggs, fortified milk, cereals
Malabsorption	Celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, cystic fibrosis, chronic pancreatitis, bariatric surgery
Liver / kidney disease	Impaired conversion to active form (calcitriol)
Medications	Anticonvulsants (phenytoin, phenobarbital), rifampicin, glucocorticoids
Infancy / old age	Increased requirement, reduced skin synthesis

😣 Symptoms

(Often vague and develop gradually)

• Generalized fatigue and weakness

• Bone pain (especially back, hips, legs, ribs)

• Muscle aches or cramps

• Joint pain

• Depressed mood, irritability

• Hair loss (in some)

• Delayed growth or bowing of legs in children

🔍 Clinical Signs

In Children	In Adults
Rickets — bone deformities (bowed legs, knock knees), delayed tooth eruption, soft skull bones (craniotabes)	Osteomalacia — bone tenderness, difficulty walking, muscle weakness, proximal myopathy (trouble climbing stairs, getting up from chair)
Growth retardation	Increased risk of fractures
Seizures (due to hypocalcemia, rare)	Back or pelvic pain

🧪 Diagnosis

• Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] level:

  • Normal: >30 ng/mL

  • Insufficient: 20–30 ng/mL

  • Deficient: <20 ng/mL

• Check serum calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) (often elevated in deficiency).

💊 Treatment

1. Vitamin D Supplementation

Age / Severity	Typical Replacement
Adults (mild–moderate deficiency)	60,000 IU Vitamin D₃ once weekly × 8 weeks, then maintenance 1,000–2,000 IU/day
Children	600–1,000 IU/day; if deficient, 60,000 IU once every 2 weeks × 6 weeks
Severe cases / malabsorption	May need higher doses or intramuscular vitamin D₃

(Always check calcium before high-dose therapy)

2. Calcium Supplementation

• Usually 1–1.2 g/day of elemental calcium helps restore bone mineralization.

3. Sunlight Exposure

• At least 15–30 min/day of sunlight on face, arms, legs (before 10 AM or after 4 PM).

• Darker skin may need longer exposure.

4. Dietary Sources

• Fortified milk, butter, egg yolk, cod liver oil, oily fish (salmon, sardine, tuna).

✅ Prevention

• Regular moderate sunlight exposure.

• Balanced diet with fortified foods.

• Routine supplementation in high-risk groups (elderly, indoor workers, infants, pregnant/lactating women).gue constantly, aching bones, and feeling crappy for no reason.Bone and muscle pain - back pain, joints hurt, muscles weak. Your body can't use calcium without vitamin D, so your Fatigue constantly, aching bones, and feeling crappy for no reason.Bone and muscle pain - back pain, joints hurt, muscles weak. Your body can't use calcium without vitamin D, so your bones literally soften.Persistent fatigue that sleep doesn't improve. Not only fatigue - completely exhausted, as if there is a hole in your energy tank.

Constant illness - colds, flu, infections that last longer than they should. Vitamin D helps keep your immune system running right.

Mood problems - depression, anxiety, seasonal gloom. There's a reason people get more depressed in the winter when there's less sunshine.

Hair loss and wounds that are slow to heal. Your body prioritizes important functions when there's a deficiency in nutrients, so hair and wound healing come last.Bone fractures from slight falls or stress fractures from regular activity. Your bones become brittle without sufficient vitamin D.

Sleep issues - cannot fall asleep, cannot stay asleep, or sleep does not feel refreshing.The challenging aspect? These symptoms are nonspecific and can be anything. Most individuals simply believe they're stressed or aging.

Get a blood test - that's the only way to be sure. Deficiency is quite common, especially if you don't live in a sunny place or are indoors all day. literally soften.Persistent fatigue that sleep doesn't improve. Not only fatigue - completely exhausted, as if there is a hole in your energy tank.

Constant illness - colds, flu, infections that last longer than they should. Vitamin D helps keep your immune system running right.

Mood problems - depression, anxiety, seasonal gloom. There's a reason people get more depressed in the winter when there's less sunshine.

Hair loss and wounds that are slow to heal. Your body prioritizes important functions when there's a deficiency in nutrients, so hair and wound healing come last.Bone fractures from slight falls or stress fractures from regular activity. Your bones become brittle without sufficient vitamin D.

Sleep issues - cannot fall asleep, cannot stay asleep, or sleep does not feel refreshing.The challenging aspect? These symptoms are nonspecific and can be anything. Most individuals simply believe they're stressed or aging.

Get a blood test - that's the only way to be sure. Deficiency is quite common, especially if you don't live in a sunny place or are indoors all day.