12 Symptoms of a “Vitamin D” Deficiency!

Golden Divas Are You Getting Enough of The “SUNSHINE VITAMIN?”

Hello Golden Divas!

I hope you ladies are doing well. A couple of weeks ago my post was on the seven vitamins that you need to incorporate in your daily intake and “Vitamin D” was on the list. I would like to focus on that particular vitamin because many of us don’t know the importance of what this vitamin offers and whether or not we are “Vitamin D” deficient.

As we approach dare I say it, our senior years we have to stay aware of certain supplements that will help us to live longer in our golden years, and this “Sunshine Vitamin” is the one to help aid us in coasting into our Golden Years!

Did you know seniors are at a greater risk for vitamin D deficiency?

There have been many recent studies to determine if vitamin D supplements are useful in preventing falls and fractures.

What is Vitamin D?

Vitamin D is important for good overall health and strong and healthy bones. It’s also an important factor in making sure your muscles, heart, lungs and brain work well and that your body can fight infection.

Your body can make its own vitamin D from sunlight. You can also get vitamin D from supplements, and a very small amount comes from a few foods you eat.

The vitamin D that you get in your skin from sunlight, and vitamin D from supplements, has to be changed by your body sometimes before it can be used. Once it’s ready, your body uses it to manage the amount of calcium in your blood, bones, and gut and to help cells all over your body to communicate properly.

Vitamins are chemicals that are needed by your body for good health. They are vital for everyone and ensure that your body works well, is able to fight illness and heal well.

The link between vitamin D and strong, healthy bones was made many years ago when doctors realized that sunlight, which allows you to produce vitamin D or taking cod liver oil, which contains vitamin D, helped to prevent a bone condition called rickets in children. Today, especially for seniors vitamin D is seen as a vital part of good health, and it’s important not just for the health of your bones. Recent research is now showing that vitamin D may be important in preventing and treating many serious long-term health problems.

Why Are Seniors at Risk?

People over age 50 (that is us ladies) have an increased risk of vitamin D deficiency and the risk increases with age. As people age, they lose some of their ability to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight. Vitamin D also needs to be activated in the kidney before it can be used by the body and this function also decreases with age. Finally, elderly people who are homebound are less likely to get outdoor exercise and activity. Researchers have suggested that it takes up to 30 minutes of sun exposure twice a week to make a sufficient amount of vitamin D from sunlight.

You’re Probably Wondering How Much “Vitamin D” Do You Need?

You need more vitamin D as you get older. According to the Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine of The National Academies, an adequate intake of vitamin D up until age 50 is 200 International Units (IU) for both men and women. Between age 50 and 70 the adequate daily intake is 400 IU for men and women. After age 70 the adequate intake is 600 IU for men and women.

The benefits are worth the rays that beam from the sun in the sky; however, most of us are not sun bunnies due to certain health issues such as cancer, etc. may cause by staying in the sun too long. We’re not even getting the daily dosage to make a significant difference in our lives. Luckily we can bottle the sun in a pill and take the necessary dosage.

12 Symptoms of a “Vitamin D” Deficiency

1. You’re getting sick more often than you normally would

One of the key functions of vitamin D is keeping your immune system healthy. When your immune system is strong, you are better able to fight off infections and illnesses that are caused by viruses and bacteria. If you are deficient in vitamin D, your immune system is weakened, which means that you will become more susceptible to illnesses and infections. If you are contracting things like the flu, the common cold, strep throat or other infections and illnesses more frequently than you normally would, it could be because you are not getting enough vitamin D. You might also run the risk for developing chronic disorders, such as COPD. One study found that people who have COPD were highly deficient in vitamin D.

2. You are always tired and never feel well-rested

It doesn’t matter how much sleep you are getting; you always feel like you are tired. If that’s the case, it could very well be that you are suffering a vitamin D deficiency. Several studies have found that very low levels of vitamin D can cause severe fatigue, which in turn, can have negative effects on your overall health and your quality of life. If you are deficient in vitamin D, it doesn’t matter how much sleep you get, and how good that sleep is, you aren’t going to feel well-rested. Taking a vitamin D supplement, getting more sunshine, or eating foods that are high in vitamin D can help to alleviate the problem.

3. You are experiencing pain in your back 

Back pain is often attributed to lifting heavy items, not being supported properly while sleeping, or a number of other physical causes. However, it has also been found to be caused by a vitamin D deficiency. This vitamin plays a crucial role in maintaining proper bone health. If you are not getting enough vitamin D, you could end up experiencing pain in your back, specifically in the lower back. The pain can be severe, and it can be chronic. It can become so debilitating that it can limit the activities that you can partake in and severely impact your life in a multitude of ways.

4. You are experiencing pain in your bones

A vitamin D deficiency can also lead to pain in other bones in your body, aside from your back. For example, you may experience pain in your shins, your ankles, or even or forearms. This pain could be a side effect of not getting enough vitamin D. Again, since this vitamin plays such an important role in maintaining healthy, strong bones, if you aren’t getting enough of it, it stands to reason that bone pain would be a side effect.

5. You are feeling really down

It’s normal to feel down and depressed once in a while; however, if you are noticing that you are feeling noticeable down and very depressed, and it’s been going on for a long period, it might just be that you are deficient in vitamin D. Several research studies have found that a vitamin D deficiency, especially in older adults, can lead to depression. Why? – Because vitamin D helps to regulate certain chemicals in your brain, including those that impact your mood. If you aren’t getting enough vitamin D, your mood could end up suffering.

6. You are feeling very anxious 

Like depression, anxiety is a normal feeling to have once in a while; however, if you are feeling more anxious than normal, or you are worried about things that seem trivial and wouldn’t normally bother you, it might be that you aren’t getting enough vitamin D. Again, this is because vitamin D helps to regulate the chemicals that your brain produces that are responsible for controlling your mood. If you aren’t getting enough vitamin D, you could very well end up feeling overly anxious.

7. You aren’t healing from wounds as quickly as you normally would

If you have suffered a scratch, a cut or any other type of wound and it is taking a long time to heal than it normally would, it might be because you have low levels of vitamin D. Several lab studies have found that vitamin D increases the body’s ability to produce new skin, which is an important part of healing wounds. It has also been found that vitamin D plays an important part in controlling inflammation and fighting off infections, which are also important parts of the healing process. If you aren’t getting enough of the vitamin, you might not be healing from wounds as quickly as you normally would.

8. You are suffering from bone loss

As has already been discussed, vitamin D plays an important role in the absorption of calcium and bone metabolism. Many older women who have been diagnosed with bone loss have been found to be deficient in vitamin D. If you aren’t getting enough of this vitamin, you could significantly increase your chances of losing bone density. This could not only lead to the development of osteoporosis, but it could also increase your chances of sustaining breaks and fractures, which in some cases, could be devastating, especially for older women.

9. You are losing a lot of hair 

Some hair loss is normal; in fact, most people lose around 100 strands of hair every day. However, if you are noticing that there is a lot of hair collecting in your shower drain, you see a lot of hair in your comb, you are pulling out a lot of hair when you put it up, or you actually see the development of bald patches, a vitamin D deficiency could be to blame. Many studies have linked hair loss to low levels of vitamin D. Alopecia areata, an autoimmune disease, is characterized by hair loss. It is linked to rickets, which is a disease that occurs as a result of soft bones in children as a result of vitamin D deficiency.

10. You are experiencing an increased amount of muscle pain

There are so many factors that can contribute to muscle pain, including a vitamin D deficiency. If you are suddenly noticing that your neck, back, and shoulders, or any other area in your body that is associated with your muscles is feeling particularly achy, or that the pain is rather severe, it might be that you are suffering from a vitamin D deficiency. The vitamin D receptor is present in nerve cells, which sense pain. As a result, if you aren’t getting enough of the vitamin, you could end up experiencing more pain in your muscles than you normally would, and it often isn’t related to a pulled muscle or any other type of condition.

11. You are sweating more than normal

If you are sweating a lot, even when you aren’t taking part in strenuous activities, it could be a side effect of a vitamin D deficiency. The sweat that is experienced because of this type of vitamin deficiency usually occurs on the head. Believe it or not, vitamin D actually helps with your body’s ability to produce sweat. If you are producing too much, it could be because you aren’t getting the right amount of this vitamin.

12. You are having trouble in your stomach

If you are feeling like you have more gas than normal, you are bloated, you experience aches and pains in your gut, or you are having difficulty passing stool, or have loose, watery stools, a vitamin D deficiency might be to blame. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin. If you aren’t getting enough of it, you might not be able to absorb fat as much as you should, which could lead to serious issues with the gut. In extreme cases, a vitamin D deficiency can actually lead to severe conditions, such as Crohn’ disease, non-celiac gluten sensitivity, and inflammatory bowel disease.

Golden Divas if you are experiencing any of these side effects of symptoms, you want to make sure that you speak to your doctor as soon as possible. The effects of a vitamin D deficiency can be corrected; however, if they are not, you could end up experiencing longer-lasting, more severe effects. In order to ensure that you are obtaining optimal health, you need to make sure that you are getting enough vitamin D. A simple blood test will reveal if you are deficient in this vitamin. Taking supplements or making modifications to your diet could help to correct a deficiency, which could prevent or correct undesirable side effects.

Sources:
https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/about-vitamin-d/what-is-vitamin-d/
https://www.parentgiving.com/elder-care/vitamin-d-deficiency-a-common-risk-factor-for-seniors/
https://simplyhealth.io/symptoms-vitamin-d-deficiency/12/