Vitamin D is getting a lot of press lately, and it likely has you wondering whether you are deficient in this essential nutrient. But how do you know? What are the low Vitamin D symptoms? What causes it? What do you do to turn it around? In particular, let’s discuss Vitamin D deficiency symptoms in adults.
The only way to truly diagnose a deficiency is to have a 25(OH)D blood test done. But because low Vitamin D levels are associated with a host of diseases and illnesses, there are several symptoms that can tip you off as to whether getting your blood levels checked would be a good idea.
Low Vitamin D Symptoms
Some common Vitamin D deficiency symptoms in adults are depression, chronic pain, and obesity.
Deficiency symptoms also consist of the manifestation of symptoms of diseases such as rickets, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Type II Diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, osteoarthritis and osteoporosis, to name a few.
Additionally, if you struggle with chronic illnesses, especially autoimmune diseases, these are very likely low Vitamin D symptoms. Some autoimmune diseases that have been specifically linked to Vitamin D deficiency are Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), Crohn’s Disease, Type I Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Multiple Sclerosis (MS).
Other symptoms in adults include signs and symptoms of cancers, especially cancers of the colon, breast and prostate.
Now you’re getting the idea of how crucial Vitamin D is to your health.
Take Action
I don’t know about you, but looking over that list makes me not want to wait around until I manifest any of those symptoms before I get serious about checking for a deficiency!
Because at least 85% of people in the United States are Vitamin D deficient, I recommend getting your blood levels tested even if you are not currently experiencing any of the symptoms listed above.
If, like me, you are already exhibiting one or more low Vitamin D symptoms (I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and depression), I also recommend having your blood levels checked. Unfortunately, most traditional medical professionals are not going to automatically check your Vitamin D levels if you are displaying any of the symptoms I’ve listed above, with the exception of rickets (because the only cause of that disease is a Vitamin D deficiency). You will likely need to ask your doctor to have the blood test done. Although this is gaining recognition among medical practitioners, many doctors are still unaware of what test to perform to check your Vitamin D levels. Be sure to specify you would like the 25(OH)D blood test done.
If you aren’t currently displaying any symptoms, and especially if you are, I would waste no time upping your Vitamin D intake while you wait for your lab results. The quickest and most effective way to do this is through a very good supplement. I went on a search and found what I think is the best one, which you can read about here.
