Do you often feel tired and run down? Do you have trouble sleeping or experience joint pain? You may suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D is essential for maintaining good health, and a lack of it can cause various health problems.
Vitamin D is essential for bones and muscles and helps the body absorb calcium. It also plays a role in immune function and cell growth.
A vitamin D deficiency can cause weak bones, joint pain, and muscle weakness.
Some ways to improve vitamin D levels include regular sun exposure, eating high-vitamin D foods, and taking supplements.
Read more: Lifestyle Changes Everyone Can Make to Reduce Joint Pain.
We will discuss the nine vitamin D deficiency symptoms you need to know.
1. Fatigue and Tiredness
Vitamin D lets your body absorb calcium and phosphorus from food. These minerals are essential for maintaining strong bones and muscles. If you don’t have enough vitamin D, you may experience fatigue and tiredness.
2. Bone and Back Pain
Without enough vitamin D, your body cannot absorb calcium properly. As a result, you may develop bone and back pain.
3. Depression
Depression is a mental health disorder that can cause a range of symptoms, including feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and fatigue. While there are many potential causes of depression, vitamin D deficiency may be a reason.
4. Weakness in the Muscles
Muscles need vitamin D for proper function, and weak muscles are one of the first signs that you are not getting enough of this vital nutrient. This happens because vitamin D allows the body to absorb calcium, which is essential for muscle function.
5. Hair Loss
Vitamin D contains a prohormone known as 7-dehydrocholesterol, which is responsible for the production of the steroid hormone cholecalciferol. This vitamin D metabolite is essential for developing and maintaining healthy skin and hair follicles.
6. Frequent Episodes of Sickness
You may get sick more often than usual with a vitamin D deficiency. This is because vitamin D helps to bolster the immune system; without it, you may be more susceptible to contracting viruses and other illnesses.
7. Sleep Disorder
Sleep is vital for overall health, and vitamin D regulates the sleep-wake cycle. People with vitamin D deficiency are more likely to have sleep disorders, such as insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea. The nutrient helps maintain healthy levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which plays a vital role in sleep.
8. Paler Skin
Your skin needs sunlight to produce vitamin D, so people with dark skin may be at a higher risk for deficiency. If you have light skin, you may notice that your skin is not as tan as it once was. You might also experience more frequent or severe sunburns.
9. Loss of Appetite
Vitamin D helps regulate the hormones that control appetite so that a deficiency can lead to a loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss. If you don’t have enough vitamin D, you may not feel hungry, or like you don’t have enough energy to eat.
If you are experiencing pain in your joints, bones, or muscles that doesn’t go away, it could be a sign of vitamin D deficiency. Call Midwest Pain Clinics for the best treatment for joint pain in Omaha. We use cutting-edge technology and techniques to provide our patients with the best care.