Vitamin D deficiency is often difficult to detect because of its nonspecific symptoms. However, vitamin D deficiency can increase the risk of bone problems, such as rickets and osteoporosis, and the weakening of the immune system.
Vitamin D needs to be consumed by 15 micrograms (mcg) per day by children, adolescents, and older people up to the age of 65 years. As for the elderly over the age of 65 years, the recommended dose of vitamin D is 20 mcg per day.
What causes vitamin D deficiency?
Vitamin D deficiency is a condition in which the body does not get enough vitamin intake. This can happen because it is less consuming food sources of vitamin D or rarely exposed to sunlight.
In addition, there are some conditions that can also cause a person to suffer from vitamin D deficiency, namely:
- Suffering from disorders or diseases that can inhibit the absorption of vitamin D in the gastrointestinal tract, such as inflammatory bowel disease and malabsorption.
- Suffer from milk allergies or lactose intolerance.
- It has a dark skin tone.
- Advanced age.
- Have excessive weight or obesity.
- Taking certain medications, such as anticonvulsant drugs or HIV treatment.
- Undergo a vegetarian diet.
Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms
Most people who lack vitamin D do not realize their symptoms. To make it easier to identify, here are the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency that should be wary of.
Often get sick due to vitamin D deficiency
Vitamin D is one of immune boosting supplements.
Vitamin D plays an important role in supporting the immune system, in fighting against viruses and bacteria triggering diseases. Both in older persons and children, vitamin D will support the cells responsible for fighting infections. When vitamin D deficiency, the body will often get sick. You will also be prone to flu, cold, or sore throat.
Easy to get tired
Actually tired or fatigue is a normal thing. However, if you often feel tired or easily fatigued, it can be wary of being a sign of vitamin D deficiency.
Bone and back pain
In many ways, vitamin D is able to improve your bone health. Cause, vitamin D serves to increase the absorption of body calcium. If you often feel bone pain or back pain, it can be a symptom of vitamin D deficiency.
Porous bones
As mentioned above, vitamin D plays an important role in the absorption of calcium and bone metabolism. Therefore, when the body is less vitamin D, the risk of occurrence of bone loss or osteoporosis will increase, especially in the elderly. Because, without deficiency of vitamin D even the bone mineral density gradually decreases as the age grows.
Read also: Osteoporosis Natural Treatments
Rickets
Rickets is the softening and weakness of bones in children that occur due to the extreme and prolonged deficiency of vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency causes the body to be difficult to maintain the levels of calcium and phosphorus found in the bones, which can cause rickets. Administering vitamin D or calcium can treat the problem of rickets bones.
Dangers of vitamin D deficiency
The Impacts of Vitamin D deficiency in infants and children
Mild vitamin D deficiency generally does not reveal characteristic symptoms. But in severe conditions, vitamin D deficiency in infants can cause stiff muscles, seizures, even breathing difficulties.
If it occurs in children, vitamin D deficiency can cause various disorders, such as:
- Rickets. This condition will cause the child to experience pain in the leg bones, muscle aches, and muscle weakness.
- Growth disorder. Vitamin D deficiency in children will have an impact on their high growth disorder.
- Dental growth delay.
- Mood and emotion are easy to change.
- Susceptible to infections, including infections of the respiratory system.
- Weakness of the heart muscle or cardiomyopathy.
Dangers of vitamin d deficiency in older persons
In addition to children, vitamin D deficiency can also be experienced by older persons. Various complaints, such as fatigue, faint pain or aches, and bad feelings, are often a symptom not typical of older persons with mild vitamin D deficiency. In severe conditions, vitamin D deficiency in older persons may result in osteomalacia.
