Vitamin D deficiency (calciferol) is a rather serious condition of the body associated with insufficient intake and impaired absorption in the body of calcium and phosphorus from food. Without these elements, the skeletal system is not able to form properly, and the nervous and immune systems cannot function fully. As a result, serious irreversible pathologies develop. To prevent possible illnesses, it is necessary, as they say, to know the enemy by sight. And for this you need to know what causes a lack of vitamin D, the symptoms of its deficiency and how to deal with it.
About vitamin
Vitamin D is not just one vitamin. It is a group of chemical compounds that perform the same function.
Distinguishtwo active forms of vitamin D:
1. Vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) comes exclusively from food.
2. Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is produced in the skin under the influence of sunlight and enters the body with food.
Vitamin D deficiency, which varies in symptoms, may be due to insufficient intake of one of them. Despite the partial interchangeability of D2 and D3, both of them cannot fully fulfill each other's tasks.
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that tends to accumulate in adipose tissue. In addition, fats are necessary for its full absorption in the intestines. Unlike other vitamins, it acts not only as a vitamin, but also as a hormone.
What do you need
The role of vitamin D for the human body cannot be overestimated. First of all, it is responsible for the absorption of calcium from food. With its deficiency, bones and teeth suffer. Therefore, against the background of hypovitaminosis D, children often develop rickets, in which the bone tissue does not receive enough minerals. As a result, the bones soften, skeletal deformities occur. The bones of an adult acquire a porous structure, resulting in a disease such as osteoporosis.
In addition to regulating calcium in the body, calciferol helps maintain the required level of phosphorus in the blood, prevents muscle weakness, strengthens the immune system, and is involved in the regulation of the nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Vitamin D promotes the absorption of calcium, magnesium and phosphorus from the intestines, thus affecting the metabolism. It is also a protector against many ailments, such as hypertension, atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes.
Vitamin D is also necessary for the proper functioning of all organs and systems, in particular for the functioning of the intestines, thyroid gland and genital organs.
In addition, calciferol prevents the uncontrolled reproduction of tumor cells, thereby achieving a good effect in the treatment and prevention of cancer.
Causes of calciferol deficiency
Lack of vitamin D causes various symptoms. The reasons for this deficiency also vary. First, let's find out what factors affect the occurrence of a deficiency of this vitamin:
• Vegetarianism. The source of calciferol is animal products such as eggs, fatty fish, beef liver, cheese, milk. Vegetarians who deny themselves these foods are prone to vitamin deficiencies.
• Lack of sun. Vitamin D is produced in the human body by exposure to ultraviolet light. Residents of the northern regions, homebodies and people who work the night shift or lead a nocturnal lifestyle have a chance to get its deficiency.
• Dark skin. Because melanin inhibits the production of calciferol in response to sun exposure, dark-skinned people are more susceptible to hypovitaminosis D.
• Inability of the kidneys to process vitamin D into its active form. With age, the human kidneys begin to convert calciferol into its active form less productively, as a result of which vitamin deficiency develops.
• Poor absorption. Disturbances in the work of the intestines and stomach, as a result of which fat-soluble vitamins are no longer absorbed, lead to beriberi.
Vitamin D deficiency symptoms
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to determine the vitamin deficiency at the initial stage, since most of the symptoms during this period are non-specific and can often be mistaken for other diseases. The lack of calciferol, as a rule, is detected already in the midst of the disease.
Vitamin D deficiency in adults
Vitamin deficiencies are most often experienced by people who are rarely outdoors, have a limited diet and drink alcohol. Modern man, due to lifestyle, does not receive enough calciferol. Vitamin D2, which enters the body with food, is usually not enough for the normal functioning of the body, and for the formation of vitamin D3, it is necessary to take sunbaths daily for at least 1 hour.
What are the signs of vitamin D deficiency? Symptoms in adults are often associated with poor he alth, headaches, increased fatigue and reduced performance. Often these people experience joint pain. Moreover, the feeling of aching in the bones can appear even for no apparent reason.
What causes vitamin deficiencyD? Symptoms can manifest as persistent dental problems. In this case, caries often occurs, tooth enamel loses its strength and whiteness.
Signs of a vitamin deficiency state are sudden mood swings, irritability, aggression, nervousness and tearfulness. In addition, vision often deteriorates, sleep is disturbed, appetite decreases, and weight loss occurs.
As you can see, if there is a lack of vitamin D, the symptoms in adults are non-specific. Therefore, it is possible to suspect this condition only on the basis of a combination of signs. But it is possible to establish a diagnosis only by conducting a biochemical laboratory study.
Vitamin D deficiency in children
Especially dangerous is the lack of vitamin D in infants, the symptoms of which begin to appear after two months of life. Infants, even if they receive a quality and balanced diet, are not immune from the development of rickets.
In past centuries, almost all children in the first year of life experienced a lack of vitamin. For this reason, their bones and joints formed incorrectly. Vitamin D deficiency is less common these days. Symptoms are most commonly seen in preterm, bottle-fed, and industrialized children. In addition, a lack of vitamin D is often of a social nature. In infants, symptoms can also appear in diseases of the internal organs. Therefore, the he alth of the crumbs must be carefully monitored.
Howdetermine if a child has a vitamin D deficiency?
Symptoms of this condition in the early stages are as follows:
• Excessive sweating. The palms and feet of the baby are constantly wet, he sweats during feeding or other physical exertion. In a sleeping state, the child has severe hyperhidrosis of the scalp, hair begins to fall out in the back of the head, and the baby goes bald.
• Slow closure of the fontanel. As you know, in he althy babies, the fontanel closes a year and a half after birth and decreases significantly by 6 months of age. If after six months the size of the fontanel is more than 10-12 mm and its edges remain soft and pliable, you should consult a pediatrician in order to exclude vitamin D deficiency.
• Capriciousness and tearfulness, restless sleep, which are a sign of increased nervous excitability.
• Delayed teething.
If the initial stage was not treated and the child still has a lack of vitamin D, the symptoms become more pronounced. At this stage, the deformation of the bone tissue occurs. The occipital part of the child flattens, the size of the parietal and frontal tubercles increase. The chest bulges forward, and the legs become O- or X-shaped. Rickets in the advanced stage is accompanied by mental and physical inhibition in development.
What is the danger of vitamin D deficiency
Calciferol deficiency not only worsens the general condition, but also causes serious transformations inbone tissues. Prolonged deficiency of this vitamin can cause cavities, tooth loss, and osteomalacia, a condition in which bones become soft.
Hypovitaminosis D is especially dangerous for the elderly, when, against the background of a lack of calciferol and calcium, the bones become brittle, which indicates the development of osteoporosis. For this reason, fractures often occur in such people. Women at menopause are also at risk for osteoporosis. This is due to the fact that during menopause the level of estrogen hormones responsible for the normal composition of the bone falls. As a result, calcium and collagen are lost. Therefore, if there are symptoms of vitamin D deficiency in women, especially during menopause, this may indicate the development of osteoporosis.
Vitamin D deficiency in children that develops in infancy can lead to mild to moderate rickets. In this case, the bones and joints of the child will be weak, and outwardly this will manifest itself in the form of O- or X-shaped legs and a "chicken" chest. The severe stage of the disease is usually accompanied by inhibition of mental and physical development.
Calciferol deficiency treatment
In order to treat vitamin D deficiency at the initial stage of development, dietary adjustments are made and prophylactic doses of preparations containing this vitamin are prescribed.
If preventive measures were taken at the wrong time and diseases associated with hypovitaminosis D beganprogress, resort to complex therapy. It consists in taking calcium preparations, ultraviolet irradiation and the treatment of diseases of internal organs. Since taking vitamin D in large doses provokes intoxication in the body, vitamins A, C and group B are introduced into the treatment therapy.
