June 17, 2010

Vitamin D Deficiency and Your Health

Vitamin D deficiency causes rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults. In the absence of vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus cannot be properly absorbed in the body which hinders skeletal growth. For babies up to two years of age, the administration of vitamin D in supplements is a must in order to ensure harmonious body evolution.

Vitamin D is also produced and temporarily stored by the body following sun exposure. Yet, with the over-emphasized need to protect ourselves from sun radiation, we have come to increase the phenomenon of vitamin D deficiency due to insufficiency. Vitamin D deficiency can be treated with a diet rich in fat fish and by supplementation. Only the doctor can determine the right dosage considering the patient’s age and the stage of the health condition. Children and senior citizens pose the highest risks to develop vitamin D deficiency.

Children are prone to vitamin D deficiency because of the accelerated growth rate, dental eruption and skeletal development. A balanced nutrition and healthy open air activities will minimize rickets risks; don’t forget to take your child to periodical health checks. As for the elderly, the body’s capacity to produce and store vitamin D declines with advancing age. An older person will need twice more vitamin D from food than a young person. This is one of the reasons why so many middle aged and elderly women develop osteoporosis.

Children with advanced vitamin D deficiency show a bowing of the legs and a modification in the bone structure of the rib cage. The sternum deepens in the chest and the rigs become protruding. In adults, severe vitamin D deficiency could be manifest with bone and muscular pains. The doctor will press the tibia and the sternum bone during the examination. These are the bones that usually reveal the consequences of vitamin D deficiency.

The patient’s medical specificity influences the treatment for vitamin D deficiency. Diagnosis is possible only by undergoing radiology tests, manual examination and blood tests. Vitamin D deficiency could also be indicated by the low calcium levels. Enough sun exposure and a balanced diet help to the treatment of vitamin D deficiency. If you use medication that interferes with calcium absorption make sure to take measures to counteract such problems.

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