Recognising Symptoms of Low Vitamin D: What to Watch For

Vitamin D is something everyone has likely heard of but maybe isn’t aware of how important it can be. This vitamin is vital to boosting your overall health, supporting bone, muscle and immune health.

More people than you would expect are deficient in vitamin D. Around 18% in the UK, which nearly doubles in the winter. Even if you are vitamin D deficient, you may not know, as it does not always cause obvious symptoms.

If you are worried about vitamin D deficiency, it can be helpful to know the symptoms of low vitamin D, what the risk factors are and how it can be diagnosed. Even if you have worries, you should seek medical advice rather than diagnosing yourself from symptoms alone.

What Is Vitamin D Deficiency?

Vitamin D is an important vitamin that helps your body absorb calcium and phosphorus, critical to bone health, muscle strength and your immune system. You can get vitamin D from a variety of sources, including sunlight, food and supplements.

If you do not consistently get enough vitamin D, then you can develop a vitamin D deficiency. This is more significant than having an insufficient level, which is a milder decrease. A vitamin D deficiency is a significant drop in this vitamin that leads to more severe health issues.

A vitamin D deficiency is not something you can diagnose yourself; instead, a blood test is generally needed to establish whether your vitamin D levels are low.

Common Symptoms of Low Vitamin D

While some people may experience no notable symptoms if they have low vitamin D, there are some common signs to look out for.

Symptoms of low vitamin D include:

• Chronic tiredness or low energy
• Muscle weakness, aches and cramps
• Bone and lower-back discomfort
• Low mood
• Getting sick more often
• Tooth decay and gum disease

These symptoms are not set in stone and may be caused by other physical and mental health issues. You should talk to a medical professional and be thorough in your explanations so they have all the information they need to make a more concrete diagnosis.

Signs of Severe or Prolonged Vitamin D Deficiency

Being low in vitamin D may not sound serious, but prolonged or severe deficiency can lead to big issues.

Persistent deficiency can affect bone mineralisation, leading to bones being less dense and softer. This can cause many issues, including:

• Osteomalacia (development of soft and painful bones)
• Bone pain
• Increased risk of fractures in adults

It’s not only your bones that can be affected, but muscles too. Studies have found that vitamin D deficiencies can greatly increase your risk of age-related loss of muscle strength, a major factor in falling as you get older.

Signs to watch out for regarding bone and muscle issues include:

• Muscle pain, stiffness and weakness
• Muscle spasms and cramps
• More frequent falls
• Bone pain or tenderness

If you have persistent or worsening symptoms, talk to your GP today.

Who Is More Likely to Have Low Vitamin D?

Some people may be more susceptible to low vitamin D, including:

• Those who drink alcohol heavily
• People who get limited sun exposure and spend a significant amount of time indoors.
• Older people, as ageing skin is less efficient at producing vitamin D.
• Those who wear clothing that covers most of the skin.
• People with conditions such as celiac disease and cystic fibrosis, which affect the absorption of vitamin D.
• Those with strict vegan and vegetarian diets.
• People with darker skin.
• Breastfed babies.

The UK government recommends that everyone should consider taking a daily vitamin D supplement during the autumn and winter, including pregnant women.

Is There a Link Between Alcohol and Vitamin D Levels?

Yes, heavy or prolonged alcohol drinking may be linked to poor nutrition and reduced vitamin intake.

Drinking alcohol replaces nutrient-dense food with empty calories, depriving your body of vital vitamins. Alcohol is also a central nervous system depressant and toxin, impacting organ function and greatly affecting your liver, pancreas and digestion. When issues in these organs occur, your ability to absorb and efficiently use nutrients is negatively impacted.

This can mean that heavy drinking will impact your vitamin D levels, though it is not a given. Though vitamin D supplementation can help improve your levels, it will not solve the wider health issues around your excessive drinking.

Instead, if you are worried about your drinking, you should look at getting professional help.

How Is Low Vitamin D Identified?

Your doctor will do a thorough examination, considering symptoms, medical history and individual risk factors before making a diagnosis. If they believe that what you are going through may be due to low vitamin D levels, they’ll do a blood test to check if you have low vitamin D.

This will be done to confirm their suspicions and after ruling out other health conditions. This is because similar symptoms caused by low vitamin D can be caused by anaemia, thyroid problems, sleep disorders and other conditions.

There are vitamin D home tests available, but these should not be relied upon. If you are truly concerned and believe low vitamin D may be the cause, contact your doctor.

How Is Vitamin D Deficiency Treated?

Vitamin D deficiency treatment depends on many factors, including your blood level, symptoms and medical history.

A likely treatment will be a course of prescribed vitamin D supplements for a number of weeks. If more supplementation is needed, this could turn into over-the-counter supplements. Lifestyle advice will likely be given, encouraging the eating of foods such as oily fish, eggs, and fortified cereals.

Safe sunlight will also be recommended, with 20-30 minutes a day advised.

Supplements may not be the long-term solution, as excessive vitamin D supplementation can be harmful, leading to a dangerous buildup of calcium in your blood.

Before taking any supplements, look at what is in them, and do not take high-dose products unless instructed by a healthcare professional.

Supporting Your Health While Changing Your Drinking Habits

There are plenty of ways you can support your health whilst changing your relationship with alcohol.

Eating balanced meals will keep you well fuelled and full of the nutrients and vitamins you need. Staying hydrated can help with potential symptoms like headaches, support your organs and help you have more energy. Medical support, such as advice from a GP or professional help, is vital if you are suffering from an addiction, as withdrawal can be dangerous.

If you are dependent on alcohol, do not stop suddenly and without support. Withdrawal can be painful to go through and medically dangerous, requiring emergency care.

When making positive lifestyle changes, supplements can support them. Sober Relief is a helpful daily supplement that has general wellness benefits. It can complement the changes you are making but should not be viewed as a treatment for low vitamin D, alcohol-dependence treatment or replacement for professional care.

When to Speak to a Healthcare Professional

You should speak to a GP or pharmacist if you are experiencing persistent symptoms or if you have potential vitamin D deficiency risk factors.

In some cases, more immediate help might be needed. If you are experiencing severe weakness, significant bone pain or suspected fractures, get medical attention as soon as you can.

If you believe these symptoms are due to severe alcohol withdrawal, then you should also seek out immediate medical attention.

Discover How Sober Relief Can Support You

If you are making changes in your life and working towards healthier drinking habits, Sober Relief may be something that can help you. Check out our shop to see our products, what’s in them and how they might be able to help.

Before you try anything new, review the product ingredients and consult a healthcare professional if you take medication or have an existing condition to ensure you are being safe.