Overcome a Vitamin D Deficiency

If you’ve been diagnosed with a vitamin D deficiency, there are easy steps you can take to overcome it. Consult your doctor and get a blood test to determine the severity of your deficiency. To treat mild cases, ask your doctor to recommend a daily or weekly vitamin D supplement at a dosage appropriate for your specific condition. Try spending more time in the sun, eating foods that contain or are fortified with vitamin D, and exercising more. Less common, more severe deficiencies may require high-dose therapy, intravenous (IV) calcium supplementation, and regular follow-up testing.

Steps

Consulting Your Doctor

1. Talk to your doctor about your risk factors and symptoms. Women who are pregnant or nursing, infants, the elderly, those who don't get much sun exposure, and people with darker skin are at a higher risk of developing a vitamin D deficiency. In addition, disorders such as Crohn’s disease and celiac disease can disrupt vitamin D absorption.
   • If you fall into any of these categories, or are about to undergo chemotherapy or radiation treatment, discuss your vitamin D levels with your doctor.
   • Recognize-Symptoms-of-Vitamin-D-Deficiency include weakness, depression, fragile bones, and chronic bone or joint pain. These symptoms can be related to other medical issues, so you should see your doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
2. Ask for a blood test. A blood test called 25-hydroxyvitamin D is a key step in treating vitamin D deficiency. Once your doctor determines your vitamin D levels, they can recommend the proper course of treatment.
   • The test isn’t a part of routine care for the general population, but can be requested when a patient is in a higher risk category.
3. Work with your doctor to come up with a treatment plan. If your blood test shows a mild deficiency, your doctor will likely recommend making dietary changes, taking a vitamin D supplement, and spending more time in the sun. If they detect a more serious deficiency, a high-dose therapy might be the best option.
   • Rickets or a severe calcium deficiency can result from serious cases of vitamin D deficiency. If these are also detected, calcium supplementation via an IV might be necessary. This usually occurs only in infants suffering from seizures due to calcium malabsorption.

Overcoming a Mild Deficiency

1. Take a vitamin D supplement. Based on the results of your blood test or physical examination, your doctor will recommend you take a vitamin D supplement. The dosage will vary based on the severity of your deficiency. A dosage of 1000 International Units (IU) is a common supplement dosage.
   • Vitamin D2 and D3 supplements are widely available, and are both effective in treating a deficiency.
2. Spend more time in the sun. Direct sunlight helps the body synthesize vitamin D. Some researchers have suggested spending up to 30 minutes twice a week in direct sun without sunscreen. However, this can increase the risk of skin damage and skin cancer, so it’s best to wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 8 or higher.
   • In order to synthesize vitamin D, broad patches of skin will need sun exposure, so you should wear short sleeves and shorts. Just limit your direct exposure to less than 30 minutes.
   • Talk to your doctor about your risks for skin damage. Tell them about any family history of skin cancer and ask if extra sun exposure is right for you.
3. Eat foods that contain or are fortified with vitamin D. Fatty fish, such as salmon, and mushrooms are among the only foods that are naturally rich in vitamin D. Fortified cereals, milk, and orange juice are readily available, but it’s important to check nutrition labels. Vitamin D fortification is not mandatory, so you should make sure a product is fortified before purchasing it.
   • If you’re vegan or lactose intolerant, you can purchase soy milk fortified with vitamin D.
4. Expose mushrooms to ultraviolet light to increase vitamin D content. Mushrooms contain vitamin D naturally but, like human skin, they synthesize more when exposed to sunlight. Leaving mushrooms gills side up in direct sunlight for as little as five minutes can increase their vitamin D content.
   • You can also keep mushrooms under an indoor ultraviolet lamp.
5. Get more exercise. Exercising too little has been linked to vitamin D deficiency. Getting at least a half hour of exercise per day may help your body synthesize more vitamin D. Going for a brisk walk outside in direct sunlight can have increased benefits.
   • Check with your doctor before taking on a new exercise regimen, especially if you have any bone, joint, or cardiovascular issues.

Treating Moderate or Severe Cases

1. Get high-dose vitamin D therapy. More serious cases of vitamin D deficiency might require high-dose therapy. Also known as stoss therapy, this method of treatment involves a total vitamin D dosage of 300,000 to 500,000 IU.
   • Discuss factors like age with your doctor when considering stoss therapy. High-dose therapy has been linked with an increased fracture risk in older women.
2. Ask the doctor about calcium supplementation. Severe cases of hypocalcemia, or calcium deficiency, can accompany vitamin D deficiency. Typically seen in infants under six months, hypocalcemia can cause seizures and lead to rickets, or soft, bent bones. An IV calcium supplement may be required and a patient should remain under close observation under calcium levels normalize.
3. Get another blood test within three months. Your doctor will most likely recommend follow-up testing to gauge the treatment’s effectiveness. Annual tests might be required if you fall into a high risk category or have a condition that interferes with vitamin D absorption.
   • Follow-up tests can also determine if your vitamin D levels are too high due to high-dose therapy. While vitamin D toxicity is rare, it can cause organ damage. Consult your doctor about stopping supplements until your vitamin D levels return to normal.

Sources and Citations

See also

• Cope with Psoriasis at Work
• Maintain Strong Bones when You Have Crohn's Disease
• Treat Dermal Filler Infections
• Check for a Hernia
• Cure Goiters
• Avoid Whey to Alleviate Lactose Intolerance
• Treat Fluid Retention
• Avoid Sea Sickness
• Treat Anemia
• Reduce Swollen Fingers

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