Treatment for Vitamin D Deficiency

Treatment for vitamin D deficiency includes additional vitamin D supplements and sun exposure. Many holistic health practitioners also recommend watching the balance of other minerals too, especially calcium and magnesium, since vitamins and minerals work in concert for optimal health. The best way to treat deficiency is to prevent it in the first place, and eating a well balanced diet based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other health foods ensures optimal intake of all vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Supplements and sun exposure help vitamin D deficiency.

Vitamin D deficiency occurs more commonly than once thought, and health experts are now recommending that individuals get an even greater amount of vitamin D than previously recommended. Vitamin D is actually a prohormone rather than a true 'vitamin'. Prohormones are precursors to hormones, or substances that are made into hormones.

Our bodies manufacture some vitamin D from sun exposure. People who get limited sun exposure or who live in northern latitudes may not be getting enough sunlight to manufacture proper amounts of vitamin D. Food sources of vitamin D include salt water fish and fish liver oil, such as cod liver oil. Many foods such as milk and cereal are fortified with vitamin D.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of vitamin D is 400 IU, but bear in mind that the RDA refers to the bare minimum scientists believe is needed to ward off deficiency diseases, not the optimal amount for health. New research indicates that higher amounts if vitamin D may be beneficial. Several sources recommend different amounts. The Vitamin Council recommends 5,000 IU of vitamin D year round. Medscape recommends 1,000 IU.

Signs of vitamin D deficiency are often subtle. According to the Merck Manual, these include muscle weakness, muscle aches and bone pain. Rickets is a severe bone disorder causes by persistent vitamin D deficiency. The only way to tell for sure whether or not you have a vitamin D deficiency is to visit your doctor and get a simple blood test.

There are many choices of treatment for vitamin D deficiency. These range from simple sun exposure to injections of vitamin D. A physician familiar with vitamin D deficiency treatments will based his or her recommendations on the severity of the vitamin D deficiency as well as any subsequent symptoms or conditions that coincide with the vitamin deficiency.

Although many people are concerned about sun exposure and skin cancer, slathering on sun block also screens out the beneficial sunlight that enhances natural vitamin D production. To encourage vitamin D production, you can practice safe sun exposure. Limit sun bathing to between sunrise and 10 am and late afternoon, around 3pm to dusk in most latitudes. Expose bare skin to sunlight. To enhance vitamin D production, do not bathe afterwards but wait 24 hours to shower. Natural oils on the skin are thought to enhance vitamin D production.

People who have had skin cancer or precancerous skin lesions should not sun bathe at all unless advised it's okay by their dermatologist.

Most multivitamins contain the basic RDA of vitamin D, or 400 IU. Depending on how much sun exposure you get and your own unique physical makeup, you may need more vitamin D than this. You can take vitamin D supplements. The Vitamin Council recommend supplements of 1,000 IU or 5,000 IU taken daily. Start with the smallest amount possible and only increase upon the recommendation of a physician.

Severe vitamin D deficiencies can be treated by oral doses of vitamin D, administered by a physician, of approximately 50,000 IU given once a week. Medscape reports that this dose, given for eight consecutive weeks, should be sufficient to restore the body's supply of vitamin D.

Consider getting a second opinion if your doctor recommends vitamin D injections. Vitamin D injections are generally not recommended because the form used for these injections is not readily bio-available, meaning the body can't use it as easily as the oral or supplemental form.

One of the most important ways of treating vitamin deficiency is actually preventing it in the first place. The key is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. A varied diet based on vegetables, fruits, grains, fish and limited meat and dairy ensures adequate intake of vitamins and minerals. If you are concerned about vitamin deficiency, you may want to schedule an appointment with a nutritionist. He or she will review your diet, your intake of various vitamins, minerals, and other substances, and advise changes to make. Getting vitamins and minerals first from food sources is better than relying upon pills because nature packages vitamins and minerals with other vitamins and minerals the body needs. Many substances depend upon others for absorption and proper utilization in the body, and foods naturally contain just what we need to be healthy. A good multivitamin and mineral supplement can make up for any deficiencies, but if a major deficiency is suspected, see your doctor for testing and evaluation. A treatment for vitamin D deficiency is easy to administer, but you must be sure you have a deficiency first to determine the proper way to treat it.

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