Vitamin D is enjoying some well-deserved time in the spotlight of late, ever since researchers from Northwestern University have discovered a strong correlation between a severe deficiency in the vitamin and mortality rates in cases of COVID-19 infection after analysing patient data from 10 countries.
This begs the question – how do you know if you are vitamin D deficient? According to Dr Annemarie van Der Merwe, a general practitioner in Jacobsbaai on the West Coast, the problem with a trying to pinpoint a deficiency in vitamin D is that the symptoms can be quite non-specific.
“Many of the symptoms associated with a lack of vitamin D can also be ascribed to something else. The best way to know for sure if you have a major vitamin D deficiency and need to take drastic measures to supplement it is to have blood test done by your doctor. However, if you do have any of the following symptoms, it's worth spending more time in the sun or adding foods that are high in vitamin D to your diet, to see if it makes a difference before you make an appointment to see your GP,” Dr van der Merwe advises.
Getting sick easily
“The most common symptom of low vitamin D levels is getting sick very often,” she explains. If you find that you fall ill with every cold or flu that does the rounds, you may need to up your intake of the vitamin or get some more sun exposure.
Poor wound healing
Vitamin D promotes the creation of cathelicidin, an antimicrobial peptide the immune system uses to fight off wound infections. As such, if your levels are too low, it will take longer for wounds to heal, whether it be a small papercut or a larger laceration.
Tiredness or fatigue
“Low energy levels and lethargy is one of the most prominent signs of insufficient vitamin D levels. This can also spill over into mood disorders like depression,” Dr van der Merwe advises.
Bone aches and pains
“Vitamin D plays a vital role in bone metabolism. If you have a very serious deficiency, it can lead to osteoporosis later along the line. This can present as bone aches, especially in older people - typically women over the age of 50 who will start to suffer from certain symptoms of osteoporosis such as constant backaches, etc.”
Hair loss
According to Dr van der Merwe, unusual hair loss is also a symptom of insufficient vitamin D. “Vitamin D stimulates hair follicles to promote hair growth. As such, when your body is low on the so-called sunshine vitamin, new hair growth will be rather low on its list of priorities, and you will find that your hair fall is more intensive than usual. It's normal to lose anything between 50 to 100 strands of hair per day, but more than that could be cause for concern - especially if it starts suddenly coming out in clumps,” she explains.
Dr van der Merwe believes it’s a good idea to get your vitamin D levels tested at least once every year if you’ve had problems with it before, or you’re over the age of 50. “I test for vitamin D in all patients over the age of 50 at least once per year as a standard at my practice. In my opinion, it should form part of an annual check-up because it plays such an important role in bone density, as well as general health and wellbeing.”
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