With children, rickets is the most common manifestation and consequence of vitamin D deficiency, while with adults, the disease is known as osteomalacia. 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. Insufficient sun exposure, mal-absorption and the action of some drugs represent the most common causes for vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D deficiency can be treated with supplements and a diet rich in fatty fish. Only the doctor can determine the right dosage considering the patient’s age and the stage of the health condition. Senior citizens and children are the most likely to develop vitamin D deficiency.
The accelerated growth rate, dental eruption and skeletal development go hand in hand with vitamin D deficiency in children. Mothers should be careful to take their kids to periodical medical checkups and make sure that they have a balanced nutrition and healthy open air activities. For senior citizens, vitamin D deficiency appears because of the body’s incapacity to produce and store vitamin D. This is why an average older person requires a higher dietary intake of vitamin D. And here we also have half an explanation for the incidence rate of osteoporosis with middle-aged and elderly women.
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. As for adults, bone and muscular pains are often associated with severe vitamin D deficiency. 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. It is essential to act in the direction of preventing vitamin D deficiency today. If you use medication that interferes with calcium absorption make sure to take measures to counteract such problems.