PMQs: Boris Johnson urged to introduce vitamin D treatment
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This vital vitamin is synthesised when the sun’s rays land on exposed skin – even for as little as five to 10 minutes – and through the window doesn’t count. Without adequate amounts of vitamin D, problems can occur. Clumsiness might seem like an innocuous character trait, but it might be a sign of a vitamin D deficiency. One of the most telling signs of a vitamin D deficiency is experiencing fatigue, as confirmed by the Cleveland Clinic.
The Department of Health noted “impaired hand-to-eye coordination” is one indication of fatigue.
Examples include performing poorly in sports, such as tennis or catching a ball, or dropping things.
This can lead to falls, which may lead to broken bones and fractures if vitamin D deficiency has led to osteomalacia.
Osteomalacia
Otherwise known as “soft bones”, osteomalacia can feel as though your bones are hurting and your muscles are weak.
“If you are an adult and you’re experiencing bone pain or muscle weakness see your GP to get it checked out,” advised the NHS.
Treatment might involve taking daily vitamin D supplements, even in the summer months.
Staying away from the sun isn’t the only cause of a vitamin D deficiency.
The Cleveland Clinic warned that people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more are at greater risk of a vitamin D deficiency.
This is because “fat cells keep vitamin D isolated so that it is not released” into the body.
Other factors include increasing age, as the skin loses its ability to convert the sun’s rays into vitamin D.
Even medications can cause a vitamin D deficiency; for example, cholesterol-lowering drugs may reduce vitamin D levels as a side effect.
Other examples include weight-loss drugs, seizure-control drugs, and steroids.
Aside from fatigue – and all the symptoms that come with it – other possible indications of a vitamin D deficiency include:
- Muscle aches
- Muscle cramps
- Mood changes, like depression
Signs of fatigue:
- Chronic tiredness or sleepiness
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Sore or aching muscles
- Muscle weakness
- Slowed reflexes and responses
- Blurry vision
A vitamin D deficiency can be diagnosed from a blood serum test ordered by your GP.
Having a quick blood sample taken from your arm can measure your levels of vitamin D.
Getting adequate amounts of vitamin D can help protect you against an array of health conditions.
The Cleveland Clinic said the getting enough of the sunshine vitamin can help prevent:
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- Colon cancer
- Prostate cancer
- Breast cancer
- Multiple sclerosis
Furthermore, adequate vitamin D levels could possibly help to make such conditions more manageable if you already have them.
Aside from sunlight and vitamin D supplements, it can be found in food such as salmon, sardines, herring or mackerel.
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