Unexplained depression, fatigue, mood swings, sleep irregularities, and weakness are some of the symptoms of vitamin D deficiency in women. However, one of the most common symptoms is bone soreness due to osteoporosis.
Bone soreness due to a lack of vitamin D in the body can occur anywhere in the body.
For women, it is often present in the leg or pelvic bones.
Vitamin D deficiency often causes symptoms in women in menopause. Their bodies may start having more difficulties with synthesizing and utilizing vitamin D, resulting in possible osteoporosis, the most common type of bone disease.
Osteoporosis is the loss of bone density and the thinning of bone tissues, spanning over a period of a few years. As individuals age, phosphate and calcium get reabsorbed back into the body from the bones, resulting in weaker tissues. This leads to weaker, more fragile, and brittle bones that can cause fractures. Therefore women over the age of 50 have an increased chance for osteoporosis. Osteoporosis has no symptoms in the beginning stages of the disease, however as it progresses, bone pain and tenderness is a major symptom. Women who believe that are at risk of osteoporosis and have vitamin D deficiency may be required to get a bone mineral density test done, known as the DEXA scan. This scan measures how much bone you have.
Women who believe that they are experiencing vitamin D deficiency symptoms can prevent it by having adequate levels of vitamin D in the body. While exposing oneself to sunlight can provide vitamin D, this is often difficult for those living in northern latitudes, as there is not enough ultra violet B for vitamin D production. If sunlight is not an option for attaining vitamin D, individuals should consume more fortified dairy products, vitamin D-rich foods, or ask their physician if taking vitamin D supplements would be an ideal choice.