20 Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency, According to Medical Experts

Getting enough vitamin D isn't always easy—especially during the fall and winter months, which are right around the corner. Sure, there are changes you can make to your diet and supplements you can add to your routine during drearier days when sunshine isn't so prevalent, but, unfortunately, even that's not enough sometimes. In fact, vitamin D deficiency has become an increasingly common problem for many us. According to 2018 data from Ohio's Mercy Medical Center, more than 42 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient, which they are often unaware of until they start experiencing health issues as a result. And now that we know having an insufficient level of the vitamin is associated with an 80-percent increased risk of contracting COVID-19, it's more important than ever to make sure you are getting enough of the nutrient. Read on for 20 surprising signs you have a vitamin D deficiency. And if you're wondering what you should be on the lookout for when it comes to other nutrients, check out the 20 Surprising Signs You Have a Vitamin Deficiency.

Feeling tired can be the result of any number of different factors in your hectic, over-scheduled life. And while not all of them are so easy to cut out, some are luckily in our control. Vitamin D, for example, may be contributing to that constant tired feeling, according to a 2015 study published in the Global Journal of Health Science. Among those participants who reported frequent fatigue, about 89 percent of them had inadequate levels vitamin D. Coincidence? We think not! And if all you want is to get some rest, check out 20 Life-Changing Tips for People Who Are Desperate for a Full Night's Sleep.

We all have sore muscles from time to time. And when we don't get a good night's rest, having an achy neck or back the next morning isn't out of the ordinary. But if back pain—particularly lower back pain—is a constant presence in your life, it may be worth having your doctor test your vitamin D levels. A 2008 study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society concluded that lower concentrations of vitamin D were linked to significant back pain in women. (The same connection was not found in men.) And for soreness you should never brush off, check out 25 Common Pains You Should Never Ignore.

If you notice that your muscles regularly feel weaker or are cramping more than usual, chances are high that you're not getting enough vitamin D, according to the Cleveland Clinic.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

And while these symptoms apply to people of all ages, they are especially worrisome in children who are vitamin D deficient because low levels can lead to rickets, a painful and serious condition, the clinic says.

When you have persistent pain with no real explanation—especially during the winter as opposed to in the summer—a vitamin D deficiency could be the culprit, no matter your age, according to 2003 research published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

According to a 2009 study published in the journal American Family Physician, any aches and painful tenderness in your bones could be due to a vitamin D deficiency—especially if you feel discomfort when you put pressure over your breastbone or shinbone areas.

According to sleep expert Michael Breus, MD, low vitamin D levels can have a direct impact on the quality and quantity of your shut-eye, making it difficult to get the kind of rest necessary for your body to stay healthy. And a 2018 meta-analysis published in the journal Nutrients of 9,397 subjects backs that up: Researchers concluded that vitamin D deficiency is associated with a higher risk of sleep disorders.

While it's not uncommon to naturally lose your hair as you age, particularly for men, women may experience the issue for other reasons—and one of them could be a vitamin D deficiency. A 2013 study published in the journal Skin Pharmacology and Physiology showed that women with hair loss had much lower levels of vitamin D than those who weren't losing their hair.

If you have atopic dermatitis—a common type of eczema that causes red and itchy skin—it's a good idea to have your doctor check for a vitamin D deficiency. A 2011 study published in the British Journal of Dermatology found that those with low levels of the vitamin tended to have more severe symptoms of the skin issue. And for more issues to be on the look out for with your skin, check out these 17 Health Secrets Your Skin Is Trying to Tell You.

Anyone who has wounds that always seem like they take forever to heal might need to up their vitamin D intake. Research has shown the snail-like speed could be from low levels of the important vitamin. In fact, one 2011 study published in the Journal of Dental Research proved that vitamin D levels are critical to post-surgical healing. And for more helpful information, sign up for our daily newsletter.

Do you feel like you're constantly getting sick? Well, that could be due to a vitamin D deficiency, according to a 2010 study published in the journal Molecular Nutrition and Food Research. Researchers found that vitamin D has a direct connection to how your immune system responds to various infections and viruses. And on top of that, in a 2008 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, endocrinologists concluded that having inadequate levels of the vitamin was associated with an increased risk of cancer, autoimmune diseases, hypertension, and infectious diseases.

When you have benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), you experience episodes of dizziness and may feel like you're spinning—and that could all come down to your vitamin D levels. According to a 2018 study published in the European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, not getting the adequate amount of vitamin D can cause the disorder to develop and—if you don't up your intake—persist.

There are many factors that contribute to erectile dysfunction (ED)—alcohol, smoking, high blood pressure, and diabetes, to name a few. But, according to 2015 research conducted by Johns Hopkins University, vitamin D can be a direct cause as well. The research found that men who were vitamin D deficient were 32 percent more likely to have ED than men with normal levels of the sunshine vitamin.

No one wants to deal with a urinary tract infection (UTI). You likely know that the issue is typically caused by bacteria entering the urinary tract and multiplying. But were you aware that having low levels of vitamin D could be the reason behind the infection, too? According to a 2013 study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases, researchers found that recurrent UTIs in women were associated with a vitamin D deficiency.

UTIs aren't the only problem women face when they have a vitamin D deficiency. Julian Whitaker, MD, says severe PMS symptoms—like mood swings, food cravings, and tender breasts—could be the result of not having enough vitamin D in your body. In past research, he says, those who upped their intake had a 40 percent lower risk of developing those sometimes-unbearable aches and pains than those who didn't.

Living with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) means dealing with inflammation of your digestive tract on a daily basis, which results in diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fatigue. And it turns out, making sure you get the right amount of vitamin D can lower your risk of having to deal with such a difficult condition. That's because, according to a 2013 study published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, being vitamin D deficient might not only increase your risk of developing IBD, but also factor into its severity.

If you're overweight, you may want to get your vitamin D levels checked out. Research published in the journal Obesity Reviews in 2015 found that obese individuals are 35 percent more likely to be lacking the right amount of vitamin D in their system.

The cold, sunless winter months definitely aren't good for your vitamin D levels—and that's bad news for your mood. "With a vitamin D deficiency, an individual is more likely to experience depression since vitamin D receptors help regulate mood," says Kelly Springer, MS, RD, founder of Kelly's Choice.

And there's science to back that up. According to an extensive 2018 meta-analysis published in The British Journal of Psychiatry that looked at 31,424 participants, low levels of vitamin D are in fact associated with depression.

There's a long list of conditions responsible for joint issues, but this is one you don't hear about very often. "Low vitamin D levels in the blood cause an inflammatory response, causing pain and inflammation in the joints," Springer says. So, if there's no other explanation you can think of behind your joint pain, your vitamin D levels could be the culprit.

Unfortunately, the common cold might not be the worst of it—coming down with pneumonia may also be connected to low levels of vitamin D. "There's a link between vitamin D and pneumonia," Springer says. "Deficient individuals are 2.5 times more likely to get pneumonia due to a weakened immune system."

Under many circumstances—intense physical activity and sweltering weather conditions, for example—sweating is completely natural. It's when it occurs in less extreme scenarios that it could indicate a problem. "With normal or moderate activity, a normal body temperature, and a mild temperature environment, excessive sweating could be a sign of vitamin D deficiency," says Springer.