Although vitamin D deficiency may seem a minor health problem, in fact it can lead to serious conditions and significantly decrease the joy of life. Today we present an interview with a person who suffered from vitamin D deficiency and decided to share her thoughts anonymously. 

Our interlocutor is a woman who reveals the details about her experience with vitamin D deficiency. What does she say about this condition and what advice about supplementation does she give?

How did you detect your vitamin D deficiency?

To be honest, I realised I suffer from vitamin D deficiency when I consulted my GP in order to perform a regular, yearly health check-up. When I got my results, it became evident that my level of vitamin D is far too low. Then, I introduced food supplementation to soothe the symptoms and prevent myself from further health consequences.

The first sign that I experienced was constant fatigue. Sometimes I could not wake up in the morning, despite taking care of my sleep routine and getting enough sleep every night. What is more, I suffered from excessive hair loss and I had headaches very often.

What symptoms have you experienced?

As I have mentioned, the main signs of vitamin D deficiency that alarmed me included fatigue, frequent headaches and sleep problems, as well as excessive hair loss. I also think my immunity was lowered, which I didn’t connect to lack of vitamin D at first. 

I must say I wouldn’t have “connected the dots” without my family doctor who suggested taking a blood examination before proposing further treatment. He could not be more right!

What do you recommend as vitamin D deficiency prevention?

Now that I have learnt to supplement vitamin D both through diet and taking supplements, preventing its deficiency seems easy to me. However, I know that for some people it may seem difficult at first. 

Nowadays, different forms of vitamin D supplementation are available on the market - I use capsules, but I have heard about effervescent tablets as well. It is inevitable to consult your doctor in order to determine your recommended daily dosage – for example, for women the suggested dose is 600 IU of vitamin D daily. I know that it may vary, though, depending on age, gender or lifestyle. Not everyone is aware that there are many foods rich in vitamin D as well.

Moreover, rapid tests are an excellent form of prevention when it comes to vitamin D deficiency. The tests are usually quick and accurate and easily available in many points of distribution. I try to take a rapid test once a quarter – at the beginning of my deficiency diagnosis, I used to take one even once a month. Of course, laboratory tests are also an alternative, however, they may be time-consuming and more costly. I wish I knew more about rapid testing before!

How do you share your knowledge and find new information about healthy lifestyle?

I generally try to stay up-to-date with the latest medical knowledge. Because of my busy lifestyle, reading books or articles is not always possible, so Facebook groups are a great invention for me! They give me an outlook on how others perceive healthy lifestyles and I can find useful health and lifestyle tips there.

Finding a community of people with similar views and habits is so important in the modern world, where we are in a constant hurry. By staying active on social media, I can share news about medicine or lifestyle with others and get other valuable information in return - seems like a great deal, doesn’t it?

What would you suggest to someone who has just found out they have vitamin D deficiency?

Oh, I suppose it is not a death sentence! Nevertheless, no one should underestimate it and treat it as a minor medical condition. Every case is different – while some people experience a lot of unpleasant symptoms of vitamin D deficiency, others do not feel anything until they get test results.

All you can do is take care of yourself the best you can – remember about supplementation, stay active and aware of your lifestyle and well-being!

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. We wish you the best of luck in preventing deficiencies and illnesses as well as promoting healthy lifestyle and habits!