What Are the Treatments for Vitamin D Deficiency?

Vitamin D is necessary for building and strengthening healthy bones, making it an important mineral to include in a daily diet or supplement. Deficiency can be caused by inadequate sun exposure, lack of vitamin D foods in the body, or malabsorption, in which the body cannot properly break down vitamin D. If a person begins showing symptoms, such as frequent sweating, inability to concentrate or irritability, these may all be signs of a vitamin D deficiency, which can cause a condition known as rickets. The level of deficiency most often determines the type of treatment recommended.

Supplementation and Diet

• Patients with milder forms of vitamin D deficiencies often are first told to take daily vitamin D supplements. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for these types of supplements is 5 micrograms (mcg) or 200 international units (IU) for those ages 14 to 50 years; 10 mcg or 400 IU for those ages 51 to 70 years old; and 15 mcg or 600 IU for those ages 71 and older, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.

  Additionally, a person may wish to incorporate healthy sources of vitamin D into his or her diet, including salmon, sardines, cod liver oil, liver, or fortified milk.

Sunlight Exposure

• Another way to boost vitamin D levels in the body is to expose yourself to adequate amounts of sunlight. When the sun's ultraviolet-B (UVB) rays hit the skin, the cells are stimulated to produce vitamin D. The Office of Dietary Supplements suggests going out in the sun for 10 minutes a day, which gives the body enough of a boost to produce 10,000 IU of vitamin D per day, according to U.S. News & World Report.

  If you do not receive any regular sunlight exposure in a given day or even week, you should speak to a physician about potentially increasing your vitamin D intake. The Office of Dietary Supplements recommends a level between 800 and 1,000 IU per day for those who do not go outside.

Prescription Medications

• Those with more serious forms of vitamin D deficiency, such as rickets or refractory rickets, which can occur in childhood, should be prescribed medications, such as a solution of hydroxylated cholecalciferol, which is a form of vitamin D that can be delivered via a liquid preparation, which is ideal for children who may not be able to swallow pills.

  Patients receiving these types of treatments should be closely observed for symptoms of vitamin D overdose, which can include severe headaches, nausea, or constipation.