I didn't know I was lacking in vitamin D until I collapsed at work
Summary
Two young women in the UK were diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency after sudden episodes of illness, despite having few earlier symptoms. Health experts say deficiency can be hard to spot, may weaken bones, and is more common when people get less sunlight; a clinical group is calling for a higher threshold for diagnosis.Key Facts
- Saskia Reeves-Priestley, 23, collapsed at work after feeling dizzy and nauseous and experiencing heart palpitations.
- Blood tests found Reeves-Priestley had extremely low vitamin D levels.
- University student Amaka Osu, 21, was also diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency after she began shaking and had trouble seeing clearly.
- UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey data showed that nearly a quarter of 11- to 18-year-olds were classed as vitamin D-deficient last year.
- The body makes most vitamin D when sunlight reaches the skin; people can also get it from foods such as oily fish and meat, or from supplements.
- Low sunlight, covered skin, sunscreen use, and darker skin can affect how much vitamin D the body produces.
- Vitamin D deficiency can cause fatigue and bone or joint pain, and in adults can lead to osteomalacia, a condition that weakens bones.
- ACT NOW Vitamin D, a group of clinicians and academics, is calling for the threshold used to classify vitamin D deficiency to be raised.
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