Vitamin D test can be described as an examination to find out the presence of 25-hydroxyvitaminD2 and 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 metabolites that form the major active state of vitamin D circulating in the body. Vitamin D is a kind of fat-soluble secosteroid. They play an important role in ensuring a healthy body. Getting a vitamin D test is the most effective way to test the quantity of vitamin D present in the human body.
Why is getting tested important?
Lack of vitamin D is now known to be the cause of many complicated diseases; the connection between the two had been ignored for long.
- According to the Health Department of the UK, Vitamin D is very important to be consumed by pregnant women on a regular basis. Deficiency of vitamin D can give rise to severe complications due to high Blood pressure of the mother, causing life-threatening diseases in newborn babies.
- Vitamin D is known to slow down the malevolent growth of body cells. It can help ward off deadly diseases that you are prone to.
- Vitamin D deficiency is associated with insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone that controls blood sugar. Deficiencies are often detected in women after menopause. Studies have found out the connection between a deficiency in vitamin d and autoimmune diseases such as diabetes and multiple sclerosis.
- Vitamin D is a crucial element in bone strength. It makes the bone take up and maintain calcium which is needed for building strong bones. Shortage of calcium in the body can lead to osteoporosis. This holds good for the older people particularly because with an increase in age, the skin is less competent in the synthesis of vitamin D and kidneys are less able to convert it to its active form.
How is the Vitamin D test done?
The vitamin D test is done in a routine manner in many labs. No special handling is required. This test is generally done in the following manner:
- You are not supposed to eat for 4 hours before you go for the test.
- Blood is drawn from the vein in your arm by your health care provider. First, the spot is cleaned using an antiseptic and on the upper arm an elastic band is tied. Needle is inserted in your arm and blood is collected in a contained attached with the needle.
- After the blood is collected, the band that is tied to the arm is removed. The spot where needle was inserted is covered so that there is no further bleeding.
The normal range of the test is 30.0 to 74.0 nanograms per milliliter. This however may vary slightly if:
- A lower than the normal range is reported, there is deficiency of vitamin D in the body. It might be due to the following conditions:
- Not getting adequate exposure to sunlight
- Deficiency of vitamin D in diet
- Liver diseases
- Renal diseases
- Lack of proper absorption of vitamin D by the body
- Use of definite medicines like Phenytoin, Rifampin and Phenobarbital
If a higher than normal range is reported, it is called Hypervitaminosis D. This condition may result in high levels of calcium in blood, damage of soft tissues and bones. Some of the symptoms of Hypervitaminosis D are constipation, fatigue, dehydration, increased appetite and vomiting.
Vitamin D Test Kit
These days, with the progress in science and technology, performing a vitamin D test is now possible even at home. It is not necessary to visit the doctor anymore to get this test done. There are blood test spot kits available and you can take help of these kits to do it all by yourself. The finger is punctured at a spot to collect a few drops of blood on a special kind of blotting paper. The result is generally accurate and easy to understand.
Vitamin D Test Results
Depending upon your reports, you have to increase or decrease the intake of vitamin D. If you are deficient in Vitamin D, you can obtain it from exposure to sunlight and dietary supplements. Milk, fish, fish oils, eggs, pork, chicken and other animal proteins are all foods high in vitamin D. An increased consumption of food products rich in vitamin D and added supplemental sources like multivitamins can be of help to combat this inadequacy. A condition of Hypervitaminosis D can be treated by stopping or curtailing the intake of vitamin D in your regular diet.
Vitamin D has an important role to play in many aspects of our health. Without testing your vitamin d levels, it is difficult to determine the necessity of vitamin D because different bodies have different necessities.
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