Signs and Symptoms of Vitamin Deficiency (and How to Address Them)

Even with the right diet and lifestyle, you may find yourself not getting enough of certain vitamins. What are the symptoms of vitamin deficiency and how can you address them?

Vitamins are an important part of our health and fitness especially when we are not eating a healthy diet. Most of us are not too particular about what goes into our bellies and as a result, we are deficient in vitamins that leads to plenty of health issues. If that’s the case, it’s time to consult a healthcare professional and get everything sorted. But first, you need to look at some of the symptoms of vitamin deficiency.

Symptoms of Vitamin Deficiency

If you are not receiving enough vitamins, you will begin to notice a few signs and symptoms of vitamin deficiency. Without further ado, let’s get started:

• Constant, unexplainable fatigue throughout the day despite taking sufficient rest and eating.
• You experience shortness of breath even when you move a little bit.
• Feeling lightheaded throughout the day without any apparent reason.
• You have pale and yellowish skin despite eating enough throughout the day.
• Irregular heartbeats are one of the most obvious symptoms of vitamin deficiency.
• Weight loss without diet or exercise or trying to lose weight.
• Numbness or tingling sensation in hands and feet.
• Muscle spasms are also a common indicator that your body is lacking essential nutrients.
• Mood changes and swings without any apparent reason.
• Unsteady movements are an uncommon sign of vitamin deficiency but some people do experience it.
• Brain fog, confusion, and forgetfulness are your body’s way of telling you that you lack important vitamins.

Symptoms of Vitamin Deficiency & How to Solve Them

Now that you have a clear idea of general symptoms, let’s dissect the symptoms based on specific vitamins so you can get to the root cause.

Symptom: Unpleasant Changes in Hair, Skin and Nails

Vitamin B

I am sure we all have experienced these symptoms at one point or another in our lifetime. Most people jump to the beauty store to stock up on skin and hair care products but rarely pay attention to their inner health. If you are shedding hair, noticing cracked and broken nails, or notice that your skin looks dull or flaky, signs are you are deficient in Vitamin B7, aka biotin.

The best way is to include more biotin-rich foods in your diet such as egg yolk, fish, coconut oil, dairy, bananas, cauliflower, and blueberries. You can also visit a pharmacy and get your hands on some high-quality biotin supplements.

Symptom: Muscle Cramps

Magnesium, Potassium, Calcium and Vitamin B

If you experience painful and unexplainable muscle cramps, you may be deficient in:

• Magnesium
• Potassium
• Calcium
• B vitamins

Make sure that you are keeping yourself hydrated in addition to consuming these vitamins.

It is a good idea to include plenty of leafy green veggies in your diet. Fruits like apples and grapefruit are also great to snack options to have throughout the day. If you cannot pay close attention to your diet, it is advised to visit a pharmacy and get your hands on b complex vitamins along with calcium, potassium, and magnesium supplements.

Symptom: Tingling Sensation and Numbness

Iron, B6, B12 and Folate

A lot of young people experience tinkling and prickly sensations in their hands and feet. These are neurological symptoms that can be caused by deficiency of one of the following vitamins:

• Iron
• B6
• B12
• Folate

If you constantly move your leg while sitting and standing, you might as well get your iron levels checked. Iron deficiency often causes Restless Leg Syndrome.

Eating red meats, eggs, and dark leafy green vegetables is the best way to fuel your body properly. On the other hand, a combination of iron and b-complex vitamins will do the trick.

Symptom: White or Red Bumps on the Skin

Vitamin’s A, C, and D

If you experience tiny white and red bumps on your skin (mainly on the back of your arms, cheeks, butt, thighs, or legs), you may be dealing with a deficiency of:

• Vitamin A
• Vitamin D
• Vitamin C

This condition is called keratosis pilaris. Sometimes, genetics or lacking essential fatty acids may cause these symptoms as well.

You can deal with this problem by consuming fatty acids, Vitamin D, C, and A-rich foods or applying topical creams. Carrots, sweet potatoes, nuts, bell peppers, fatty fish, and seeds are a great way to nourish your body. Incorporating all these foods into your diet regularly can be quite tough. Hence, it is advised to visit a pharmacy and get your hands on oral vitamins and topical creams to treat your problem.

Symptom: Poor Night Vision

Vitamin A

If you are experiencing vision problems, especially the condition night blindness, you might be low on vitamin A. It is an essential vitamin to produce rhodopsin which is a pigment in the eye that helps you see in the night. This is a serious condition that can lead to blindness when left untreated.

It can also sometimes cause foamy, white growth in the white part of your eye. The first step is to visit a pharmacist or a health care professional to treat the underlying symptoms of vitamin deficiency and then proceed with further treatments. In this case, a good diet is not enough, you will need to consume a vitamin A supplement.

Symptom: Mouth Ulcers

Vitamin B

Mouth sores and ulcers are yet another very common condition and are often caused by Vitamin B deficiency. Adding a b complex vitamin to your diet will do the job when combined with a healthy balanced diet and lots of hydration. Fish, eggs, beans, legumes, starchy vegetables, and nuts will also play the part.

I am Noticing the Signs, What Next?

If you are noticing some of the signs from the list in your body, skin, hair, or nails, it’s time to have a close look at your diet and lifestyle habits. You are what you eat. It is crucial to eat healthy regularly. The next step is to visit a pharmacy and speak with an expert pharmacist on which vitamins will suit you best. A combination of nutritious foods and vitamins will fix all your problems and the symptoms you experience will be a thing of the past.

Final Thoughts

We live in a fast-paced world, and we often neglect the needs of our bodies. If you are facing certain health issues, it is important to take a health care professional on board and make healthy eating, exercising, and taking vitamins a lifestyle.