The symptoms of vitamin D2 deficiency include osteoporosis, backache, muscle weakness, bone pain and fractures. These are essentially related to a softening of the bone. Vitamin D2 is essential for the maintenance of calcium and phosphate levels. The symptoms of vitamin D2 deficiency in children also include abnormal bone development.
Vitamin D2, otherwise known as ergocalciferol, is an essential vitamin, and it is fat-soluble. If somebody has a deficiency in vitamin D2, he or she is likely to have either not gone out in the sun for a long time or does not get enough vitamin D2 in his or her diet. Vitamin D2 is present in fish such as sardines, salmon, herring and tuna, as well as in liver, egg yolks and dairy products. A normal, healthy person who goes outside for a sufficient amount of time will not have a deficiency in vitamin D2.
This helps to put the symptoms of vitamin D2 deficiency into context. They include vague conditions such as backache and muscle weakness, but these conditions on their own are not necessarily indicative of a severe vitamin D2 deficiency. If any of these symptoms occur, the person exhibiting them would have to either rarely go outside for a sufficient amount of time or have a problematic diet.
Osteoporosis is a condition that literally translates to “porous bones” but essentially means brittle bones. Although it is one of the symptoms of vitamin D2 deficiency, the deficiency in itself is not the sole cause of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis normally affects older people, but the lack of calcium that is brought on by a vitamin D2 deficiency can be a contributing factor in younger people.
To combat the symptoms of vitamin D2 deficiency, it is possible to get ergocalciferol in the form of tablets or an injection. The tablets are often combined with calcium, because vitamin D2 is closely linked to calcium levels. Anybody wanting to take ergocalciferol supplements should discuss it with his or her doctor beforehand.