Vitamin D

The 25-hydroxy vitamin D Blood test is the most accurate way to measure how much vitamin D is in your body and your deficiency. It helps control calcium and phosphate levels in the body.
The function of vitamin D is to help with calcium uptake during bone formation. Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D supports healthy bones. Additionally, vitamin D has anti-inflammatory and other properties that play a role in maintaining normal muscle, immune, and nervous system functions. And to detect toxicity, a condition in which there is an excess of vitamin D in the body.
Vitamin D is essential for strong bones because it helps the body use calcium from the diet. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with rickets. An illness in which bone tissue does not mineralize properly, leading to soft bones and skeletal deformities.

Vitamin D Deficiency Symptoms and Health Risks

Symptoms of bone pain and muscle weakness can mean you have a vitamin D deficiency. Yet, even without symptoms, too little vitamin D can pose health risks.

Those who are at high risk of having low levels of vitamin D include:

• People who do not get a lot of sunlight.
• Older adults
• People with obesity
• Infants that are breastfed only (the formula is generally enriched with vitamin D)
• People who have had gastric bypass surgery.
• People who have an illness that affects the intestines and makes it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients, like Crohn’s disease.

What happens during a Vitamin D Test?

During a Vitamin D Test, a lab technician will collect blood from a vein, typically from the inside of your elbow or from the back of your hand. The test will take only a few minutes. The technician:

• Cleans your skin with an antiseptic wipe
• Places an elastic band, or tourniquet, around your upper arm to help the vein swell with blood
• Inserts a needle in your vein and collect a blood sample in one or more vials
• Removes the elastic band
• Covers the area with a bandage to stop any bleeding
• Place a barcode on your blood sample vial and send them to a lab for analysis

A blood test can be slightly uncomfortable. When the needle punctures your skin, you might feel a prick or pinching sensation. Some people also feel faint or light-headed when they see blood. Afterward, you may have minor bruising, but it will clear up within a few days.

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