Vitamin D Total
Understanding Vitamin D Total
What is Vitamin D Total?
The Vitamin D total test is done to measure the total amount of the various forms of Vitamin D in blood. This test helps to screen for and monitor bone disorders. It is also sometimes useful for checking vitamin D levels in people with chronic illnesses such as asthma, psoriasis, and certain autoimmune diseases.
Vitamin D deficiency causes symptoms like bone pain, fatigue and muscle weakness, and is usually treated by increasing exposure to sunlight and taking supplements .
What does Vitamin D Total measure?
A Vitamin D Total test measures the level of vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 in your body. This test is an appropriate indicator of the total Vitamin D storage in the body. A vitamin D total test is also recommended in case of abnormal calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone levels. Individuals with abnormal vitamin D levels become prone to heart diseases, high blood pressure, immune system disorders, different types of cancers (prostate, breast, and colon), and various infectious diseases like influenza, tuberculosis, sepsis, etc. All these reasons make it more important for individuals to keep a check on their vitamin D levels.