icd 10 Vitamin D deficiency: Recognizing and remedying symptoms quickly

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A icd 10 vitamin D deficiency is not the exception in America, especially in winter and north, but the fact. What are the symptoms and effects of vitamin D deficiency on your body? This is how you recognize and remedy a vitamin D deficiency quickly and reliably.

It is difficult to estimate how many Americans have too little vitamin D, as the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency varies depending on several factors, including age, ethnicity, geographic location, and lifestyle.

According to the Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), vitamin D deficiency is defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level of less than 20 ng/mL (50 nmol/L).

The ODS estimates that approximately 41.6% of the U.S. population has a vitamin D deficiency, based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

However, this estimate may be an overestimate, as it includes both severe and mild cases of deficiency.

It is important to note that vitamin D deficiency can have serious health consequences, including an increased risk of osteoporosis, falls and fractures in older adults, and other health problems.

If you are concerned about your vitamin D status, you should talk to your healthcare provider.

They can help you determine if you are at risk for deficiency and recommend appropriate treatment and prevention strategies.

42% of Americans have too little vitamin D in their blood.

Why is this a problem?

If you don’t have enough vitamin D in your blood, you suffer more often from colds and infections, feel weak and drained, and don’t get your full horsepower on the road even during training.

Last but not least, people with low vitamin D status are more likely to contract COVID-19 and suffer more from the disease.

But you can easily identify and stop a vitamin D deficiency if you do it right.

In this article, you’ll learn everything you need about vitamin D, vitamin D deficiency, its symptoms, and remedies.

icd 10 code for vitamin D deficiency

The International Classification of Diseases (ICD) is a standardized system for coding and classifying diseases, injuries, and other health conditions. In ICD-10, the code for vitamin D deficiency is E55.9. This code is used to indicate a deficiency of vitamin D that is not classified elsewhere.

It is important to note that ICD codes are used primarily for insurance billing purposes and are not diagnostic codes.

A healthcare provider will use clinical criteria to diagnose a patient with vitamin D deficiency and may use various tests and assessments to confirm the diagnosis.

The ICD code for vitamin D deficiency is then assigned based on the diagnosis and the information recorded in the patient’s medical record.

What is vitamin D?

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that exists in various chemical forms.

The animal form is vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), while vitamin D2 is the plant form (ergocalciferol).

Neither vitamin D2 nor D3 is biologically active. That means your body has to convert them first to be able to use them. The form of vitamin D that is active in the body is a hormone.

What do you need vitamin D for?

You need vitamin D for, among other things:

Musculature: increases muscle strength, reducing the risk of falls and fractures in old age.
Bones: strengthens the bones and prevents bone softness.
Cardiovascular system: regulates blood pressure and reduces the risk of heart attack, stroke, and vascular diseases.
Brain: Provides a sunny mood, prevents schizophrenia, and reduces the risk of multiple sclerosis, dementia, Parkinson’sParkinson’s, and Alzheimer’sAlzheimer’s.
Immune system: protects against infections, and inflammation reduces the risk of autoimmune diseases (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’sCrohn’s disease, rheumatism).
Cancer prevention: reduces the risk of cancer (e.g., breast or prostate cancer), suppresses cancer cell growth, and promotes self-destructive programs in cancer cells.
Fat metabolism: has a positive effect on insulin production, smoothes blood sugar and blood lipids, and reduces the risk of type 1 and 2 diabetes.

In a double-blind, randomized study, researchers also observed the following:

People who take vitamin D continuously have a higher muscle percentage.

Interestingly, the subjects did not otherwise change their lifestyle.

Vitamin D deficiency icd 10 : Causes

Our lifestyle has changed dramatically over the last few centuries.

Most of us live behind walls of stone and glass most of the time.

However, to produce vitamin D, your body needs sunlight. That is why a vitamin D deficiency is not the exception in Germany, especially in winter, but the rule.

Vitamin D status is also affected by age and body fat percentage:

As we age, our body’s ability to produce vitamin D decreases by 75% naturally.
Vitamin D can also be bound in body fat. Because vitamin D can only play its role in the blood, this can lower vitamin D status by 55% in the severely obese.

The KORA-Age population study published in 2017 measured that older people are poorly supplied with vitamins and micronutrients.

According to this, every second person suffers from a vitamin D deficiency or is insufficiently supplied with it.

Fortunately, all of these problems are relatively easy to solve. Because this is how you recognize the vitamin D deficiency symptoms and remedy them quickly and reliably:

Vitamin D deficiency: Symptoms

Persistent vitamin D deficiency can lead to one or more symptoms.

Possible vitamin D deficiency symptoms:

Susceptibility to infection (e.g., colds, severe COVID-19 courses)
muscle weakness
muscular dystrophy
exhaustion and tiredness
joint and back pain
osteoporosis (bone loss)
Disorders in lipid metabolism (see above)

Vitamin D deficiency and depression

What role does vitamin D deficiency play in depression?

The study situation is still too sparse for clear statements.

What can be said is that there appears to be a link between vitamin D insufficiency and depression.

That means concretely:

If you have true vitamin D insufficiency (vitamin D levels in the blood ≤ 20 ng/mL), then vitamin D supplementation can help you against depression.

Otherwise, according to the current state of knowledge, vitamin D supplementation does not help.

However, what has been proven to help against depression is fish oil.

And what about seasonal winter depression?

In winter, we have far less sunlight and daylight, which can negatively affect our mood.

However, a lack of vitamin D is repeatedly cited as a possible cause of winter depression. This is correct: Vitamin D production drops significantly during the winter months.

But there are conflicting statements as to whether a lack of light or a lack of vitamin D is the cause of winter depression. Some studies show:

Light therapy without the vitamin D-producing UVB radiation can help against winter blues.

A final scientific clarification is still pending.

Vitamin D deficiency: testing and diagnostics

I only discovered by accident that I was suffering from a vitamin D deficiency when I had my vitamin D status determined as part of a larger blood test.

The optimal vitamin D level in the blood is 100-150 nmol/l.

My laboratory test revealed just half: I had a value of 60 nmol/l. Doctors then speak of “vitamin D insufficiency.”

At this vitamin D level, disorders of the immune and cardiovascular systems can already occur. In addition, the risk of becoming chronically ill is increased.

Back then, I was training for a marathon, running 100km a week, and probably spending an hour or more a day in the fresh air. It was only after the blood test that I became aware of the situation.

You can have your vitamin D level measured using the 25-OH-D value (in nmol/l).

It’s an exact measure of how much bioactive vitamin D your body has made – from sunlight, food, or supplements.

Based on the 25-OH-D measurement, you can assess how well you are cared for.

You can also check whether you suffer from a vitamin D deficiency. With a vitamin D test kit, you can measure your vitamin D level at home and receive your result after 1-2 working days.

Which vitamin D deficiency symptoms occur at which vitamin D level?

Here is an overview of possible vitamin D deficiency symptoms with certain vitamin D levels:

UP TO 20 NMOL/L — SEVERE VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY

Symptoms: muscle weakness, muscle pain, impaired calcium absorption, softening of bones, bone growth disorders, disorders of the immune and cardiovascular systems, increased risk of chronic diseases, and increased general mortality.

20-50 NMOL/L — VITAMIN D DEFICIENCY

Symptoms: Decreased bone density, muscle function disorders, low calcium intake, disorders of the immune and cardiovascular systems, increased risk of chronic diseases, and increased general mortality.

52-72 NMOL/L — VITAMIN D INSUFFICIENCY

Symptoms: low levels of vitamin D in the body, reduced calcium absorption, disorders of the immune and cardiovascular systems, increased risk of chronic diseases, and increased general mortality.

75-150 NMOL/L — SUFFICIENT VITAMIN D SUPPLY (REFERENCE RANGE)

With this vitamin D status, calcium absorption in the body works.

100-150 NMOL/L — OPTIMAL VITAMIN D SUPPLY

Calcium absorption and neuromuscular function are optimal.

FROM 250 NMOL/L — VITAMIN D OVERDOSE

From here, there is a risk of health disadvantages.

KEY FACTS – How much vitamin D is optimal?

A 25-OH-D value of 100-150 nmol/l is optimal. A blood test will help you determine your current vitamin D status.

90% of Americans do not reach this value.

Vitamin D deficiency: Therapy

So what to do if you have a vitamin D deficiency?

You have four starting points to treat your vitamin D deficiency:

using sunlight,
with artificial light from UV lamps,
about your diet
and using vitamin D supplements.

We will now examine these four possibilities in turn.

1th. Vitamin D from sunlight – how it works!

Strictly speaking, vitamin D is not a vitamin because your body produces it with enough sunlight.

The UV-B radiation in the light spectrum plays the main role here: it triggers vitamin D3 production in your skin.

By the way, the sun can burn hard when you are behind the glass pane of your car or office window. Glass blocks almost all UV-B radiation.

Therefore:

No UV-B light, no vitamin D.

In midsummer, about 20 minutes in the blazing sun is enough. Then your skin produces the maximum daily dose of 10,000-20,000 IU of vitamin D.

IE stands for “international unit,” in which the amount of vitamin D is usually quantified.

However, this only applies if you do not apply sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 or more.

Because then your body’s vitamin D production drops by 99%. The sun can still smile so much:

Sunscreen is good for skin cancer and bad for vitamin D deficiency.

Because vitamin D is fat-soluble, your body can store it. If you are already sufficiently taken care of, you do not need to sunbathe daily.

The bioactive vitamin D has a half-life of about 2-3 weeks.

Do you now risk a vitamin D overdose if you spend a lot of time in the sun?

Luckily not: as soon as your blood level reaches around 150 nmol/l, your body automatically deactivates excess vitamin D.

A vitamin D overdose through sunlight is not possible.

Thank you, Mother Nature!

2nd. Vitamin D by UV lamps

You could theoretically remedy a vitamin D deficiency with suitable lamps.

But not in the solarium. Solarium lamps mainly contain UV-A radiation, which causes premature skin aging and increases your risk of skin cancer.

But the radiation you need for vitamin D production is UV-B radiation.

UV-B lamps are used in light therapy to treat skin diseases such as psoriasis and neurodermatitis.

The problem with UV-B radiation: It causes sunburn very quickly, which is why the Federal Office for Radiation Protection advises against using such lamps.

In addition, UV-B lamps are relatively expensive to purchase.

3rd. Which foods contain vitamin D?

Vitamin D is only rarely found in food, and when it is, then in small amounts.

It is, therefore, almost impossible to meet your vitamin D requirements through diet.

It’s even harder for vegetarians and vegans because you will find vitamin D in relevant amounts, mainly in fish or cod liver oil.

Cod liver oil is the only food you can use to meet your vitamin D needs.

Vitamin D content in various foods (content per 100 g, amount of food to cover the preventive vitamin D requirement of 2,000-4,000 IU):

Cod Liver Oil* – 10,000 IU – 17-34g per day
Herring* – 1,000 IU – 185 – 370 g per day
Eel* – 900 IU – 227 – 454 g per day
Salmon* – 700 IU – 294-588g per day
Sardines* – 400 IU – 0.5 – 1 kg per day
Avocado – 200 IU – 1-2kg per day
Porcini – 120 IU – 1.7-3.4 kg per day
Mushrooms – 80 IU – 2.5 – 5 kg per day
Chicken egg – 80 IU – 2.5 – 5 kg per day
Butter – 40 IU – 5 – 10 kg per day
Mayonnaise – 40 IU – 5-10 kg per day

* Wild catch fish. Farmed fish from aquaculture contain less vitamin D.

If taken orally, a vitamin D overdose is possible in principle, but the risk is low because:

It is practically impossible to cover your vitamin D requirements with natural foods.

Unless you like to eat 5-10 kilos of mayonnaise a day, however, this would have other side effects.

It is not without reason that vitamin D is called “the sunshine vitamin.”

Okay, let’s spend more time in the sun then. Why isn’t there a doctor’s prescription for sunlight? Or we pop some vitamin D pills in a pinch.

4th. Fix vitamin D deficiency with vitamin D supplements?

Just take a vitamin D supplement, and you solved the problem? Unfortunately, not quite.

Unlike water-soluble vitamins, it is possible to overdose on fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin D.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has set the value of 2,000 IU of vitamin D per day as the lifelong safe upper limit for adults.

I use this official value as a guide, even though I take 3,500 nmol/l a day to maintain my optimal level.

Incidentally, other specialist societies have agreed on other safe upper limits (without clinical findings):

Since 2010, the American Institute of Medicine has specified 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day for adults and children aged 9-18.
In 2011, the American Endocrinological Society set the daily upper limit for adults at 10,000 IU per day.

Eric Madrid draws the following conclusion in the book “Vitamin D – The healing power of the sun vitamin“:

“True damage to health from over-the-counter vitamin D supplements is sporadic. Ultimately, it is not about the risk of oversupply but rather about adequate supply, which is not guaranteed in all age groups.

Regular daily dosage recommendations for vitamin D are 2,000 to 6,000 IU vitamin D, depending on body size and weight. These dosages are safe in all cases.”

Which vitamin D dosage is optimal?

Doctors recommend 800 IU of vitamin D daily.

However, this value only represents the secured minimum consensus on which experts from all interest groups have been able to agree so far.

The Canadian nutritionist Prof. Dr. In a recent study on women and men, Reinhold Vieth, proved that 1,000 IU of vitamin D per day is not enough to ensure an adequate supply of vitamin D.

In the study, one group took 1,000 IU of vitamin D daily for 5 months, while another took 4,000 IU daily.

Only the second group achieved a good vitamin D status of around 100 nmol/l.

Both test groups tolerated the vitamin D supplementation excellently, with no side effects.

The head of the Academy for Micronutrient Medicine, Uwe Gröber, and Prof. Dr. Michael Holick, one of the leading scientists in vitamin D research, make the following recommendation for our latitude to achieve a good vitamin D supply and build up a preventive vitamin D level:

A person weighing 70 kg should take 3,000-4,000 IU of vitamin D daily from October to March.

Alternatively, around 20,000 IU of vitamin D can be taken once a week (which corresponds to around 2,800 IU per day).

Professor Reinhold Vieth, head of the Department of Nutritional Sciences and Laboratory Medicine at the University of Toronto, recommends:

“As an adult, if you want to ensure that your 25-OH-D level is above 30 ng/ml (note: corresponds to 75 nmol/l), you should take 4,000 IU of vitamin D per day in the long term.”

Whether this is enough for you and how much you should take depends on your laboratory results.

Vitamin D requirements can vary from person to person.

The following factors can influence the dosage:

Obesity,
activity level,
vitamin D and calcium status,
Taking a contraceptive and
(rarely) genetic predisposition.

A nutritional blood test is therefore helpful and gives you security.

I increased my vitamin D insufficiency to an optimal 118 nmol/l within 12 weeks through targeted supplementation.

Since individual needs vary, I recommend a conservative dosage of 2,000 IU of vitamin D daily.

However, this dosage may be too low in the case of an existing vitamin D deficiency.

You can check whether the vitamin D dosage is sufficient for your health and fitness after 5-6 weeks with a new blood test.

By the way, if you take vitamin D, you should pay attention to two things:

Because vitamin D is fat-soluble. Therefore, you should always take vitamin D with a meal.
If you supplement vitamin D, your supplement should contain vitamin K2.

Your body probably needs vitamin K2 to absorb vitamin D.

Vitamin D deficiency icd 10 – Conclusion

Nowadays, a vitamin D deficiency is not the exception, but the rule:

Towards the end of the winter season, only 10% of Americans still have an adequate vitamin D level.

75% of the population suffers from at least one vitamin D deficiency, which can be associated with significant health risks.

Even if you are “only” concerned with looking good naked, you should follow a strategy to keep your vitamin D levels optimal.

Be it by sunbathing in the summer or taking vitamin D from high-quality food supplements.

A deficiency threatens infections, muscle breakdown, muscle weakness, or disturbed insulin metabolism.

The surest way to rule out a vitamin D deficiency is to have a blood test.

It is best to consult a nutritionist. With targeted intake, you can raise an existing vitamin D deficiency to the optimal level within weeks.