Vitamin D helps increase your body’s ability to absorb calcium, which in turn maintains the health of your bones and increases their density in the long term. Vitamin D goes through a series of vital processes before your body can benefit from it. The first transformation occurs in the liver, which converts vitamin D into a chemical known as vitamin D25 hydroxy. Let’s learn about vitamin d blood test in this article.

What is a vitamin D blood test?

The vitamin d blood test known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D is a test that measures the amount of vitamin D in the blood, and helps diagnose vitamin D deficiency in individuals.

There are two types of vitamin D, vitamin D2, which is obtained through the diet, while the body produces vitamin D3 when the individual is exposed to sunlight, and in the blood, both vitamin D2 and vitamin D3 are converted to 25-hydroxyvitamin D, and the vitamin d blood test measures the level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D.

Natural vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, the body needs it to absorb calcium and phosphorus and build bones, as it can be obtained from food, nutritional supplements or manufactured inside the body when exposed to sunlight.

In the event that a sufficient amount of vitamin D is not obtained or there is a defect in its absorption from these sources, this leads to its deficiency and thus to many health problems, including bone problems.

Why would I need this test?

A vitamin d blood test is requested for several different reasons, the first of which is that the doctor wants to measure the vitamin D level of individuals who have previously suffered from vitamin D deficiency to see if the treatment has been successful (i.e. the vitamin D level has become within the normal range).

Vitamin d blood test can also help the doctor know whether the vitamin D level is within the normal vitamin D level, or too much or too little to cause weak bones or other abnormalities in the body. The doctor can also monitor people at risk of vitamin D deficiency, and examples of them are:

• People who have undergone stomach surgery.
• The elderly.
• People who suffer from a disease that affects the intestines and makes it difficult for the body to absorb nutrients, such as Crohn’s disease.
• Children who are exclusively breastfed.
• People who are not exposed to the sun much.
• People who are obese.

Read More: bilirubin blood test

What happens during a vitamin D test?

A Vitamin d blood test does not take more than 5 minutes. During the vitamin d test, a laboratory specialist takes a blood sample from a vein in the arm using a small needle. After inserting the needle into the vein, a small amount of blood is collected in a test tube for later analysis in the laboratory using special devices. As for children and infants, a quick finger prick may be enough to draw a blood sample instead of drawing it from the arm.

How do I need to prepare for this test?

The method of vitamin d test is no different from other blood tests, as it usually includes the following steps:

• The specialist wets a small cotton ball with medical alcohol to sterilize the blood collection site.
• Ties a medical rubber band around your arm; this facilitates blood flow.
• A blood sample is drawn using a small needle, from the veins of the arm.
• The sample is sent to be analyzed in the laboratory.
• The doctor places a bandage on the wounds at the test site.
• vitamin d test can also be performed for infants and children by pricking the fingers only. It is also recommended to stop taking vitamin D supplements the day before the test (vitamin d 25 oh), but do not worry as the vitamin d blood test does not require any other precautionary measures such as fasting, for example.

Read More: blood test for cancer

Are there any risks to the test?

There are no special precautions for performing a vitamin d blood test, and the person will feel a slight tingling and pain or the appearance of light bruising at the site of the blood sample that disappears within days and is not dangerous.

As for the risks of the vitamin d blood test, they include the risks associated with routine blood tests and drawings, including dizziness, a small chance of infection, and severe bleeding.

It is also recommended to inform your health care provider about the medications, vitamins, or nutritional supplements that are being taken; because they may affect the test results.

Understanding your results

Many people wonder about the normal level of vitamin D, and the truth is that the results of the vitamin D test and the normal level of vitamin D depend on the person’s age or gender. The vitamin d blood test method, laboratory method, and laboratory conditions may also lead to some variation in the results.

For most adults, the normal level of vitamin D in the blood is 20 nanograms per milliliter or more. The normal level of vitamin D and the amount of vitamin D that a person needs daily depend on his age. The results can be interpreted on scales used to determine a person’s vitamin D status as follows:

• Low vitamin level: The patient is severely deficient in it, if the test result is less than 12 ng/ml.
• Insufficient vitamin D level: The patient is slightly deficient in vitamin D, if the test result is between 12 – 20 ng/ml.
• High vitamin D level: If the test result is more than 50 ng/ml.
• Toxic vitamin D level: If the test result is more than 200 ng/ml.
• As for the normal vitamin D level in women and men, it is when the test result is from 20 ng/ml to 50 ng/ml.

Read More: A Ferritin Blood Test

What does the test measure?

The vitamin d blood test, also known as the 25-hydroxyvitamin D test, is one of the most accurate ways to determine the level of vitamin D in the body, as this test determines whether its level in the body is high, low, or normal, and thus it can be considered an important indicator of osteoporosis or rickets.

Vitamin D, although it is called a vitamin, is in fact not a vitamin, but a hormone produced by the body as a result of exposure to sunlight. The active form of this hormone is in the form of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (where the process of manufacturing vitamin D begins in the skin and is then activated in two steps, the first of which is in the liver and the second is in the kidneys.

Vitamin D goes through a series of vital stages before your body can benefit from it, as the first transformation occurs in the liver, which converts vitamin D into a chemical compound known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D, also known as calcifediol.

vitamin d 25-hydroxy normal range

The level of vitamin D in the blood (25-hydroxyvitamin D) varies from one person to another, and depends on several factors, most notably age and gender. The normal levels of vitamin D in the blood according to age include the following:

• 0 – 12 months: 10 micrograms, or 400 international units.
• 1 – 70 years: 15 micrograms, or 600 international units.
• Over 71 years: 20 micrograms, or 800 international units.
• Pregnant women or Breastfeeding women need 15 micrograms or 600 IU of vitamin D daily.

Read More: test your blood type at home

When should I get a Vitamin D test?

A doctor may need vitamin d blood test if you have any of these symptoms or problems:

• Osteoporosis or other bone diseases, such as weakness, deformity, and fractures.
• Stomach artery bypass grafting
• The patient’s age, as vitamin D deficiency is more common in older people.
• Obesity.
• Lack of sun exposure
• Dark skin
• Inability to absorb fats from your diet.
• Breastfed babies are more likely to have bowed legs if vitamin D supplements are not added to their diet

Can I take the test at home?

At Lana Life Care for Home Health Care Services In Dubai, we provide vitamin test at home, which in turn helps our patients undergo home examinations and maintain greater privacy. We also provide many other services, such as blood test at home and blood test for cancer.

How much does the test cost?

It is worth noting that the cost of vitamin d blood test varies from one laboratory to another, and also varies based on many factors, as the cost of home test is much higher than laboratory examination. It is worth noting that we provide examinations and tests at reduced prices at Lana Life Care, such as blood type test and Ferritin Blood Test.

vitamin d blood test at home by Lana Life Care

At Lana Life Care, we offer home testing services, such as test your blood type at home and bilirubin blood test, to maintain patient privacy. In addition, we cover many locations in Dubai, and offer a variety of other home tests.

Conclusion 

Therefore, the cost of a vitamin d blood test is not particularly high. Therefore, for healthy bones, adequate muscle growth and optimal immune function, you can and should have a vitamin d test at least once. However, you may be interested in a more comprehensive vitamin and mineral test. If this is the case, please contact Lana Life Care. Our health experts will talk to you in depth about your overall health goals and advise you on the best next steps, including diagnostic testing and proactive treatment based on your goals.

FAQS 

What happens if vitamin D is low in blood?

Vitamin D deficiency in children leads to muscle weakness or inflammation, and may lead to rickets in severe cases. Symptoms of rickets are bowed or bent bones, bone pain, muscle weakness, and joint deformity. In adults, vitamin D deficiency causes symptoms including: muscle spasm.

What is a normal vitamin D level?

The normal rate ranges between 40 – 80 ng/ml.

What is another name for a vitamin D test?

Known as 25-hydroxyvitamin D.