Sudden fainting at a young age warned: Experts call vitamin D deficiency a 'silent danger'

Saskia Reeves-Priestley, a 23-year-old special education teacher living in the United Kingdom, was a fit and healthy goalkeeper who played football four times a week, but suddenly collapsed at work. Blood tests performed after he experienced extreme dizziness, nausea, palpitations and high fever revealed that his vitamin level was "almost non-existent." Experts point out that vitamin D deficiency is increasingly widespread, especially among girls and young women.

"SIENT DISEASE" THREATENS YOUNG PEOPLE

According to data from the UK National Nutrition and Diet Survey, almost a quarter of young people aged 11-18 were in the undernourished category last year. Vitamin D deficiency is associated with bone-weakening diseases such as rickets in infants and osteomalacia in adults.

Pediatric endocrinology specialist Dr. Suma Uday describes this condition as a "silent disease" and states that the deficiency is difficult to detect in young people and adults and may be overlooked or misdiagnosed. Emphasizing that this condition, which manifests itself with fatigue, joint and bone pain, silently erodes the bones, Uday warns against the risk of a "lifelong deficiency" in women, extending from adolescence to pregnancy.

Amaka, a 21-year-old student who experienced similar tremors and loss of vision while preparing food at her university house in Liverpool, went through a similar process and was diagnosed with vitamin D deficiency, and states that her experience was quite frightening.

CALL FROM EXPERTS FOR MANDATORY FOOD FORTIFICATION

Dr., a member of the ACT NOW Vitamin D group, called for increasing the threshold for vitamin D deficiency. Suma Uday and Professor Martin Hewison from the University of Birmingham draw attention to the dimensions of the problem. Prof. stated that rickets has not disappeared even though 100 years have passed since the discovery of vitamin D. Hewison argues that mandatory policies that include adding vitamins to foods during production, as in countries such as Canada and Sweden, should be explored.

Experts state that supplementation may become mandatory for certain groups against decreasing vitamin D levels during the winter months, and recommend increasing routine checks and raising social awareness. Saskia, who regained her health and returned to the field after starting to use regular supplements, calls everyone to be careful after her experience.