What does a low vitamin D level mean?

Take a trip to a sunny environment or get a light box. Hubby swears by his!!

It means you need to get more sun. Make sure to wear sunscreen when you do. Then again, this is coming from someone who's pasty white. :-D

Yeah I guess. Drink more milk.

Vitamin D deficiency leads to increased production of parathyroid hormone and the removal of calcium from the bones. In children, this results in rickets, a disorder in which the bones are so soft that they become curved from supporting the weight of the body. The equivalent in adults is osteomalacia which involves a softening of bones and causes bone pain and tenderness and muscle weakness. Other signs of deficiency include severe tooth decay and hearing loss, which is due to a softening of the bones in the inner ear.

Studies show that elderly people, particularly those who are housebound or in institutions, may be at high risk of vitamin D deficiency. A study published in 1998 in the New England Journal of Medicine found vitamin D deficiency in 57 per cent of a group of 290 patients who were admitted to hospital. In a subgroup of the patients who had no known risk factors for vitamin D deficiency, the researchers found that 42 per cent were deficient. They concluded that vitamin D deficiency was probably a substantial problem.

Have you considered going to the doctor?

Maybe... Drink more milk, eat more cheese and take regular vitamin D supplements on a daily basis. I like those Viactiv calcium chews - two of those a day will definitely help with your vitamin D needs. All vitamins are important in day-to-day health.