What Is Hypervitaminosis

Nia Rouseberg Author: Nia Rouseberg Time for reading: ~5 minutes Last Updated: November 06, 2022
What Is Hypervitaminosis

An overdose of vitamins carries no less danger than their deficiency. The situation is complicated by the fact that some symptoms of hypervitaminosis (as in the case of vitamin A, for example) can be mistaken for signs of vitamin deficiency β€” dry skin, brittle nails, etc.

An overdose of vitamins carries no less danger than their deficiency. The situation is complicated by the fact that some symptoms of hypervitaminosis (as in the case of vitamin A, for example) can be mistaken for signs of vitamin deficiency — dry skin, brittle nails, etc.

 

You should not self-prescribe vitamin supplements, so to speak, "for prevention." Because the uncontrolled consumption of vitamins , in particular, when their doses exceed the therapeutic ones, leads to various problems instead of improving the state of health. Hypervitaminosis is especially dangerous for children, pregnant women and the elderly.

If you want to enrich your body with vitamins , you should not rush to the pharmacy - first of all, balance your diet with products containing vitamins and minerals. In this case, the risk of vitamin overdose is minimal.

Hypervitaminosis can be acute or chronic. The acute form of the disease poses a threat to human life, therefore it requires inpatient treatment. It occurs quite rarely with special or accidental ingestion of large doses of one or another vitamin preparation, which are ten times higher than the daily norm. Chronic hypervitaminosis causes changes in internal organs and systems, requiring not only the withdrawal of the drug, but also the appointment of treatment to restore the body.

 

Hypervitaminosis of vitamin A

An acute overdose of vitamin A leads to intoxication of the body and causes in adults and children nausea, vomiting, increased arterial and intracranial pressure, sharp headache, confusion or loss of consciousness, fever, allergic reactions in the form of a rash, itching of the skin and mucous membranes, Quincke's edema.

Chronic hypervitaminosis A occurs with long-term (more than half a year) and uncontrolled consumption of drugs with vitamin A, or when the body receives more than 500,000 IU of vitamin a day with food. Symptoms of this condition in adults are insomnia, sleep disturbances, tearfulness, aggression, loss of hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, dry and cracked skin, brittle nails, hard and painful seals in the soft tissues of the hands and feet, stiffness of movements, pain and swelling in joints, hypercholesterolemia (endocrine system disease, digestive and metabolic disorders). Symptoms of chronic hypervitaminosis in childrenAnd they appear with regular intake of more than 100 thousand IU per day, such as: decreased appetite, bleeding gums, dryness and violation of the integrity of the skin, nosebleeds and other bleeding.

Vitamin D overdose

With acute hypervitaminosis D in adults, hand tremors, sharp pains in the back and limbs, subcutaneous hemorrhages, symptoms of dehydration - dryness of the skin and mucous membranes, sunken eyeballs, loss of consciousness are observed. In children, such symptoms as clonic-tonic convulsions, fever and loss of consciousness are manifested.

Chronic overdose of vitamin D in adults develops with regular consumption of more than 100,000 IU of vitamin per day and is accompanied by weakness and rapid fatigue, hypertensive crises, headaches, hypercalcemia, muscle weakness, significant weight loss, deforming arthrosis, cardiomyopathy. In children, a pathological condition can occur when the daily norm of the vitamin is exceeded for a long time, even in fairly small numbers, by 2-3 times, and is accompanied by a decrease in appetite or its complete loss, constant thirst, weight loss, lethargy and drowsiness, tachycardia, paleness, grayish or a yellowish tint of the skin, a decrease in muscle tone, cardiomyopathy.

 

An excess of vitamin E

An acute overdose of vitamin E causes such symptoms in adults and children as nausea, diarrhea, flatulence, increased blood pressure, and in severe cases — hemorrhages in the retina of the eye.

Vitamin E is characterized by low toxicity, so chronic hypervitaminosis rarely develops, but long-term overdose leads to the following reactions in adults: headaches, weakness, loss of ability to work, impaired twilight vision, diarrhea, decreased libido, decreased immunity, increased risk of bleeding, impaired absorption of vitamins D and A, an increase in the level of thyroxine in the blood, in severe cases, the development of myocardial infarction, sepsis, irreversible disorders of the central nervous system, and blood vessel blockage is possible. In children, weakness, apathy, headaches, rapid breathing, muscle weakness, spasmodic pains in the projection of the heart and stomach, decreased immunity are manifested.

Vitamin C hypervitaminosis

Symptoms of acute hypervitaminosis C in adults include increased blood pressure, flushing of the skin, tachycardia, increased blood clotting, and increased risk of blood clots and blood vessel blockages. In children, allergic-type reactions are manifested: rash on the skin and mucous membranes, itching, redness of the skin, nausea and vomiting, convulsions, angioedema.

A chronic excess of vitamin C in adults is manifested by progressive deterioration of vision, insomnia, dizziness, tendency to the formation of stones in the urinary and gall bladder, dyspepsia, dysmenorrhea in women, hormonal disorders. In children, dizziness, constant weakness, pain in the stomach, indigestion, and decreased visual acuity come to the fore.

An excess of vitamin K

Hypervitaminosis K, both acute and chronic, is rare because vitamin K is nontoxic and does not accumulate in the body. In some cases, adults may experience blood coagulation disorders, and newborns may develop hemolytic anemia (destruction of erythrocytes).

Overdose of vitamin B1

The acute form of the disease is extremely rare, causing allergic-type symptoms : skin redness, itching, rash on the skin and mucous membranes, nausea and vomiting, kidney and liver dysfunction, Quincke's edema.

A chronic form of vitamin B1 overdose occurs mainly due to a violation of the enzymatic function of the liver and causes such symptoms as: increased blood pressure, liver dystrophy, increased risk of developing atherosclerosis.

 

Hypervitaminosis of vitamin B6

Acute hypervitaminosis occurs very rarely and causes allergic reactions ( symptoms are described above).

A chronic form of vitamin B6 overdose occurs when the dose of vitamin B6 is regularly exceeded by more than 1000 times. Causes pain and paresthesias of hands and feet along the course of blood vessels, disturbances of all types of sensitivity in adults; impaired coordination of movements, numbness of the limbs and allergic reactions - in children.

Hypervitaminosis of vitamin B12

The acute form of hypervitaminosis B12 causes anaphylactic shock, heart failure and pulmonary edema in severe cases.

The chronic form causes allergic reactions, fatty hepatosis of the liver, congestive heart failure and leukocytosis in adults. In children, the symptoms are manifested in the form of pain in the heart, tachycardia, increased blood coagulation, urticaria-like rashes on the skin, central nervous system disorders, and leukocytosis in the blood.

 

PREMIUM CHAPTERS ▼

Excess of vitamin B9 (PREMIUM)

The acute form is very rare and causes allergic reactions.

A chronic form of vitamin B9 overdose leads to tonic leg muscle spasms, delayed onset of menopause, hypervitaminosis B9 in adults; dyspepsia, impaired kidney function, delayed sexual development in girls, increased excitability of the central nervous system in children.

Hypervitaminosis of vitamin R (PREMIUM)

It is not characteristic, since the group of vitamins P is not toxic and is easily removed from the body naturally.

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