The desire to eat as many vitamins as possible in order to support your body, protect it from all sorts of ailments and diseases, can often turn into a negative effect, then you have to find out what hypervitaminosis is. Like everything else in this life, vitamins should be in moderation. Their excess can be almost as dangerous to the body, as well as shortage. An overdose of certain vitamins can lead to serious diseases, even cause poisoning.
Features of the disease
Understanding what hypervitaminosis is, it is worth noting that these are disorders in the functioning of our body caused by just an excess of useful substances.
At its core, it can be of two types - acute and chronic. Acute appears with a single dose of a large dose of one or several vitamins at once. In its symptoms, it is very similar to poisoning. At the same time, chronic hypervitaminosis develops regularly when a person systematically consumes more vitamins than he needs. In this case, the symptoms may not be so obvious.
Causes
Now that you know what hypervitaminosis is, it's time to figure out its causes. Most often, they are an uncontrolled intake of drugs in which there are too many certain nutrients.
In addition, this painful condition can develop when you start, in addition to the vitamin that you get through a certain drug, eat a large amount of food that also contains this vitamin.
You should always remember what hypervitaminosis is, what danger it poses. Each vitamin in our body performs certain functions. It is important that beneficial substances appear in the body only in the necessary proportions.
Similar diseases
It is also important to understand what vitamin deficiency and hypervitaminosis are, to understand similar diseases. Unlike the disease that our article is devoted to, vitamin deficiency is an ailment that is caused by a lack of one or more vitamins that enter our body.
This disease, as a rule, becomes the result of malnutrition, in the absence of nutrients and minerals. Here is what vitamin deficiency and hypervitaminosis are.
It is worth noting that there are several more painful conditions, the causes of which are also associated with a lack or excess of vitamins. Hypovitaminosis and hypervitaminosis should be distinguished. If we already know everything about the latter, then the first is a consequence of the insufficient intake of certain vitamins in our body compared to their intensive expenditure. The difference from vitamin deficiency is that this condition is considered painful only if the consumption of a certain substance becomes too high. In another situation, the vitamins entering the body could be enough for normal life. Vitamin deficiency is a more serious disease. Here are the features of hypo and hypervitaminosis.
The most dangerous thing is that hypovitaminosis develops completely unnoticed. Fatigue increases in a person, irritability appears, appetite disappears and attention decreases. All these symptoms are often attributed to stress, without giving them special significance. In the future, this condition threatens with a significant decrease in working capacity, may affect the work of certain internal organs, physical and intellectual capabilities, the functioning of the body's defenses, and the reproductive system. In advanced cases, it leads to the destruction of immunity, diabetes of the second type, and cancer.
Vitamin deficiency, hypovitaminosis, hypervitaminosis - diseases in one way or another associated with the amount of vitamins in our body. The level of consumption of these useful substances should be closely monitored, only in this case it will be possible to avoid serious health problems.
Excess Vitamin A
One of the most common variants of hypervitaminosis is associated with an excess of vitamin A. A large amount of this substance can provoke a rather violent reaction. The signs of hypervitaminosis in this case are as follows:
- hair loss;
- peeling of the skin and rashes on it;
- increased irritability;
- itching
- fever;
- headache;
- vomiting and nausea;
- joint pain.
In the blood, the level of cholesterol rises sharply, the functioning of the urinary system and kidneys is disrupted. It is worth noting that vitamin A hypervitaminosis can develop as a result of taking vitamin preparations, as well as due to the use of a large number of sea fish and liver of marine animals.
In chronic hypervitaminosis A, the symptoms do not appear immediately, manifesting only a headache, and all other problems will appear only after one to two months. In the future, the development of dry dermatitis may be the consequences of hypervitaminosis. Due to loss of appetite, anorexia gradually begins.
Vitamin A hypervitaminosis and vitamin deficiency are some of the most dangerous conditions associated with an excess or shortage of vitamins. The symptoms that characterize this disease should be monitored especially carefully.
Vitamin B
The danger is a large amount of vitamin B in the human body. Hypervitaminosis of vitamin B1 can cause a general disturbance in the body, including headache, weakness, drowsiness. Some have acute allergic reactions.
It is believed that this is the most severe form of thiamine hypervitaminosis, since in the future convulsions, pulmonary edema, and even a deadly anaphylactic shock develop.
You should not abuse it with other vitamins of group B. With hypervitaminosis of vitamin B2, approximately the same general manifestations appear as with poisoning with other vitamins. However, this poisoning is extremely rare, since the body has the ability to remove this substance from the body as quickly as possible. In 95 percent of cases, the disease manifests itself due to the individual characteristics of the body in response to this vitamin.
Poisoning with vitamin B6 is possible only at sufficiently high daily doses - an average of 500 mg per day. Excess of this substance manifests itself in the form of intoxication syndrome, as well as characteristic local manifestations. In particular, the occurrence of convulsive syndrome, skin rashes and itching on the skin. With the introduction of pyridoxine in a volume of more than 2.5 g per day, disturbances in vibrational sensitization appear. Damage to motor neurons is possible, sensory neuropathy develops. This is what hypervitaminosis leads to.
Diagnostics
In most cases, the diagnosis of any form of hypervitaminosis without exception is based on the history of the disease, clinical manifestations, that is, symptoms, as well as the results of instrumental and laboratory data.
It is noteworthy that the diagnosis has practically no specificity either with an excess of water-soluble or with an overdose of fat-soluble vitamins.
It all starts with a thorough study of the patient’s history, his medical history. It is important for the doctor to find out when and how it all began, what clinical signs preceded this disease, what products were included in the patient’s diet, and in what quantity, whether such a condition as they might have appeared earlier. It is important to clarify which medications containing this or that vitamin a patient could take recently.
It is worth noting that in most cases, hypervitaminosis develops against the background of abuse of vitamin complexes, usually in childhood, when parents seek to give the baby as many vitamins as possible, and do not at all think about the possible consequences.
The next step is to analyze the presence of clinical symptoms. In 95% of cases, these are common symptoms - headache, weakness, malaise. Specific symptoms typical of a particular type of poisoning occur in 95 percent of cases. Moreover, local manifestations are more characteristic for a certain type of disease.
In conclusion, it is important to determine the level of vitamin C in the blood plasma. Concentration can be increased by three to five times, and in some cases even a hundred times.
With all types of hypervitaminosis, this ends the diagnosis, and then treatment begins.
Treatment methods
The chosen method of treatment depends on an overabundance of one or another vitamin, which led to this painful condition. In this case, therapy is aimed at eliminating the specific causes of the disease, and only then the individual symptoms. Correction of an excess of vitamins is of great importance, since the consequences of certain hypervitaminosis can be very deplorable.
In general recommendations for the treatment of hypervitaminosis, you should start with eliminating the source of the vitamin. This requires reducing the intake of vitamins in the body to the minimum physiological doses. In this case, one should rely on norms based on daily needs. This can be achieved by compiling a diet, fundamentally changing the diet, reducing certain foods in it. When this painful condition is caused by taking drugs, for example, vitamin complexes, they should be immediately canceled.
Further, specific symptoms are eliminated. With any variant of this disease, the emerging reactions should be eliminated. However, it is worth doing this only after the intake of vitamins in the body is minimized. Otherwise, the clinical picture will continue to progress, if limited only to symptomatic therapy.
Finally, detoxification therapy is performed. It is aimed at treating intoxication syndrome, since with an excess of vitamins, the toxicity that appears on the body can be compared with poisoning.
Tips for specific pain conditions
When treating an excess of vitamin A, you should start with the abolition of vitamin complexes, reducing the intake of this substance into the body with food.
If the doctor was able to diagnose acute poisoning, infusion solutions are administered intravenously to the patient. For example, a 0.9% solution of sodium chloride, which will help remove excess vitamin from the body as quickly as possible. Also for this purpose, a Lock-Ringer solution, coupled with diuretics, helps.
In most cases, vitamin C, which is considered an inhibitor of retinol, will be justified, effectively reducing its content in the body.
As a rule, with timely treatment and the implementation of all the doctor’s recommendation, symptoms disappear after a maximum of two weeks.
Overdose of "Vitamin Intelligence"
This is what Vitamins of Group B are often called, their overabundance in the body is very dangerous for humans. With a high content of vitamin B1, they begin with a correction of the diet and discontinuation of the drugs through which the substance entered the body.
In this case, one should not forget that in large quantities this substance is toxic, which can cause acute allergic reactions. Signs of anaphylactic shock or other dangerous allergic reactions are possible. In this case, high doses of glucocorticosteroids, epinephrine, active detoxification therapy are prescribed.
In some cases, treatment is continued with the help of Suprastin, Diphenhydramine. If the patient manifests bronchospasm due to the toxic effect of thiamine, 15 ml of euphilin solution is administered.
With symptomatic treatment, it is important to pay attention to eliminating pulmonary edema. For this, pentamine, diuretics, prednisone are prescribed.
With an increased content of vitamins B6 and B9 in the body, a prerequisite, in addition to general recommendations, will be the appointment of antipruritic drugs. This is one of the most unpleasant symptoms, which manifests itself due to an excess of nicotinic acid. In most cases, "Desloratadine", "Diphenhydramine", "Cetirizine" is prescribed. With the development of hypotension, "Mesaton" may be administered.
In all other respects, general therapy is provided, which should be aimed at eliminating excess substances from the body, and eliminating vitamin complexes.
Summing up, we can conclude that in the treatment of this disease the principle is the same - excess substances are removed from the body, symptom-correcting drugs are prescribed, as well as detoxification therapy.
Prevention
To avoid an overabundance of vitamins, vitamin supplements and complexes should not be abused. It is enough to use them only in autumn and winter, and the rest of the year it is better to diversify your diet in order to get the necessary substances from the products.
In order to prevent hypervitaminosis, you should take a break a month after taking each vitamin complex. Also, with increased caution, unfamiliar alcohol solutions and products are used. When taking vitamins, strictly follow the doctor's recommendations. Without consulting a doctor, it is forbidden to give the child any medicines and biologically active substances containing a large amount of vitamins. Vitamins themselves must be stored out of the reach of children.
Remember that you can get enough vitamins if you eat a balanced diet. If this is not possible for some reason, you should start taking vitamins. In most cases, vitamins are produced domestically, as they are created taking into account the population that lives in the region. These additives are strictly controlled and verified.
Moreover, there are special treatment complexes in which the daily norm can be significantly exceeded, even tens of times. If you start taking these medicines without consulting a doctor and without medical supervision, you are definitely provided with hypervitaminosis. So before you start taking any drug, be sure to consult your doctor. Only in this case you will be able to avoid dangerous conditions. If you experience the first symptoms, consult a doctor immediately.