Some diseases develop in the first years after birth and leave a mark on life. That is why special attention should be paid to children's health.
Increased Vitamin D Levels in the Body
The health problem, which is called "hypervitaminosis D", is the intoxication of the body with vitamin D, which occurs under various circumstances. At the same time, the reaction to an increase in the level of such a vitamin in the body can be different.
Excess Vitamin D in Children
Does hypervitaminosis D occur in children? With normal metabolism and nutrition, as well as with a sufficient level of exposure to sunlight on the skin, vitamin D is formed in the required amount, and children do not have problems. However, in some cases, doctors prescribe treatment for children, which involves the additional use of this vitamin, often through various drug complexes. A similar decision is made when examining children up to a year and identifying some pathologies that lead to:
- Deformations of the skull.
- Curvature of the legs and spine.
- Other manifestations of rickets.
Incorrectly prescribed treatment can lead to a child developing vitamin D hypervitaminosis. This situation can occur for many reasons. Therefore, when prescribing vitamin complexes, a child’s vitamin D level is checked throughout the course of treatment.
Spasmophilia
What can hypervitaminosis D lead to? Spasmophilia is a disease that develops against the background of the progression of rickets. Features of this disease can be called:
- Tendency to cramps.
- The manifestation of increased excitability of the neuro-reflex type.
The reasons can be called the formation of a large amount of vitamin D with prolonged exposure to sunlight. The disease manifests itself to a large extent in the spring. The causes of the symptoms can be called:
- Deposition of excess calcium in the bones, which reduces its amount in the blood.
- Vitamin D helps increase the activity of the kidneys, which begin to absorb excess phosphates, and this leads to the development of alkalosis.
- Calcium is a substance that is involved in the transmission of nerve impulses. Due to the formation of an alkaline medium, arising due to a shift in pH towards the alkaline reaction, calcium is not involved in this process. It is this feature that causes problems with neuromuscular excitability.
A latent and explicit form of the disease in question can be distinguished.
The latent or latent form has the following symptoms:
- Children may be healthy in appearance or less likely to show signs of rickets .
- Bad sleep and constant fatigue can also be considered symptoms of the problem in question.
- Gradual increase in pain in the joints.
The bright, or manifest form is manifested as follows:
- Attacks of eclampsia - a rhythmic twitching that occurs with the loss of creation. A similar attack affects many muscles of the body. The most vivid and painful symptom.
- Laryngospasm. A similar symptom is a hoarse and sonorous breath, after which there is a holding of breath for several seconds. Often manifested during crying. With a long breath hold, the appearance of cyanosis occurs, while the skin turns pale. Because of this situation, the face will be scared, eyes wide open, lack of oxygen often leads to fainting. The duration of the attack is 1-2 minutes, it can be repeated several times during the day.
- If the child is more than one year old, carpopedal spasm may occur. It consists in spasm of muscles and hands. A cramp can last from a few minutes to hours and even days. Due to circulatory disorders, an edema may form.
Some factors may increase alkalosis and aggravate the situation even more: infectious diseases, vomiting.
Rickets and hypervitaminosis D
Hypervitaminosis manifests itself with an increase in the concentration in the blood of calcium salts, which are later deposited in the walls of blood vessels, heart and kidneys. That is why it is very dangerous and can lead to a significant deterioration in health. It is worth noting that an excess of vitamin D can occur even with prolonged exposure to sunlight, when special vitamin complexes are not accepted. A similar phenomenon is associated with individual hypersensitivity.
Distinguish between chronic and acute intoxication. Both cases can occur as a result of undergoing treatment in the first years of a child’s life from rickets. After all, it is vitamin D that allows you to reduce the risk of skeletal developmental disorders, but mistakes made when prescribing treatment or undetected hypersensitivity to vitamin A can lead to:
- Acute intoxication - occurs with intensive use of drugs for a short period of time. In this case, there are vivid signs of intoxication after a short period of time after the start of taking the drugs. An acute case immediately indicates problems with an excess of vitamin D, a small amount of calcium salts is deposited, and organs suffer to a lesser extent.
- Chronic intoxication is the case when the drug was taken for 8 months or more, while the doses were moderate. Chronic manifestations are accompanied by slightly different symptoms and often, when the child is not even a year old, parents are unaware of intoxication.
The second case can lead to very serious consequences, however, like the first, if you do not pay attention to the problem in time.
Hypervitaminosis D: Symptoms
Symptoms of an excess of vitamin D are the following:
- Decreased appetite.
- Constant thirst.
- Vomiting
- Rapid weight loss with good nutrition.
- Constipation appears.
- The body is dehydrated.
- In some cases, there is a loss of consciousness in children.
- Cramps.
- Sleep disturbance.
- Weakness.
It is worth noting that many symptoms are similar to signs of diseases that develop against the background of hypervitaminosis. Therefore, a highly qualified doctor should be diagnosed.
Causes of Vitamin D Excess
The causes of hypervitaminosis D are as follows:
- Excess vitamin D, which is introduced into the body as part of vitamin preparations.
- In some cases, there is an excessive sensitivity to vitamin D. Moreover, a similar phenomenon can occur in stressful situations, with prolonged exposure to the sun, if the diet was disturbed or the diet was changed.
Most often, the disease develops in children.
Treatment
Most often, with an excess of vitamin D, the following treatment is prescribed:
- Withdrawal of preparations containing vitamin D.
- Careful selection of consumed products.
- Reception of vitamins A and E, hormonal preparations.
- The introduction of fluid intravenously to eliminate dehydration.
Such measures can reduce the amount of vitamin in the body.
Forecast
The prognosis is quite serious: the development of chronic pyelonephritis, which leads to chronic renal failure. In addition, the work of the heart worsens, a predisposition to cardiovascular diseases appears.
In case of any deterioration in health, do not neglect the help of a doctor. Be healthy!