Hypervitaminosis is vitamin poisoning. In most cases, the cause is abuse of dietary supplements. Even serious health disorders sometimes result from hypervitaminosis.
What is hypervitaminosis?
Hypervitaminosis is what doctors and nutritionists call a medical condition that results from an overdose of a vitamin. Conceptually, hypervitaminosis is opposite to hypovitaminosis. These are vitamin deficiency symptoms. In the case of a complete absence of a vitamin in the diet, avitaminosis is present. Hypervitaminoses are also called vitamin intoxications or vitamin poisonings. Doctors distinguish between an acute and a chronic form of harmful vitamin excess. Hypervitaminoses are mainly caused by lipophilic (fat-soluble) vitamins, which can accumulate in the body’s tissues. The group of hydrophilic (water-soluble) vitamins is less likely to cause symptoms of poisoning. The organism excretes these vital substances through the kidneys. Therefore, the hydrophilic vitamins are practically never responsible for hypervitaminosis.
Causes
Hypervitaminosis results from excessive intake of a vitamin. This almost always occurs when patients have taken too many vitamin supplements. The cause can also be other dietary supplements, which often contain vitamins as additives. However, it is not always self-medication that causes a toxic excess of otherwise vital vitamins. For vitamins are also used therapeutically by physicians, which has also led to overdoses. Thus, caution is also appropriate in the clinical setting, for example, when patients need to be “artificially” fed. Gastric tube feeds contain a high proportion of vitamins and carry the risk of overdose, especially when administered for prolonged periods. The same applies to weeks of parenteral nutrition (infusion). A normal diet with common foods extremely rarely leads to hypervitaminosis. Only the consumption of excessive amounts of liver can lead to intoxication because of its high vitamin A content. The concentration of the vitamin is particularly high in livers of Arctic mammals. Therefore, the Inuit do not eat polar bear liver and thus avoid hypervitaminosis.
Symptoms, complaints, and signs
Hypervitaminosis can cause various symptoms and complaints depending on its severity. In most cases, the poisoning causes gastrointestinal discomfort, headache, and circulatory problems. Those affected vomit frequently and also suffer from a loss of appetite, which in turn can cause deficiency symptoms. This may be accompanied by dizziness, incoordination and lethargy. In severe poisoning, visual disturbances such as seeing double images or blurred vision are also present. Externally, hypervitaminosis can be recognized by the torn corners of the mouth and excessively pale skin. The skin damage can spread to the entire body, often leaving scars. Fingernails are often brittle and have bright spots. In general, hypervitaminosis extremely limits the patient’s quality of life. In the worst case, cardiac arrhythmias or circulatory collapse occur. Furthermore, the intracranial pressure can increase, which can result in movement restrictions and paralysis symptoms. In most cases, no further complaints occur during treatment of the poisoning. However, detoxification places an additional burden on the already weakened body. Hypervitaminosis usually occurs immediately after vitamin overdose or sets in over the course of several weeks to months.
Diagnosis and course
Acute hypervitaminosis is not dissimilar in symptomatology to other poisonings. Gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, and circulatory disturbances occur. The physician will ask about medications taken through a patient interview. In this way, he can also detect an overdose of dietary supplements and vitamin preparations. Chronic vitamin intoxications are more difficult to expose. For example, skin irritations or an enlarged liver are initially attributed to other diseases. The suspicion of chronic hypervitaminosis is often remote here because the disease is relatively rare. This diagnostic problem is generally characteristic of the phenomenon. However, the physician eventually recognizes vitamin D intoxication, for example, on the basis of specific blood tests.In addition to an increased concentration of the vitamin in the blood serum, the calcium concentration is also increased. This is critical because calcium is then lacking in the bones. In the long term, there is a risk of osteoporosis (softening of the bones). Children can even suffer from growth disorders in the course of vitamin D hypervitaminosis. Even deaths have been described. Vitamin A hypervitaminoses are no less dangerous. In the initial stage, intoxication begins with headaches and nausea and even vomiting. In the acute form of progression, even an increase in intercranial pressure (increase in intracranial pressure) may follow. Urgent medical treatment is then required, otherwise there is a risk of brain damage due to hypervitaminosis.
Complications
Abuse of supplements or other substances containing many vitamins can lead to a relatively large number of complaints and complications. In most cases, hypervitaminosis primarily causes nausea and dizziness. The affected person has to vomit frequently and also suffers from a loss of appetite. This can further lead to underweight. Not infrequently, hypervitaminosis also leads to coordination disorders and concentration problems. The eyes can also be affected by the disease, resulting in veil vision or double vision. The corners of the mouth tear, causing pain during food intake. In general, the patient’s quality of life is extremely reduced by the symptoms of hypervitaminosis. In the worst case, serious poisoning or circulatory disorders may occur. Furthermore, the pressure in the brain can also increase, which can lead to paralysis and restricted movement. In most cases, treatment of hypervitaminosis does not lead to further complications. The symptoms disappear again on their own when the excessive intake of vitamins is stopped. If there is an acute emergency, medication can also be used to alleviate the symptoms. Life expectancy is not reduced by hypervitaminosis.
When should you see a doctor?
Hypervitaminosis does not necessarily require a visit to the doctor. If the overdose is minimal, it is often sufficient to consume enough water. In addition, the affected person should take it easy and get enough rest. If the symptoms disappear completely within a few hours, no further medical care is needed. In the future, the consumption of vitamin supplements should be monitored more closely. If the hypervitaminosis is more severe, various complaints of increasing intensity occur immediately after taking the preparations. A visit to the doctor is necessary, as treatment must be initiated. If there is repeated vomiting, nausea or dizziness, these signs should be presented to a doctor. If diarrhea, cramps or pain occur, a doctor is needed. The intake of other preparations must be discontinued and painkillers should be avoided. Only in consultation with a medical doctor it can be clarified which medication should be used. In case of coordination disorders, attention problems or lethargy, a doctor should be consulted. If the affected person suffers from sleep disturbances, visual impairments or seeing double images, he needs medical help. If there are torn corners of the mouth, dry mouth or loss of appetite, a doctor should be consulted. In case of overdose over a long period of time, emotional problems, apathy or inner weakness will set in. Fatigue and tiredness should also be clarified.
Treatment and therapy
In cases of hypervitaminosis, the physician must first locate the cause of the overdose. In doing so, it may not be easy to dissuade the patient from self-medication. This is because vitamin preparations are now available as dietary supplements in every supermarket and therefore have a risk-free effect. In mild cases of acute hypervitaminosis, it is enough to discontinue consumption. If the symptoms are severe, the doctor may have to intervene with medication. In cases of vitamin D intoxication, therapy is directed at lowering calcium levels with diuretics. Vitamin A hypervitaminosis is approached in a similar way. In this case, an increase in intercranial pressure must also be ruled out, but may need to be treated. An excess of vitamin C can cause digestive problems, also known are kidney stones as a result of this hypervitaminosis.
Prevention
Preventing hypervitaminosis means consumers should be careful with vitamin supplements. In particular, special attention should be paid to the amounts of vitamin A and D in the products in question. Excessive consumption of liver will not occur as a rule, but the high vitamin A content may also have to be taken into account here. Those who take this to heart will avoid hypervitaminosis.
Follow-up
Following a successfully treated hypervitaminosis, various aftercare measures are necessary. In the context of hypervitaminosis, patients suffer from numerous complaints that cause considerable stress to the organism. The body must recover from these physical and psychological stresses in the aftermath of the disease. For this reason, aftercare consists in part of observing physical rest for some time after completion of therapy. An essential part of aftercare is also for the patient to visit the doctor at regular intervals and have his or her blood values analyzed in the laboratory. The blood values of those vitamins that were responsible for the hypervitaminosis are particularly relevant. The results of the analysis must be discussed by the physician together with the patient. In the course of this, the patient usually receives advice regarding his or her diet and vitamin intake. Follow-up care also involves the patient seeking a professional nutritionist and having him or her draw up a diet plan. Thus, follow-up care for hypervitaminosis also includes measures to prevent a new disease. The patient’s blood values should be examined at close intervals for a few months after the disease, and then in longer cycles. In addition, regular check-ups with an endocrinologist are useful to detect and treat any metabolic disorders in time.
What you can do yourself
Hypervitaminosis does not always require medical treatment. Water-soluble vitamins can simply be flushed out in the event of an overdose. Drinking enough water or diuretic teas is usually sufficient for this purpose. In the case of vitamin D poisoning, the doctor should prescribe a mild drug to flush out the excess vitamins. In the case of mild hypervitaminosis, it is usually even enough to reduce or stop consumption. In case of vitamin A overdose, medical advice is required. Accompanying medical treatment, the patient should be on bed rest for at least two to three days. A gentle diet, which should contain as little vitamin A as possible, supports recovery. A long-term change in diet prevents renewed hypervitaminosis and other complaints. Various natural and household remedies help against the individual symptoms. For example, willow bark tea has proven to reduce headaches and stimulate appetite. For nausea and vomiting, classic medicinal plants such as chamomile or lemon balm help, also taken in the form of tea, capsules or dragées. If the symptoms have not subsided after two to three days at the latest, the doctor must be informed. It is then best to refrain from further self-help measures.
