Vitamin A in Excess can be fatal !

Vitamin A is an important nutrient for our eyes and normal body growth of children. But excess amount of Vitamin A can be fatal as well. However it occurs very rare and only due to our own ignorance. It can negatively affect our liver, kidney, brain, bones, eyes and skin. This lists of organs is sufficient to make you understand the importance of correct amount of Vitamin A in body. Betterhealthfacts.com have collected some facts to tell you about the toxic effect of excess vitamin A in our body and how it can be fatal.

What do our body do with excess Vitamin A
Our body can't get rid of excess vitamin A itself as it is a fat soluble vitamin, not a water soluble vitamin. Excess amount of water soluble vitamins can be flushed out of our body through urine, but it can't be done with fat soluble vitamins. So the excess amount of vitamin A is stored indefinitely in liver and other fat deposits inside our body. The excess amount of vitamin A in our body can be diagnosed by blood test.

How much Vitamin A should be consumed in a day
700mg of Vitamin A per day is sufficient for an average woman and 900mg for a man. However a pregnant woman or a breastfeeding mother need slightly more amount. If you are having a balanced diet then you don't need to worry about it. But if you are suffering from some disease and getting some vitamin supplements then you should stick to the prescription by the doctor. Don't try prescribe vitamin supplements for yourself, as its the most common reason for Hypervitaminosis.

Hypervitaminosis-A

Hypervitaminosis-A is the medical term used to name the disease of excess amount of vitamin A in our body. There are two types of this condition, one is acute and second in chronic. Acute Hypervitaminosis-A occurs if very large amount of vitamin A is consumed in a short span of time, while Chronic Hypervitaminosis-A occurs when more amount of vitamin A is consumed on daily basis and very high amount of it is stored by our body after a few weeks or months. Both of these conditions have different symptoms and treated accordingly.

Causes of Hypervitaminosis-A

• High-dose dietary supplements
• Megavitamin Therapy which involves consuming very large doses of certain vitamins to prevent or treat some diseases.
• Some acne treatment drugs also contain high dose of Vitamin A
• Accidental ingestion by a children

Symptoms of Acute Hypervitaminosis-A

• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Drowsiness
• Feeling of pressure on your head
• Irritability
• Nausea

Symptoms of Chronic Hypervitaminosis-A

• blurry vision
• bone pain
• swelling of the bones
• poor appetite
• respiratory infection
• dizziness
• sensitivity to sunlight
• dry, rough skin
• jaundice
• itchy or peeling skin
• cracked fingernails
• corners of your mouth getting cracks in skin
• hair loss
• confusion

Can Hypervitaminosis-A be fatal ?
Hypervitaminosis-A can cause liver damage, osteoporosis (weakness of bones). Kidney failure may also occur due to excess calcium buildup. All these condition are fatal. In children it can easily cause coma due to swelling in brain. If the condition is not diagnosed and treated on time then it can be either fatal or create a life threatening condition.

Treatment of Hypervitaminosis-A 
Treatment of Hypervitaminosis-A is done by completely stopping the vitamin supplements and stop taking Vitamin A rich food items. It takes time to recover and in the mean time other symptoms are treated individually. Recovery time depends on severity of your condition and how soon it is diagnosed.