Vitamin A toxicity, also known as Hypervitaminosis A, is a condition which happens when there's high level of Vitamin A in your body. The condition can be both acute and chronic. Acute Vitamin A toxicity happens when you consume high amounts of Vitamin A over a short period of time. On the other hand, chronic Vitamin A toxicity happens when high amounts of vitamin A build up in the body over a long period of time.
Vitamin A Toxicity Causes
When there is excess vitamin A in your body, it gets stored in the liver and accumulates there over time. According to Healthline, most people develop vitamin A toxicity by taking high-dose dietary supplements, possibly due to megavitamin therapy. A megavitamin therapy involves consuming very large doses of certain vitamins in an attempt to prevent or treat diseases.
In a recent interview with Fox News, Robert Kennedy Jr., United States Secretary of Health and Human Services, touted Vitamin A as an effective treatment for measles as the US is witnessing the largest outbreak of the disease in decades. After, RFK's statement, there has been a rise in demand for vitamin A-rich cod liver oil.
Now, at Covenant Children’s Hospital in Lubbock which is near the epicentre of the measles outbreak, several patients have been found to have abnormal liver function on routine lab tests, a probable sign that they’ve taken too much Vitamin A, according to a CNN report.
Vitamin A toxicity can lead to liver damage, osteoporosis, excessive calcium buildup in the body and kidney damage due to excess calcium.
Vitamin A Toxicity Symptoms
Here are some of the symptoms of Vitamin A, according to Medical News Today.
Acute hypervitaminosis A
Iritability
Dowsiness
Nusea
Adominal pain
Feeling of pressure on the brain
Vomiting
Chronic hypervitaminosis A
Mouth ulcers
Swelling of the bones
Cracked fingernails
Bone pain
Loss of appetite
Cracked corners of the mouth
Blurry vision or other vision changes
Dizziness
Nausea and vomiting
Sensitivity to sunlight
Rough, dry, peeling, or itchy skin
Jaundice
Hair loss
Confusion
Respiratory infection
Children
Lack of weight gain
Soft skull
Coma
Bulging eyeballs
Double vision
Bulging soft spot on a baby’s head
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