While most of us have been warned to protect ourself from vitamin deficiency, there is also the flip-side where too many vitamins can heighten your risk of developing cancer. And as per Cleveland Clinic, while low vitamin D affects your body in severe ways, too much vitamin D could also lead to a serious medical condition called hypervitaminosis D.
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Here is all you should know about this condition, and the symptoms you should look out for.
Vitamin D toxicity
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for the body's normal bone development and maintenance. It also aids the body's nervous system, musculoskeletal system and immune system.
Some of the ways in which you get vitamin D is from the sun, through food and drinks, and also through nutritional supplements and prescription medication.
If your body gets too much of vitamin D, you could get vitamin D toxicity. It is however, a rare condition, with about 4,500 cases per year in the United States, as per Cleveland Clinic.
The level of vitamin D at which people might experience toxicity could vary, but it could occur at levels as little as 2,000 international units per day (IU/d).
Vitamin D toxicity is not caused by just sun or food and drinks. Often, it happens due to over-consumption of prescription-strength vitamin D supplements. So if you consume these, do check your vitamin D levels regularly.
Symptoms of hypervitaminosis D
Hypervitaminosis D leads tohypercalcemia, which refers to higher-than-normal levels of calcium in your blood. The hypercalcemia caused by high levels of vitamin D, is responsible for most of the symptoms of hypervitaminosis D. They include:
- Decrease in appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation
- Dehydration
- Increased thirst (polydipsia)
- Frequent urination
- Confusion, lethargy and fatigue
- Muscle weakness and difficulty walking
- Bone pain
- Kidney stones
Vitamin D toxicity is usually not fatal or life-threatening, but it can cause significant harm to your health. It can cause you to feel confusion and have an unsteady gait. In very serious cases, it can cause kidney failure or abnormal heart rhythm.
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Sources used:
Cleveland Clinic: 'Vitamin D Toxicity (Hypervitaminosis D)'
