Do you have Vitamin A headaches? You may if you take a lot of vitamins to maintain good health. Vitamins are essential for the body to function properly and are necessary for growth and development, especially in children. But too much of a good thing may cause problems. So let’s investigate how taking a vitamin can be bad for you.
First of all there are two types of vitamins. There are the fat soluble vitamins and water soluble vitamins. The fat soluble vitamins are A, D, E and K. These vitamins are only needed in small doses and are stored in the liver and fatty tissues. They are processed a lot slower than water soluble vitamins. The water soluble vitamins are the B- Complex vitamins and vitamin C. These vitamins are quickly excreted in the urine and need to be replaced daily. We can get most of the vitamins that we need daily as long as we eat a somewhat healthy diet. Excessive intake of vitamins, especially the fat soluble ones, can lead to vitamin toxicity. And excessive intake of vitamin A can lead to a vitamin A headache.
There are a number of factors that can affect the adsorption of vitamin A. Normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and bile secretion are necessary for the adsorption of Vitamin A. Other factors include age, state of nutrition, type of vitamin A preparation and route of administration. Excessive amount of vitamin A intake leads to what is known as hypervitaminosis A. This can be categorized as acute or chronic. Acute occurs following ingestion of a high dose of vitamin A. Symptoms may occur within hours or a few days after the high dose. One of the symptoms is a vitamin A headache.
Chronic vitamin A toxicity can occur after taking small doses of vitamin A over a long period of time. Vitamin A has a long half life and it tends to accumulate in the body. If you have been taking a vitamin A supplement for several years and eating a healthy diet, you could be developing chronic vitamin A toxicity. Vitamin A headaches are an indicator of toxicity.
If you have been taking a large amount of vitamin A and think you may be having vitamin A headaches, stop taking all vitamins supplements right away. See your doctor to be tested for any organ damage. Drink plenty of water to help flush your system of the toxins. You may medicate your headache pain with over the counter pain medicine as long as your doctor says it is okay. If there has been any liver damage from the vitamin A, acetaminophen is not a good idea because it can damage the liver also. The prognosis for vitamin A toxicity is excellent. Over time, the symptoms will disappear once the vitamin is stopped. When all the excess vitamin A is gone from your body, your vitamin A headaches should stop also.
