Zinc is a common mineral that you probably don’t give much thought to. It’s in many of the foods we eat every day, and we often take supplements containing zinc and other minerals to support our health. But if too much zinc is taken, it can cause unexpected side effects and even be life-threatening. Lets find out zinc overdose effects, signs of a zinc overdose and what are the zinc toxicity treatments.
What is zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral that is a component of more than 100 enzymes and proteins. It also plays a role in many other biochemical processes throughout the body. Zinc helps the immune system function properly, it’s required for protein synthesis, and it supports healthy bone growth.
Zinc has been used as a supplement for centuries to treat wounds or to promote wound healing. Other uses include treating nausea caused by chemotherapy drugs or radiation therapy in cancer patients; reducing inflammation; boosting immunity; slowing down aging; and preventing osteoporosis (weak bones).
Benefits of zinc
Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a key role in the formation of protein and DNA. It’s also used to make enzymes, which are essential for many biological processes including digestion. Zinc, like other vitamins, helps your body fight infections, heal wounds, absorb iron from plant foods, and absorb calcium from animal foods.
In addition to these functions within the body, zinc also has anti-inflammatory propertis that can help reduce the symptoms of arthritis or psoriasis. Because it enhances healing and wound repair when applied topically (for example on skin wounds), zinc oxide ointments have been used since ancient times as treatments for skin problems like diaper rash or bed sores that occur in people who cannot move around freely enough to prevent friction against their skin surfaces (elderly patients).
Overdose of zinc
You may have heard the term “overdose” used to describe an excessive amount of a drug or other substance, but what exactly does that mean?
In medical terms, there are two types of over-exposure cases: toxic and life-threatening. Toxic refers to substances that can cause long-term harm or even death if ingested at high enough levels. Zinc toxicity occurs when your body absorbs more than it can process.
Zinc overdose effects are extremely rare because most people don’t consume enough zinc in their regular diet for it to be dangerous (the RDI for adults is 11 milligrams). When you do take too much zinc at once, however—by accident or on purpose—it can lead to symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Nausea and Vomiting
If you’re feeling nauseated or are vomiting, you may have overdosed on zinc. If you’ve taken a lot of this mineral in supplement form and it makes you sick, it also could be due to other reasons—but if your symptoms are getting worse, or if they come without eating anything at all, then stop taking zinc until your doctor can diagnose the cause with proper studies and give you further instructions. Once your medical test reports are reviewed, doctors may change your dietary plan based on the facts they find.
Zinc overdose effects are serious because they can damage the stomach lining and cause bleeding inside the body. Nausea is often a symptom of other conditions as well; however, nausea that comes after taking high doses of supplements could indicate an excess of zinc consumption.
Stomach Pain and Diarrhea
Stomach pain and diarrhea are two of the most common side effects of a zinc overdose. If you’re experiencing stomach pain, check to see if it’s accompanied by other symptoms like vomiting or nausea. If so, this could be a sign that you’ve had too much of something else in your diet that day—but it could also be related to the zinc supplement you took!
Similarly, diarrhea can happen because of an excess amount of nutrients in your body. Your digestive tract isn’t used to processing them so quickly and efficiently; this leads to an increase in bowel movements or mal-nutrition. In order for food to pass through smoothly without getting stuck or causing discomfort along the way (which is why we all have an appendix), there needs to be enough fluid inside our bodies so everything moves along smoothly–and diarrhea indicates there’s too much being released too quickly into our intestines instead.
Flu
If you’re experiencing a flu-like illness—with symptoms such as a cold or cough, headache, fever and fatigue—you may be having these disorders due to a zinc overdose. Zinc is an important mineral for immune function, so it’s no surprise that the body responds by producing more white blood cells when the level of this mineral becomes too low. The result can often be similar to the symptoms of the common cold or flu. Zinc overdose isn’t very likely to occur with supplements; however, if you take too much over time by using zinc lozenges regularly or eating large amounts of oysters (which have high levels of zinc), your body may become accustomed to these levels and require even more in order for its immune system functions to stay at normal levels.
Low “Good” HDL Cholesterol
High HDL cholesterol is considered the “good” cholesterol, whereas low HDL cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. However, it’s important to note that even though low levels of HDL can increase your risk of developing heart disease and other health problems, there are many factors involved in determining whether a person has high or low levels of HDL.
Zinc overdose increases this ratio by making it harder for the liver to process excess fats that accumulate in your bloodstream. This can cause more fat to circulate through your blood vessels and build up around your organs, which increases your risk for atherosclerosis.
High doses of zinc can also reduce healthy levels of good cholesterol in some people—which is another reason why taking large amounts could lead to cardiovascular issues.
Changes in Your Taste
A metallic taste in your mouth can be one of the zinc overdose effects. Zinc, a mineral that’s critical for maintaining healthy immune function and wound healing, is found in many foods. If you’re eating more than the typical recommended daily allowance (RDA) of zinc, however, you might experience side effects like changes in taste.
Zinc overdoses are rare but possible if you take supplements or eat high-zinc foods in excess of the RDA, which is 15 mg per day for adults and 8 mg per day for children under age nine. The symptoms of this overdose include nausea and vomiting; changes in taste; stomach cramps; diarrhea; and rashes on the skin or inside the mouth.
Copper Deficiency
Copper is an essential trace mineral that’s needed for many functions, including blood formation, bone growth, and wound healing. It is also required for the proper functioning of your nervous system.
The deficiency of copper can cause anemia (a low red blood cell count), neurological problems like depression and seizures as well as other health issues like osteoporosis or an enlarged prostate gland in men.
If you suspect you have too much or too little zinc in your body this may be due to a deficiency or excess of another mineral such as copper.
Frequent Infections
If you take a zinc supplement and start to feel more frequent infections, it is likely that you are experiencing an overdose. Zinc is an essential mineral that is needed for immune function. When your body doesn’t have enough of this mineral, it can weaken your immune system and make it harder for your body to fight off infections or illnesses. This is why people with severe zinc deficiency often experience frequent colds and other infections.
Zinc supplements are used most often by people who want to boost their immunity or heal faster after surgery or injury (such as athletes). However, if you take too much zinc on a regular basis—especially if you already have low levels of the mineral in your body—it may be contributing to these problems rather than helping them.
How to overcome from zinc toxicity
If you or someone you know has taken too much zinc, it’s important to seek medical attention immediately. Zinc poisoning can be treated with an antidote, but only if you get help fast enough.
Zinc overdose is a serious condition that can be fatal if not treated properly. If you or someone you know has taken too much zinc, seek medical attention immediately.
If you are experiencing symptoms of an overdose, call 911 or contact your local emergency number immediately. Do not wait to see if the symptoms go away on their own. Time management is most important in these situations. Find out the best medical services.
It is important to remember that most people who take too much zinc do not die from an overdose. Most deaths from zinc poisoning occur in people with weakened immune systems, such as children with leukemia or adults with AIDS.
If you are able to reach your emergency room or local poison control center within a few hours after zinc intake, they can give you a medication called a chelating agent (such as calcium EDTA) to help your body get rid of the excess zinc in your blood. This zinc toxicity treatment can be very effective if given early enough after an overdose.
Your doctor may also recommend that you drink plenty of fluids throughout the day to help flush out the excess zinc from your system.
Conclusion
It is important to get a doctor’s opinion before taking zinc supplements, especially if you have never taken these types of pills before. You should also be aware of how much zinc you are getting from other sources in your diet such as leafy greens and beans (which contain phytate)to keep yourself from zinc overdose effects. If you do decide to take zinc supplements, then make sure that they don’t exceed 100 mg per day so that you won’t undergo zinc toxicity treatments.
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