What happens if you eat a lot of ascorbic acid

Ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, is a favorite of many drug. Available in tablets, pleasant to the taste. Vitamin C participates in numerous biochemical and hormonal processes in the body, but in large doses is harmful to man. In this article we have seen what happens if you eat a lot of ascorbic acid, which symptoms appear at the same time, how to give first aid and when to see a doctor.

Effect of vitamin C and indications for

Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin. In nature it is found in most fruits, berries and vegetables. The largest concentrations in citrus fruits, kiwi, currants, and raspberries. Ascorbic acid is necessary for the person. It is not deposited (stored) in the body, so need to receive in small quantities. With a balanced nutrition a person enough vitamin C, which he uses along with food.

Please note that smokers suffer from a deficiency of ascorbic acid. Nicotine neutralizes it and removes from the body.

The main functions of vitamin C in human body:

• participation in metabolic processes;
• antioxidant activity;
• providing immune protection against pathogenic viruses and bacteria;
• important role in the production of collagen, the protein responsible for the elasticity and youthfulness of the skin, the functionality of cartilage and bone tissue;
• protection of teeth from decay;
• neutralization and removal of heavy metals from the body, e.g., copper, mercury, lead;
• stimulation of hormone production by the thyroid and the pancreas;
• regulation of sexual hormonal glands, pelvic organs.

The main indications for admission askorbinki include:

• flu and acute respiratory viral infection;
• Smoking;
• lack of vitamin C in the body;
• Addison's disease;
• nasal, internal bleeding, overdose of anticoagulants, blood thinners;
• pathology of the liver, the kidneys;
• overdose of alcoholic beverages, the treatment of a condition of the binge;
• treatment of chronic bacterial infections;
• thyroid disease;
• periods of increased mental and physical exertion, exhaustion;
• the recovery period of fractures, infectious pathologies.

The main causes of overdose of ascorbic acid

Many perceive a sweet vitamin C not as a cure, and tasty sweets to buy their children in the form of sweets and not even think about the danger and consequences. Some systematically exceed the amount of tongue that can be eaten per day. Causes of overdose of ascorbic acid are listed below.

• Taking vitamins With without prior consultation with your doctor. These drugs are valuable drugs, dosage and duration of treatment which should be addressed with the doctor. The average daily dose of ascorbic acid is 0.05-0.1 g for adults 0.1-0.2, It may change your doctor.
• Storage of vitamin preparations available for children. The tongue is available in tablets, pleasant to the taste. They can taste fruit flavors. Children can eat an entire bag of medication.
• The combination of drugs with vitamin C and fruits that contains large amount. To overeat oranges and mandarins to develop an overdose of vitamins, is not easy. But in combination with vitamin products eating the fruits can cause the system to exceed the daily requirement of ascorbic acid.

Symptoms of overdose of ascorbic acid

Overdose of vitamin C can be acute or chronic. Dangerous are the two. When you affect many organs and systems, failures occur in the metabolic and hormonal processes.

The clinical picture of acute overdose

One-time use of large amounts of ascorbic acid in doses above 2 grams per day leads to acute poisoning. Its symptoms develop within the first hours, reminiscent of acute food poisoning. These include:

• severe pain in the abdomen. First, it is localized in the stomach, then spreading throughout the abdomen;
• nausea and vomiting;
• diarrhea;
• urticaria – an itchy allergic rash on the body in the form of red spots, which may merge with each other;
• headache and General weakness;
• tachycardia – rapid heartbeat.

Please note that in severe allergic reactions may develop angioedema angioedema, a dangerous condition for living. Amid rash develops swelling of the subcutaneous tissue. Swelling of the tongue and mucosa of the respiratory tract develops respiratory failure.

The clinical picture of chronic hypervitaminosis ascorbic acid

Prolonged use of high doses of ascorbic acid (the allowable boundary, not provoke acute poisoning), develop acute changes in the work of many organs and systems, caused by hypervitaminosis of vitamin C. Symptoms increase slowly, at first one does not notice them.

Signs of hypervitaminosis ascorbic acid include:

• sleep disturbance, the person complains of insomnia;
• fatigue, reducedhealth;
• emotional instability, the patient may become short-tempered, easily excitable;
• hypertension – increase blood pressure;
• a tendency to raise blood glucose, it develops due to disturbed the work of the pancreas which normally produces insulin, the hormone responsible for the absorption of sugar;
• chronic gastritis – inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach;
• stomach ulcer or duodenum;
• the appearance of edema on the face, legs, as a result of a failure of the kidneys;
• the deterioration of the skin, hair, nails.

First aid in case of overdose

In acute poisoning in ascorbic acid, you should immediately seek medical help. This condition may be complicated by severe allergic reaction, anaphylactic shock and acute renal failure.

An ambulance need to call as soon as possible, preferably immediately after ingestion of toxic doses of ascorbic acid.

Can anyone help poisoned person? First aid can be while waiting for the arrival of the medics, but it can not replace medical treatment.

After calling the brigade SMEs need to take the following actions:

1. A person to wash the stomach. This unpleasant procedure is necessary to remove the rest of the vitamins that have not yet had time to be absorbed into the blood stream. In order to clean the stomach cavity from the drug, you have to chug a liter of water (children 0.5 liters) and pry it out. This procedure should be repeated several times.
2. Give the patient to drink sorbents. These medications help to neutralize and remove toxins from the digestive system. You can use any of the sorbents, which you have at home in the presence of, for example, sorbex, smectite, APSCO, enterosgel, activated carbon.
3. To ensure that the patient drink plenty of liquids. Ascorbic acid is excreted by the kidneys, and fluid intake will speed up the process. You can drink simple or mineral sparkling water.

Can also collect the necessary items and documents patient admission to find his medical card.

Medical treatment of acute poisoning in ascorbic acid

Doctors SMP is carried out first aid at home. They assessed the state of the poisoned person, collect medical history, check your pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate and saturation level. You should name the approximate number of drunk patients vitamin, time when it happened, and the amount of help from you. Also doctors need to tell how chronic diseases hurt people, which takes drugs on a regular basis, which drugs or substances he's allergic to.

After examination, the doctors will be connected to the patient IV, administered antihistamines, and corticosteroids, and then take him to the toxicology Department. Patients in serious condition hospitalityat in intensive care.

The duration of treatment in the hospital depends on the patient's condition. Poisoning say mild lasts for several days.

Treatment of chronic hypervitaminosis

In cases of suspected hypervitaminosis ascorbic acid to stop immediately its reception and to ask for help to your GP or family doctor.

For the period of recovery, you should refrain from eating fruits that contain this vitamin in large quantities. Your doctor may prescribe antihistamines, sorbents.

Usually, the symptoms of hypervitaminosis are held for several weeks. To exclude lesions of the internal organs and complications a doctor prescribes a series of examinations that consist of:

• urinalysis, hypervitaminosis ascorbic acid may cause kidney stones;
• Renal ultrasound – to detect stones;
• blood pressure monitoring;
• a blood glucose.

Ascorbic acid in large quantities is harmful to the body. It can cause severe allergic reactions, skin rash, sleep disturbances, hypertension. Vitamin C can be taken only by the doctor. This biologically active substance is involved in many metabolic processes, regulates immune and the endocrine system. Large quantities of ascorbic acid can cause a malfunction of the whole organism.