A lot has been written about the importance of Vitamin D in recent times, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. Vitamin D is important for absorbing a lot of other minerals, especially calcium, iron, and zinc. While you can get most vitamins and minerals from your diet, the same is not true with Vitamin D. With enough exposure to sunlight, your body can process Vitamin D naturally. However, people, even those not having Vitamin D deficiency, are going for these easy supplements, often not considering the side effects. There is rare cases, where this vitamin has been associated with frequent headaches, but like anything and everything else, anything in an excess can be detrimental for your body. In this post, we are discussing more on Vitamin D headache.
When excess of Vitamin D is a problem
Like we mentioned, your body knows when and how to get Vitamin D from sunlight. However, if you are taking Vitamin D supplements, you need to know that not everyone needs these pills. For patients who have kidney disease, diabetes, consuming too much Vitamin D can cause a few symptoms. So, how much of Vitamin D is too much? While your doctor is the best person to suggest the amount of this vitamin you need per day, research shows taking more than 50,000 international units per day for a long time can cause side effects.
Knowing vitamin D toxicity
There are a few symptoms of vitamin D toxicity, which include-
- Hypercalcemia, which is a condition when there is excess buildup of calcium in the blood.
- Nausea and vomiting
- Reduced appetite
- Signs of kidney problems
- Weakness and fatigue
So, what exactly is a vitamin D headache? What you believe to be a vitamin D headache is probably associated with an underlying cause. We still recommend that people shouldn’t consume these supplements just like that.
Check with a headache expert
If you have frequent and chronic headaches, you probably have a condition that needs medical attention. Headache is a symptom, not the cause, and therefore, checking with a doctor is more than important. You want to be absolutely sure that the treatment plan is decided after appropriate diagnosis, for which additional tests may be recommended. Your doctor may recommend getting tested for vitamin D deficiency, but that is unlikely to be a cause for frequent headaches.
Talk to a headache treatment clinic to know more, and don’t miss out on asking questions related to your condition.
