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7 Signs And Symptoms Of Zinc Overdose
Taking in too much zinc, whether from supplements or other products, can cause side effects, including digestive issues, changes to your sense of taste, and copper deficiency.
Zinc is an essential mineral involved in over 100 chemical reactions in your body.
It's necessary for growth, DNA synthesis, and taste perception. It also supports wound healing, immune function, and reproductive health.
Health authorities have set the tolerable upper intake level (UL) for zinc at 40 milligrams (mg) per day for healthy adults ages 19 and above. The UL is the highest recommended daily amount of a nutrient. For most people, this amount is unlikely to cause negative side effects.
Food sources high in zinc include meat, fish, seafood, and certain fortified cereals. Oysters contain the highest amount, with up to 291% of the daily value in a 3-ounce serving.
Although some foods can provide amounts well above the UL, there are no reported cases of zinc poisoning from zinc that naturally occurs in food.
However, zinc poisoning can occur from dietary supplements, including multivitamins, or accidental ingestion of zinc-containing household products. High amounts of zinc are also found in some denture adhesive creams.
Toxic amounts of zinc can be absorbed in other ways, including skin exposure and inhalation. Dangerous levels of zinc exposure may be possible in certain industrial jobs, such as metalworking.
Zinc poisoning may look different depending on how much of the mineral you consumed and whether you consumed it in a short amount of time or over a longer period.
Here are 7 potential signs and symptoms of zinc overdose.
Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of zinc toxicity.
A 2012 review of 17 studies on the effectiveness of zinc supplements for treating the common cold found that zinc may have reduced the duration of a cold, but adverse effects were common.
In fact, the review found that study participants receiving zinc had a 64% higher risk of nausea than people in the control groups.
If you think you may have consumed toxic amounts of zinc, get emergency medical help.
Vomiting does not mean your body can "get rid" of toxic amounts of zinc. Medical care is still needed to treat zinc toxicity and prevent further complications.
When someone has consumed a toxic amount of zinc, it may also cause them to have blood in their vomit.
Blood in your vomit can sometimes look like coffee grounds. Vomiting blood is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention.
Zinc poisoning can also cause stomach pain and diarrhea. Someone who has swallowed a toxic amount of zinc may also experience watery diarrhea.
When harmful amounts of zinc are consumed, gut irritation and gastrointestinal bleeding can occur.
If you notice signs of bleeding in your gut, such as bloody vomit or black and tarry feces, it's important to get medical help right away.
Zinc exposure can happen in industrial workplaces, particularly those that involve metalworking. Examples include welding, soldering, and alloy production. It's possible for workers who breathe in certain metal fumes to inhale toxic amounts of zinc.
Inhaling zinc fumes can cause flu-like symptoms, such as fever, chills, cough, headache, and fatigue.
These symptoms occur in many conditions, including other mineral toxicities. As a result, diagnosing zinc toxicity can be difficult.
Your doctor may need your detailed medical and dietary history and blood tests for suspected mineral toxicity.
If you work in a location where you could be exposed to zinc, be sure to disclose this to your healthcare professional.
HDL (good) cholesterol lowers your risk of heart disease by clearing cholesterol from your cells. This prevents the buildup of artery-clogging plaque.
For adults, health authorities recommend an HDL greater than 40 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) for males and 50 mg/dL for females. Lower levels put you at a higher risk of heart disease.
Research suggests that taking zinc in amounts higher than the UL may have effects on the body that lead to low HDL.
However, some studies also suggest that zinc supplements may improve cholesterol levels in people who have health conditions such as obesity or diabetes. Taking zinc in standard, nonexcessive amounts was shown to lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and raise HDL (good) cholesterol.
In general, though, high doses of zinc are reported to have a negative effect on HDL cholesterol.
While several factors affect cholesterol levels, these findings are something to consider if you take zinc supplements regularly.
If you have health conditions, it's important to talk with your doctor about whether these supplements are appropriate for you.
Zinc is important for your sense of taste. In fact, zinc deficiency can result in hypogeusia, a dysfunction in your ability to taste.
Zinc supplements, especially lozenges and syrups, can cause a bad taste in your mouth. This symptom has been reported in studies investigating zinc supplements for treating the common cold.
Some studies suggest that zinc supplements may shorten the time it takes to get over the common cold. However, caution is needed if you decide to try this approach. The dose of zinc you get from certain cold remedies may be above the UL of 40 mg per day. Plus, adverse effects are common.
Because zinc supplements and remedies may contain more zinc than the recommended UL, it's important to talk with your doctor before trying them.
Doses of zinc above the established UL can interfere with your body's ability to absorb copper. Over time, this can cause copper deficiency.
Copper is an essential mineral. It aids in iron absorption and metabolism, making it necessary for red blood cell formation. It also plays a role in white blood cell formation.
Red blood cells transport oxygen through your body, while white blood cells are key to your immune function.
Zinc-induced copper deficiency is associated with several blood disorders:
If you taking copper supplements or have a health condition associated with copper deficiency, talk with your doctor before taking zinc.
Zinc plays an important role in immune system function, and zinc deficiency can affect its function. However, too much zinc may suppress your immune response.
In test-tube studies, excess zinc reduced the function of T cells, a type of white blood cell. T cells play a key role in your immune response by attaching to and destroying harmful pathogens.
This means that too much zinc may reduce your body's ability to fight infections.
If you believe you may be experiencing zinc poisoning, contact your local poison control center immediately.
Zinc poisoning is potentially life threatening. It's important to seek medical help right away.
In many cases, doctors can treat zinc poisoning with supportive care. Medications can help manage symptoms and reduce the amount of zinc that the body absorbs.
For example, to help stop zinc from being absorbed through the stomach, a doctor may prescribe H2 blockers or proton pump inhibitors to reduce stomach acid production.
In other cases, a doctor may use an IV drip to provide a drug called calcium disodium edetate. This medication helps rid the body of extra zinc by binding to it in the blood. The body then expels it through urine, rather than binding to other cells. This is known as chelation therapy.
If a person has accidentally swallowed items containing zinc, they may need surgery to remove the items.
Medications are also used to treat the physical side effects of zinc poisoning. For example, doctors may treat zinc poisoning from oral ingestion with antiemetics to stop vomiting and nausea.
If someone has zinc poisoning due to inhalation, doctors may administer medications to reduce flu-like symptoms and keep airways open.
Although some foods contain zinc well above the UL of 40 mg daily, there are no reported cases of poisoning from naturally occurring zinc.
However, zinc overdose can occur from dietary supplements or accidental ingestion of too much zinc. It's also possible to absorb high doses of zinc in other ways, such as through skin contact or by breathing in fumes.
Zinc toxicity can have both acute (immediate) and long-term (chronic) effects. The severity of your symptoms can depend on the dose and duration of intake.
Ingestion of high doses of zinc may cause acute gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. In severe cases, gastrointestinal corrosion and bleeding can occur.
Long-term use may cause less immediate but serious side effects, such as low HDL (good) cholesterol, copper deficiency, and a suppressed immune system.
Overall, you should exceed the established UL only under the supervision of a medical professional.
Do I Have A Vaginal Yeast Infection Or Something Else?
Yeast infections can be uncomfortable, but they're usually not serious. You may have itching or irritation in or around your vagina, as well as a thick, white discharge. In many cases, an antifungal treatment will clear up your symptoms.
If you're not sure whether you have a yeast infection or something else, it's important to see a doctor for the right diagnosis and treatment. If you don't have a yeast infection, antifungals won't help you get better. They can actually prolong the problem because the real cause will continue to get worse.
A yeast infection is a fungal infection of the vagina and vulva — the outside parts of the vagina. Anyone with a vagina can get a yeast infection. These infections are so common that up to 75% of people who were assigned female at birth (AFAB) will get at least one vaginal yeast infection in their lifetime. Around 45% will get two or more of these infections.
The fungus candida causes yeast infections. Candida naturally lives in the vagina. Normally, bacteria in the vagina keep the yeast in balance. But if the yeast gets out of balance with the bacteria and grows too much, you could get an infection. This imbalance can happen if you:
A yeast infection causes symptoms such as:
Many other conditions that affect the vagina and vulva cause symptoms like these. That's why it's important to see your doctor for a diagnosis, especially if you've never had a yeast infection before.
Yeast infections are not sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), but having sex could increase your risk for a yeast infection. That's because sex sometimes creates breaks in the skin of the vagina where yeast can get inside and grow.
You might confuse an STD such as chlamydia, trichomoniasis, or gonorrhea for a yeast infection because they cause some of the same symptoms, including:
The main difference is the type of germ that causes these infections. Bacteria or viruses cause most STDs, while a fungus causes yeast infections.
Because the symptoms are so similar, often the only way to know for sure which type of infection you have is to see a doctor. The doctor will examine you and take a sample of discharge from your vagina to confirm whether you have a yeast infection. To diagnose STDs, your doctor tests a sample of your pee.
Yeast infection vs. Herpes
Herpes is a type of STD. Herpes simplex viruses (HSVs) such as HSV-1 and HSV-2 cause the infection. Herpes spreads through skin-to-skin contact during sex.
Like a yeast infection, herpes causes symptoms such as vaginal discharge and pain when you pee. But with herpes, you may also have small blisters around your vagina, anus, or mouth. Those blisters may break open and bleed or ooze liquid, and then form scabs as they heal.
Most yeast infections usually clear up after you take an antifungal medicine for a few days. You can treat herpes with an antiviral medicine, but it's not curable. Symptoms may go away with medicine, only to return in the future.
Yeast infection vs. Chlamydia
Chlamydia is a very common STD. The bacteria that cause chlamydia can spread from your partner to you during unprotected vaginal, oral, or anal sex. This infection causes symptoms such as white discharge and burning or pain when you pee or have sex, but most people with chlamydia don't have any symptoms.
You can have chlamydia without showing symptoms; so, if you're sexually active, ask your doctor if you should get screened. Your doctor will take a sample of your pee or fluid from your vagina. A lab will then test the sample for the bacteria that cause chlamydia.
Antibiotics should cure chlamydia in a week or two. It's important to treat this infection. Untreated chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which could damage your fallopian tubes and make it difficult or impossible for you to get pregnant.
It's normal to have bacteria in your vagina. Usually "good" and "bad" bacteria balance each other out. But in bacterial vaginosis (BV), there is an overgrowth of "bad" bacteria, and they outnumber the "good" bacteria. This imbalance can sometimes happen if you douche or have unprotected sex.
Bacterial vaginosis can affect anyone with a vagina. About 1 in 3 people AFAB will get this infection.
Most people with BV don't have symptoms. When it does cause symptoms, one of them might be discharge from the vagina and a burning feeling when you pee, similar to the symptoms of a yeast infection. The difference is that with BV, the discharge is off-white, gray, or green, and it has a fishy smell.
Your doctor can confirm whether you have BV with a pelvic exam and a test of fluid from your vagina. If you do have BV, you can't treat it yourself like you might do with a yeast infection. Your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic that you take by mouth, such as metronidazole (Flagyl) or tinidazole (Tindamax). Some antibiotics come as a cream or gel that you insert into your vagina.
Another condition that's easy to confuse with a yeast infection is a urinary tract infection (UTI). This infection is in your urinary tract, which includes the:
You get a UTI when bacteria travel up your urethra and multiply in your bladder, kidneys, or other parts of your urinary tract. You're more likely to get a UTI after you have sex, during pregnancy, and as you get older. People who were AFAB are more likely to get UTIs than those assigned male because they have a shorter urethra.
A burning sensation when you pee is a symptom of both yeast infections and UTIs. With a UTI, you'll also have symptoms such as:
If the infection travels to your kidneys, possible symptoms include:
Your doctor can diagnose a UTI by testing your pee. They may send your pee sample to a lab for a urine culture to find out which type of bacteria caused your infection. Knowing the bacteria type will help your doctor know which antibiotic is most likely to work against it. You may need to take antibiotics for a week or longer to fully clear up the infection.
Redness and itching in your vulva might also be a sign of a skin condition called vulvar dermatitis. It includes:
You can get vulvar dermatitis if you're sensitive to products such as:
Pain during sex is a symptom of both a yeast infection and dermatitis. With dermatitis, you might also feel pain when you insert a tampon or get a pelvic exam from your OB/GYN.
Vulvar dermatitis also causes symptoms such as these in the vulva:
To get a diagnosis, your doctor will ask about your symptoms and examine you. They may test a sample of discharge from your vagina or do patch testing of your skin to see if you have any allergies.
Treatment starts with avoiding whatever substance is irritating your skin. Your doctor might prescribe a corticosteroid ointment or anti-itch medicine to relieve symptoms such as redness, swelling, itching, and burning.
Redness, swelling, itching, and discharge can also be symptoms of an allergic reaction of the vulva called vulvitis. Vulvitis isn't an infection, but a reaction to products such as soap or laundry detergent. Sometimes an infection causes vulvitis.
With vulvitis, the itching is intense. Plus, you may have:
To diagnose vulvitis, your doctor will do a pelvic exam. They may do blood and urine tests and check you for STDs. You might also have a Pap test, which not only screens for cancer but also helps diagnose infections and inflammation.
To treat vulvitis, first avoid the irritating substance that caused it. Cortisone creams can ease itch and irritation. Sitting in a sitz bath helps with itching.
Hemorrhoids are swollen veins in the rectum or the skin around the anus. They sometimes cause itching, swelling, and pain in and around the vagina. But mainly, you'll feel the itching and discomfort around the anus. With hemorrhoids, you can actually feel a swelling around your rectum and you may have some bleeding.
Yeast infections are less common as you get older. If you have symptoms such as vaginal irritation and you're past menopause, they could be due to low estrogen.
As you get older, your level of estrogen goes down. This causes changes in your body, such as thinner skin in your vagina called vaginal atrophy. With atrophy, you can have symptoms that mimic an infection, such as vaginal burning or itching and pain during sex.
Other low estrogen symptoms are very different from those of a yeast infection. Look for signs like these to help you tell the two conditions apart:
What does discharge look like with yeast infection and low estrogen?
Discharge from a yeast infection is thick and white, and it doesn't smell. With low estrogen, the discharge is thin, watery, and yellow.
Because the symptoms of so many other conditions resemble a yeast infection, it's better to see an OB/GYN or other doctor for a diagnosis and treatment, especially if you've never had one of these infections before. Your doctor can do tests to confirm which condition you have. Then if you do have a yeast infection, they can prescribe an antifungal medication that's stronger than ones you can buy over the counter.
While you can treat a yeast infection yourself if you've had them before and you know what medicine works for you, don't use antifungal medicines if you're pregnant. Some of these medicines can harm your growing baby.
If you get frequent yeast infections, a chronic condition such as diabetes might be behind them. Your doctor can diagnose the cause and recommend treatments to prevent these infections in the future.
Yeast infections are so common that most people who have a vagina will get at least one of them in their lifetime. These infections cause symptoms such as burning, itching, irritation, and vaginal discharge. Many other conditions also cause similar symptoms. So, see your primary care doctor or OB/GYN for a diagnosis and treatment if you have symptoms like these, especially if it's your first yeast infection.
What is the fastest way to get rid of a yeast infection?
Take an over-the-counter or prescription antifungal medication. These medicines can clear up a yeast infection in 3-7 days.
Will a yeast infection go away on its own?
Some mild yeast infections do go away on their own, but not all. Most of these infections will clear up after you take an antifungal medicine for a few days. Others will need longer treatment.
Should I treat a yeast infection myself?
If you've had these infections before, you could try to treat them yourself using an over-the-counter antifungal medicine. But if this is your first yeast infection or your symptoms don't improve with over-the-counter treatment, see a doctor.
How can I be sure I have a yeast infection?
The only way to know for sure that you have a yeast infection is to get a diagnosis from your doctor. The doctor will do a pelvic exam and test fluid from your vagina to make the diagnosis.
Can a yeast infection cause back pain?
Back pain isn't a usual symptom of a yeast infection. The cause of back pain is more likely to be a muscle, ligament, or joint problem such as arthritis or a bulging disc.
Sexually Transmitted Infections: Watch Out For Unusual Bleeding, Pain During Intercourse
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