Fish oil pills can be beneficial to your health, as they contain omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to raise HDL, the healthy cholesterol, to higher levels. If your doctor has recommended that you begin a regimen of taking fish oil pills, you may be concerned with potential side effects. Luckily, the side effects from fish oil pills are mostly beneficial, and the few negative side effects are fairly mild. The longer you stay on a fish oil pill regimen, the less pronounced these side effects will be.
Nausea
If eating a lot of fish or foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids was not part of your diet, you may notice that when you begin taking your fish oil pills you feel nauseous. This is most likely because of the different nutrient that you are introducing into your body that it isn't used to. Keep taking the fish oil pills daily, and you'll find that the feeling subsides. If it doesn't, talk to your doctor about finding another source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Bad Breath
For all of the benefits to taking fish oil pills for omega-3 fatty acids, you may have to worry about one small side effect that is negative: bad breath. Since the pills are literally filled with the oil from oily fish, they have an unpleasant smell that permeates the capsule. When ingested, the smell may make its way back up to your mouth and manifest in the form of bad breath. Keeping a few mints or sticks of gum handy will remedy this.
Skin Rash
A mild skin rash may occur when you first begin taking fish oil pills. Researchers aren't sure why this rash appears, but it disappears after continual use. It is most likely your body getting used to the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in the fish oil pills, and there is no cause to be alarmed or notify your health care provider.
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