Iodine is a chemical element that your body needs but cannot produce and therefore must take from the food you eat. Most of the iodine in your diet is added during processing. Another source of dietary iodine is sea life, especially seaweed. Your thyroid gland uses iodine to make hormones that are essential to your health and well being. Iodine deficiency can lead to a host of diseases and is detrimental to the healthy development of the fetus. While iodine supplements are prescribed for iodine deficiency, taking them may cause unpleasant side effects such as nausea, diarrhea and a metallic taste in the mouth.
Hyperthyroidism
Getting too much iodine is one of several causes of hyperthyroidism, a condition in which your thyroid releases too much of its hormones. If your thyroid does this over a short period of time, the condition is deemed acute. On the other hand, if it occurs over a long period of time, the condition is called chronic. Hyperthyroidism has many varied symptoms and one of the most common of these is nausea.
Dosage
Because iodine interacts in complex ways with your thyroid, you should not take iodine supplements unless your doctor tells you to do so. To avoid iodine deficiency, get a sufficient amount of iodine from your diet. The amount of iodine your body needs varies depending on your age. Infants six months or younger need 40 mcg a day. Infants older than six months but younger than one year need 50 mcg a day. Children 10 years old or younger need from 70 to 120 mcg a day, while those who are older than 10 need 120 to 150 mcg of iodine daily. Pregnant women need 175 mcg per day, while nursing women need 200 mcg per day. If you do not meet your daily iodine requirement, your are at risk of developing nausea and other symptoms associated with iodine deficiency.
Precautions
Aside from increasing the risk of your developing hyperthyroidism, high doses of iodine may also increase your risk of developing other thyroid diseases such as Hashimoto's disease, Graves' disease, certain thyroid cancers and a dangerous condition involving a large amount of thyroid hormones in the bloodstream called thyrotoxicosis. As a rule, do not take iodine supplements without first consulting your doctor. Taking high doses of iodine every day, about 160 to 600 mcg, may be harmful, while taking about 2000 mcg of iodine daily may be toxic, particularly if you have kidney disease or tuberculosis.
Treating Nausea
You can take the following steps to treat nausea while your doctor addresses its underlying cause. Taking it easy and getting enough rest may help ease the nausea as may staying hydrated by taking small sips of cold, clear, carbonated or sour drinks or mint tea, MayoClinic.com recommends. Avoiding strong odors and other triggers such as food and cooking smells, perfume, smoke, stuffy rooms, heat, humidity, flickering lights and driving may also help ease nausea or, at least, not make it worse. Eating bland foods such as gelatin, crackers and toast may also help as may avoiding fatty or spicy foods.
Member Comments