Epidemiology It is less common than selenium deficiency. The outcomes of selenium poisoning are baldness, fatigue, gastric problems, and garlic breath. A doe's failure to conceive can be the result of either selenium deficiency or toxicity. Selenium deficiency can cause Keshan disease (a type of heart disease) and male infertility. Most horses receive enough selenium in their normal diet; however, well meaning owners will give supplements containing selenium. Selenium causes your hair and nails to become brittle, causing excessive hair breakage and cracked nails. Extremely high intakes of selenium can cause severe problems, including difficulty breathing, tremors, kidney failure, heart attacks, and heart failure. What happens if your selenium levels are too high? 6 Outbreaks of acute selenium poisoning are rare, but have been reported. Methods: A case was defined as the onset of symptoms of selenium toxicity in a person within 2 weeks after ingesting a dietary supplement manufactured by "Company A," purchased after January 1, 2008. For example, chronic selenium toxicity was endemic in parts of China until recently. Selenium toxicity is typically due to extreme levels of oral, inhaled or oral exposure. Volcanic eruptions may release selenium in air. (Red blood cells are recycled every three months so the whole blood reflects the average amount of selenium in all of the red blood cells that have been circulating over the last 3 months - kinda like glycosylated hemoglobin vs blood glucose in terms of . Selenium increases antioxidant effects in the body. Taking more than 900 mcg per day can be toxic, however getting this amount from foods alone is extremely unlikely. Chromium is another trace mineral that humans require in very small amounts. At high doses ( > 900 mcg/day), selenium causes toxicity. Rosenfeld and Beath (1964) classified three distinct forms of selenium poisoning in livestock: (a) acute, (b) chronic of the blind-staggers type, and (c) chronic of the alkali-disease type. Most processed selenium is used in the electronics industry, but it is also used: as a nutritional supplement . Selenium poisoning in fish can be 'invisible', because, the primary point of impact is the egg, which receives selenium from the female's diet (whether consumed in organic or inorganic forms), and stores it until hatching, whereupon it is metabolized by the developing fish. Serum will give you the snapshot but whole blood will give you the big picture, or at least the 3-month average. Long term exposure can lead to chronic selenium toxicity and can lead to death. Here is a look, courtesy of the Journal of the American Medical Association, at some of the ways selenium toxicity can cause concerns. A single selenium dose of 1 mg/kg can be associated with lethal toxicosis. Selenium. We report a fatal case of acute selenium poisoning in a 75-year-old man. The signs to watch out for are: brittle hair, brittle nails, skin rashes, diarrhea, nausea, discolored teeth, bad breath and irritability. Selenium toxicity is a serious threat to livestock in the western United States. The other main cause of selenium toxicity in horses is when grazing land is high in selenium. There were also substantial . Alkali disease of horses and cattle was shown to be caused by selenium. It is used as a cofactor in processes that regulate blood sugar, and helps insulin transport glucose into cells. Chronic selenosis is sometimes termed alkali disease because it is associated with alkaline soils in parts of the arid western US. . As an element, selenium cannot be created or destroyed, although selenium can change forms in the environment. When selenium intake is regularly Use Brazil nuts according to described values. Selenium is better absorbed from food sources than it is from supplements, however, keep in mind that too much can turn toxic. We investigated an outbreak of acute selenium poisoning. [ 8] The obvious cause of selenium toxicosis is exposure to high levels of selenium. As long as you eat a balanced diet, you can avoid toxicity of the mineral. Excessive intake of selenium causes Se poisoning of animals and humans called selenosis. Here seleniferous limestones and shales of the Tambo Formation cause selenium toxicity symptoms in livestock grazing plants in this area, whereas less than 100 km to the south . . Just be sure that your dose isn't too high or you may cause the same problem. The horse will then consume these plants and over a long period will gradually develop elevated selenium levels. Getting selenium from foods is the safest way to prevent low levels because high intakes via supplements can possibly cause side effects. Serious side effects of Selenium. Get emergency help immediately if any of the following symptoms of overdose occur while taking selenium: Symptoms of overdose. There are several manners in which selenium may express its toxicity: (1) an important mechanism appears to involve the formation of CH (3)Se (minus sign) which either enters a redox cycle and generates superoxide and oxidative stress, or forms free radicals that bind to and inhibit important enzymes and proteins. The toxicity and deficiency sections are general information and contain diseases that affect most species; for species specific diseases, see that species' section. Respiratory Symptoms Some of the respiratory symptoms of selenium poisoning include coughing, garlicky odor from the mouth, bronchitis, bronchial pneumonia, and pulmonary edema. Pork. The inhalation of selenium compounds causes respiratory membrane irritation, pulmonary edema, bronchial inflammation, and pneumonia. Selenium toxicity also can and does occur from taking selenium supplements in too high a dose for too long. After reading on the Internet about a possible role of selenium in prostate cancer, the patient ingested 10 g of sodium selenite. In the field, acute selenium poisoning is caused by the ingestion of a large quantity of highly seleniferous accumulator plants in a short period of time. You might notice your hair thinning or develop white blotches on your nails. Excessive selenium causes brittle hair, hair loss, deformed nails, brittle nails, sloughing off of nails, tooth discoloration, tooth decay and mottled or discolored skin. Selenium toxicity is also associated with embryonic deformities in birds; indeed, the hatchability of fertile eggs is a sensitive indicator of selenium intoxication. Some symptoms of selenium deficiency are identical to those of selenium toxicity. Selenium has a very narrow margin of safety. There are also many other plants that have the capability to concentrate selenium that is taken up from the soil, which are termed selenium accumulators. Along with its needed effects, selenium may cause some unwanted effects. At high enough levels, selenium could cause death.. Fatigue - Fatigue and low energy may stem from thyroid problems that excess selenium may exacerbate. Diagnosis of selenium toxicity is usually clinical; sometimes blood glutathione peroxidase is measured. Weathering of rocks and soils may result in low levels of selenium in water, which may be taken up by plants. Selenium is stored within the soil and plants utilize this mineral for growth. Cattle must ingest a minimum of 3.3 mg/kg of body weight of Se daily. #3. In the majority of cases, toxic levels of selenium in the body arise very rarely, being triggered mostly by an overdose of concentrated supplements and seldom due to dietary food sources. This case illustrates the risks of . Gastrointestinal Symptoms Just make sure you balance enriched foods with plenty of whole, plant-based foods for optimal nutrition. Neurological Signs Selenium is available in multivitamin supplements and as a standalone supplement. What are some effects of selenium on health? Aside from a lingering bad mouth odour with a metallic taste, selenium toxicity can cause many grave consequences in the system. Selenium is an essential trace mineral found in soil, water, and some foods. Selenium Toxicity. 6. Causes of selenosis range from ingestion of excessive selenium, as is the case of regular snacking on Brazil nuts which could contain up to 90 g of selenium per nut. 5. An overdose of selenium may cause bad breath, fever, and nausea, as well as liver, kidney and heart problems and other symptoms. Scientists are studying selenium to understand how it affects health. Forms selenius acid in presence of water in respiratory tract Bronchospasm Hypotension Tachycardia Tachypnea Chemical pneumonitis Fevers Vomiting and diarrhea Dermal Caustic burns Ophthalmic Corneal injuries Lacrimation Conjunctival edema Chronic or Selenosis No deaths from chronic exposures Radiation of Brazil Nuts Brazil nut trees grow with deep roots. Some symptoms are more severe than others, but all represent a disruption in wellness. 2. The higher intake may lead you to selenium poisoning. Selenium toxicity is often caused by over-supplementation [ 8] and can impact the human body in a number of ways. It might also cause Kashin-Beck disease, a type of arthritis that produces pain, swelling, and loss of motion in your joints. And whole blood vs serum. these two cases present several important features associated with selenium toxicity, two of which are previously unreported: (1) selenium as a potential homicidal agent, (2) the toxidrome and time frame of selenium toxicity, (3) selenium determination in exhumed, embalmed tissues, (4) postmortem urinary selenium concentration, and (5) decrease Signs in the horse included hair loss from mane and tail, sloughing of hooves, joint . Three ounces of lean pork contain about 33 mcg of selenium. Weathering also releases selenium into the air on fine dust-like particles. The selenium . Crab, fish . Common early symptoms of selenium toxicity and poisoning involve the hair and nail beds of the hands and feet. Beef. For example, selenium deficiency in combination with a second stress (possibly a viral infection) leads to Keshan disease, a cardiomyopathy that occurred in parts of China prior to a government-sponsored selenium supplementation program that began in the 1970s [ 2, 5, 8, 21 ]. It mostly occurs through three pathways [138]: interaction with thiols and generating free radicals . It is an important factor in many body processes. In its pure form, it exists as metallic gray to black hexagonal crystals, but in nature it is usually combined with sulfide or with silver, copper, lead, and nickel minerals. Although not all of these side effects may occur, if they do occur they may need medical attention. High blood levels of selenium can result in selenosis, with gastrointestinal distress, hair loss, white spots on nails, fatigue, and irritability. #2. Goats require 0.2 parts per million of selenium, and the toxic level is 3 ppm. There is more data on the toxicity of Se in cattle and sheep, but selenosis affects all livestock. Symptoms Poor skin quality Change in hair coat color Hair loss Dull coat Bioaccumulation in aquatic food chains causes otherwise harmless . Hair Loss - Selenium deficiency can also cause hair loss which means many people with hair loss use selenium. Chronic (Alkali or bobtail disease): Most common form of selenium toxicity seen in cattle. The mechanism of selenium toxicity is still not clear but the blocking of sulfur uptake and use within the cells is a likely prospect. Elemental selenium dust exposure also produces mucous. The daily upper limits for selenium include intakes from all sourcesfood, beverages, and supplementsand are listed below. The latter of the two are converted into selenious acid once in the body which causes irritation, circulatory, skeletal muscle and gastrointestinal effects. Background: Selenium is an element necessary for normal cellular function, but it can have toxic effects at high doses. Selenium was first identified as a toxin in the 1930s. Brittle Nails - Selenium toxicity can cause changes to your nail beds including discoloration in your nails. Selenium toxicity (rarely: hyperselenemia) is caused by excessive intake of the non-metallic element selenium (Se) in the diet. Brittle Nails - Selenium toxicity can cause changes to your nail beds including discoloration in your nails. Poisoning. Manifestations include hair loss, abnormal nails, dermatitis, peripheral neuropathy, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, irritability, and a garlic odor of the breath. #4. As Brazil nuts are high of selenium, you should be careful with Brazil nuts and selenium poisoning which can cause the following symptoms: 1. Because too LOW selenium levels can contribute to health problems like: Selenium Deficiency Heart Failure A Weakened Immune System Complications of Influenza Some Cancers Thyroid Problems 7,8. . Selenium poisoning can be more common than expected There is a narrow margin between the recommended daily allowance of selenium for adults of 55 mcg and the tolerable upper intake level, which is a maximum daily intake of 400 mcg. While the observation of fever in some patients is interesting, we were unable to determine conclusively that selenium toxicity was the cause. The exposure is usually to selenious acid, selenium oxide and dioxide. Diarrhea #3. Selenium is a naturally occurring mineral element that is distributed widely in nature in most rocks and soils. Despite intensive care treatment, he suffered a cardiac arrest and died 6 hours after ingestion.