What Is DHA

DHA is an essential fatty acid that comes from fish oil. DHA is used to treat aggression, cancer, dementia, atopic dermatitis (itchy skin), gingivitis (swollen gums), high cholesterol and high triglycerides (blood fats), inflammatory bowel disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammation (pain and swelling), multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, brain development in infants, and high blood pressure.


Other names for DHA include: Docosahexaenoic Acid, Omega-3 Fatty Acid, and Fish Oil.

Prior for Using:
Tell your doctor if you

• take medicine or are allergic to any medicine (prescription or over-the-counter (OTC) or dietary supplement)
• pregnant or plan to become pregnant while using this medicine
• breastfeeding
• bleeding disorder (hemophilia, thrombocytopenia) or diabetes
• other health problems, such as high blood pressure or heart or blood vessel disease

Dosage:
Talk with your caregiver about how much DHA you should take. The amount depends on the strength of the medicine and the reason you are taking DHA. If you are using this medicine without instructions from your caregiver, follow the directions on the medicine bottle. Do not take more medicine or take it more often than the directions tell you to.

To store this medicine:
Keep all medicine locked up and away from children. Store medicine away from heat and direct light.

Do not take omega-3 fish oils such as DHA without talking to your doctor first if you are taking blood thinning medicines (examples: warfarin (Coumadin(R); dicumarol (Dicumarol(R))

Warnings:
Before taking DHA, tell your doctor if you are pregnant or breast feeding,fish oils, a source of DHA, can be high in vitamin A and vitamin D. Taking more than 25000 IU of vitamin A per day, or 800 IU of vitamin D per day is not recommended, if you have a bleeding disorder (hemophilia, thrombocytopenia), you should not take DHA without asking health care professional . Olive oil may decrease the ability of DHA to decrease inflammation (pain swelling, redness). If you have diabetes (blood sugar disease), you should not take DHA without first asking your health care professional.

Side Effects:
Stop taking your medicine right away and talk to doctor if you have any of the following side effects. Your medicine may be causing these symptoms which may mean you are allergic to it.
* Breathing problems or tightness in your throat or chest
* Chest pain
* Skin hives, rash, or itchy or swollen skin

Reference : PDRHealth