Mercury Allergy Symptoms

If we want to be healthy, we must pay attention to nutritional balance, eat a reasonable diet, and supplement the various substances needed by the body, among which the absorption of trace elements cannot be neglected. When supplementing trace elements, be careful not to overdose, and also pay attention to allergies. Mercury allergy symptoms are something that everyone should pay special attention to. Mercury is very harmful to the human body, and when mercury allergy occurs, people will feel nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

1. What are the symptoms of mercury poisoning?

1. Acute mercury poisoning

It is mainly caused by oral ingestion of mercury compounds such as mercuric chloride. Patients will develop acute corrosive stomatitis and gastroenteritis within a few minutes to tens of minutes after taking the drug. The patient complained of burning pain in the mouth and throat, as well as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and then diarrhea. Vomitus and stool often contain bloody mucus and exfoliated necrotic tissue. Patients often suffer from peripheral circulatory failure and gastrointestinal perforation. Acute renal failure may occur after 3 to 4 days (or within 24 hours in severe cases). There may also be liver damage.

Inhalation of high concentrations of mercury vapor can cause fever, chemical tracheobronchitis and pneumonia, respiratory failure, and acute renal failure.

Skin contact with mercury and its compounds can cause contact dermatitis, which has an allergic nature. The rash is erythematous papules that may merge into flakes or form blisters, leaving pigmentation after healing.

2. Chronic mercury poisoning

It is often caused by occupational inhalation of mercury vapor, and in a small number of patients it can also be caused by the use of mercury preparations. Psychiatric and neurological symptoms may first include dizziness, headache, insomnia, and nightmares, followed by emotional agitation or depression, anxiety and timidity, as well as manifestations of autonomic nervous system dysfunction such as blushing, sweating, and skin scratches. Muscle tremors first occur in the fingers, eyelids, and tongue, and later affect the arms, legs, head, and even the whole body; they are more obvious when being noticed or excited. Oral symptoms mainly include mucosal congestion, ulcers, gingival swelling and bleeding, loose and falling teeth. People with poor oral hygiene may see blue-black mercury sulfide particles arranged in rows on their gums, which is a sign of mercury absorption. In terms of the kidneys, the initial symptoms are subclinical tubular damage, low-molecular proteinuria, and nephritis and nephrotic syndrome. Kidney damage can be expected to recover after the person stops being exposed to mercury. Patients with chronic poisoning may also experience weight loss, sexual dysfunction, menstrual disorders or miscarriage in women, hyperthyroidism, and peripheral neuropathy. The brown light reflex in the anterior chamber of the lens is considered to be "mercury crystalline lensitis" caused by mercury deposition. This brown light reflex may persist after the symptoms of poisoning disappear or the person is no longer exposed to mercury. It is another sign of mercury absorption.

2. What are the commonly used drugs for the treatment of mercury poisoning?

1. Acute poisoning

(1) Those who are poisoned by inhaling mercury vapor should be quickly moved away from the poisoning site for rescue. In case of oral poisoning, first drink egg white water, soy milk or milk, and activated carbon to combine with mercury, then repeatedly wash the stomach with 2% sodium bicarbonate, and then give 20-30 g of magnesium sulfate as a catharsis.

(2) Mercury removal treatment can be achieved by intramuscular injection of 2 to 3 mL of 5% sodium dithiopropane sulfonate, once every 8 hours on the first day, and then 1 to 2 times a day for 3 to 5 days. Interval for 2 to 3 days. You can also use 1g of sodium dimercaptosuccinate dissolved in glucose injection or normal saline and slowly inject it intravenously, twice on the first day, and once a day thereafter, for 3 to 5 days. The above drugs should be used with caution when renal function is impaired.

(3) Prevent and treat secondary infection, shock, renal failure, and correct water and electrolyte imbalance.

2. Chronic poisoning

(1) Administer vitamins A, B1, B6, C, etc. according to the condition of the disease, and use myocardial protective drugs such as AT1 and coenzyme A.

(2) Mercury removal therapy

Sodium dithiopropene sulfonate: The first dose of 5% solution is 2-3 ml injected intramuscularly, followed by 1-2.5 ml once every 4-6 hours. After 1-2 days, 2.5 ml is administered once a day. The course of treatment is about 1 week. If necessary, it can be repeated after 1 month. Common side effects include dizziness, headache, nausea, loss of appetite, weakness, etc., occasionally abdominal pain or hypokalemia, a few patients develop rash, and some develop systemic allergic reactions or exfoliative dermatitis.

Dimercaptopropanol: The first dose is 2.5-3 mg/kg, once every 4-6 hours, deep intramuscular injection for 1-2 days. On the third day, the frequency can be changed to once every 6 to 12 hours depending on the patient's condition; thereafter, the frequency can be changed to 1 to 2 times a day for a total of 10 to 14 days. Common side effects include headache, nausea, burning sensation in the throat, tearing, nasal congestion, sweating, abdominal pain, muscle cramps, tachycardia, increased blood pressure, rash and renal impairment. Children are prone to allergic reactions and fever.

(3) Symptomatic treatment: choose appropriate sedatives and hypnotics according to the neuropsychiatric disorder. For stomatitis, rinse your mouth with 1:5000 potassium permanganate solution or 3% hydrogen peroxide. Severe dermatitis can be treated with topical dexamethasone cream or oral prednisone. Patients with mercury poisoning encephalopathy should take drugs that improve brain tissue metabolism and promote nerve cell recovery, such as citicoline, ATP, coenzyme A, cytochrome C, etc.

3. Blood perfusion

If ARF occurs, mercury removal treatment is not appropriate. Hemoperfusion can effectively remove blood mercury and help patients survive acute renal failure. It should be used as early as possible in case of severe mercury poisoning.