What harm does arsenic do to the human body

There are many trace elements in our body, and we also get some trace elements through diet and other methods in our life. An appropriate amount of trace elements can be helpful to our health. For example, arsenic, a trace element, plays a relatively important role in promoting human growth and development. However, when arsenic exceeds the standard, it will cause poisoning in the body, which will cause great harm to health.

Acute arsenic poisoning

?Acute arsenic poisoning is mostly caused by inhalation or swallowing of arsenic compounds. The symptoms of acute arsenic poisoning are paralytic and gastrointestinal. Common gastrointestinal symptoms in the early stages include dryness, pain, burning, tightness in the mouth and throat, hoarseness, nausea, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, abdominal pain and diarrhea. The vomitus first contains gastric contents and rice water, followed by a mixture of blood, mucus, and bile, and sometimes small pieces of unabsorbed arsenic; the vomitus may have a garlic-like odor. Severe cases are very similar to cholera, with large amounts of watery stools initially passed out, which then become bloody or rice water-like and mixed with blood. Dehydration, acidosis, and even shock quickly occur. At the same time, there may be headache, dizziness, irritability, delirium, toxic myocarditis, multiple neuritis, etc. A few people experience epistaxis and skin bleeding. In severe cases, respiratory, circulatory, liver, kidney and other functional failure and central nervous system diseases may occur within 24 hours to several days after poisoning, and critical signs such as dyspnea, convulsions, and coma may appear. A small number of patients may go into shock or even die within 20 minutes to 48 hours after poisoning, while gastrointestinal symptoms are not significant. Patients may have attacks of porphyria and strongly positive urine porphyrin.

Subacute arsenic poisoning

Subacute poisoning may cause symptoms of multiple neuritis, abnormal sensation in the limbs, first pain and numbness, followed by weakness and debility, until complete paralysis or incomplete paralysis, wrist drop, foot drop and loss of tendon reflexes, etc.; or difficulty swallowing, pronunciation and breathing disorders. Skin flushing or erythema sometimes occurs due to vasomotor dysfunction.

Chronic arsenic poisoning

Chronic arsenic poisoning is generally caused by occupational reasons, and is often manifested as weakness, loss of appetite, and occasional nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea. Leukopenia and thrombocytopenia, anemia, erythrocyte and bone marrow cell production disorders, hair loss, stomatitis, rhinitis, nasal septum ulcers and perforations, skin pigmentation, and exfoliative dermatitis may also occur. The skin of the palms and toes is excessively keratinized, the nails lose their luster and flatness, become thinner and brittle, and white horizontal lines appear. There is also liver and myocardial damage. The arsenic levels in the hair, urine and nails of poisoned patients are increased. In patients who have taken large amounts of arsenic orally, abdominal X-ray examinations may reveal substances in their gastrointestinal tract that are not penetrable by X-rays.