What are the symptoms of arsenic poisoning?

Arsenic poisoning is a relatively serious problem that can easily cause patients to experience symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain, or dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. In severe cases, it can even cause circulatory failure and other liver damage.

(1) Acute gastroenteritis is manifested by a burning sensation in the esophagus, a metallic taste in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and rice-water stool (sometimes with blood). It can lead to dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, prerenal renal insufficiency, and even circulatory failure.

(2) Neurological manifestations include headache, dizziness, fatigue, numbness around the mouth, body aches, and severe cases may suffer from restlessness, delirium, delusions, muscle cramps in the limbs, confusion, and even coma, paralysis of the respiratory center, and death. Multiple peripheral neuritis and radiculitis may occur 3 to 3 weeks after acute poisoning, manifested by muscle pain, numbness of the limbs, tingling sensation, and weakness of the upper and lower limbs. The symptoms develop symmetrically from the distal to the proximal end of the limbs, and the sensation will decrease or disappear later. Severe patients suffer from foot drop, wrist drop, muscle atrophy, and disappearance of Achilles tendon reflex.

(3) Other organ damage includes toxic hepatitis (hepatomegaly, abnormal liver function or jaundice, etc.), myocardial damage, kidney damage, anemia, etc.

The main symptoms of acute inhalation arsenic poisoning are eye and respiratory irritation and nervous system symptoms, including eye stinging, tearing, conjunctival congestion, coughing, sneezing, chest pain, dyspnea, headache, dizziness, etc. In severe cases, the throat and larynx may suffocate, or cause coma or shock. Gastrointestinal symptoms occur relatively late and are mild.

There may be local itching and rash at the skin contact site, and after one week, there will be bran-like desquamation, followed by local pigmentation and hyperkeratosis. 40 to 60 days after acute poisoning, almost all patients will have white horizontal lines (Mess lines) on their fingernails and toenails, which will move to the toes as they grow and disappear after about 5 months.

(4) The main clinical manifestation of arsenic acid poisoning is acute hemolysis.