Heavy metal poisoning

When it comes to heavy metal poisoning, many of our friends don’t know what it is, so this situation is not common in our lives. In fact, heavy metal poisoning is a common phenomenon in our lives. Take the tin cans we often use, for example. If they are not handled cleanly, it can easily lead to heavy metal poisoning, so don’t think that heavy metal poisoning is uncommon.

The more common heavy metal poisonings include mercury poisoning and lead poisoning, because these two heavy metals are commonly found in our lives, especially in the cosmetics used by many women, which contain a lot of mercury and lead. If used for a long time, poisoning symptoms may occur.

The diagnosis of acute mercury poisoning is mainly based on occupational history or history of toxic ingestion, combined with clinical manifestations and urine mercury or blood mercury measurement (significantly increased). The diagnosis of chronic mercury poisoning should emphasize the history of exposure and the main clinical manifestations such as psycho-neurological symptoms, stomatitis and tremor, and similar clinical manifestations caused by other causes should be excluded. Increased levels of urinary mercury and blood mercury are helpful in diagnosis. The mercury expulsion test can use 0.25g of sodium dithiocarbazide sulfonate, injected intramuscularly; or 0.5g of sodium dithiocarbazide, injected intravenously; if the urinary mercury excretion increases significantly, it can serve as an important auxiliary diagnosis basis.

Acute lead poisoning (adults):

A. Mild and moderate poisoning: fatigue, restlessness, paresthesia, myalgia, abdominal pain, tremors, headache, nausea, vomiting, constipation, weight loss, and decreased libido.

B. Severe poisoning: motor neuropathy, encephalopathy, convulsions, coma, severe abdominal cramps, acute renal failure.

Chronic lead poisoning:

Central nervous system: brain lesions, mental and intellectual disabilities, neurobehavioral abnormalities (blood lead concentration above 30ug/dl), affecting children's growth, development and IQ (blood lead concentration above 5ug/dl).

Peripheral nerves: The conduction velocity of motor nerves slows down, and the ulnar nerve conduction is affected when the blood lead concentration is greater than 30ug/dl.

Blood: anemia, hemolysis, inhibition of ALAD (blood lead concentration above 10ug/dl) and FEP (15ug/dl). Increased ALA in urine (blood lead concentration above 30ug/dl) and basophilic stippling of red blood cells.

Kidneys: Hypertension, gout, and chronic renal failure.

Others: Reduced thyroid hormone concentration and chronic renal failure, interfered with vitamin D metabolism, reduced sperm motility and number, carcinogenicity.

You already know the symptoms of heavy metal poisoning. From its symptoms, you can see how serious the harm of heavy metal poisoning is. That is why I hope that all friends must pay attention to it in daily life and try to eat less tin cans, especially for children, it is best not to eat them to avoid heavy metal poisoning.