Mercury poisoning symptoms

Mercury, also known as mercury in scientific terms, is a silvery-white liquid metal at room temperature that is volatile. The mercury we come into contact with in daily life is mainly the working substance of the liquid bubble of thermometers. Since thermometers are made of glass, they are often broken accidentally, causing the mercury in the bubble to flow out. Mercury is a highly toxic substance to the human body and improper handling can cause serious poisoning.

There are two main types of mercury poisoning: one is poisoning caused by inhalation of mercury vapor, and the other is poisoning caused by oral ingestion of mercury. The hazards of inhalation poisoning are far greater than those caused by oral intake of mercury. Human poisoning caused by oral mercury is mostly acute corrosive gastroenteritis and necrotizing renal tubular function damage. Severe cases can lead to nephritis and nephrotic syndrome, but kidney damage can be recovered after removing mercury.

Compared with oral mercury, there are more rumors about human poisoning caused by inhalation of mercury vapor. The first manifestation is damage to the nervous system, which can lead to emotional instability and autonomic nervous system dysfunction. Secondly, muscle tremors may occur in the hands, eyes, tongue, arms, lower limbs and even the whole body, oral mucosal congestion, oral ulcers and loose teeth, and severe patients may even lose their teeth.

Inhalation poisoning often causes chronic poisoning. Some symptoms appear slowly, making it difficult for people to detect. Some patients will experience symptoms of continuous weight loss, some patients will experience sexual dysfunction, and female patients will also experience miscarriage and menstrual disorders. The occurrence of these conditions often makes patients not associate themselves with mercury poisoning, which leads to delays in the disease.

Therefore, once a thermometer is broken, it must never be used again, and it must be prevented from being used by children alone. The mercury that flows out of the broken thermometer can be covered with sulfur. If there is no sulfur, a raw egg can be broken and used instead of sulfur to cover the mercury droplets. At the same time, drink more milk immediately, which will help to relieve mercury poisoning, and then go to the hospital for treatment in time.