Heavy metal poisoning is the toxic accumulation of heavy metals in the soft tissues of the body. The metals that cause poisoning in most individuals can be lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium. People may come in contact with heavy metals in occupations such as industrial type work, manufacturing, or agriculture.
The symptoms of heavy metal poisoning will vary according to the nature and quantity of the metal, as well as how the exposure occurred. Symptoms can range from gastrointestinal symptoms when a heavy metal is ingested, to burns on the skin, when the skin is exposed to mercury, to neurological symptoms. In severe cases of heavy metal poisoning, patients exhibit obvious impairment of cognitive, motor and language skills. The expression “mad as a hatter” comes from the mercury poisoning prevalent in 17th century France, when hatmakers soaked animal hides in a solution of mercuric nitrate to soften the hair.
Heavy metal poisoning is diagnosed through tests that can include, blood, urine, and x-rays, as well as measuring amounts of the metal on things like hair and nails.
Heavy metals such as lead and mercury are readily diagnosed through blood tests, while arsenic is better tested through the urine since arsenic is rapidly removed from the blood. On the other hand, arsenic can remain on hair and nails for months.
Alternative treatments for heavy metal poisoning include chelation, dietary changes, and the use of nutritional supplements and herbs. In addition, homeopathic remedies have been recommended to prompt the body’s detoxification mechanisms. SOURCE: HEAVY METAL POISONING By Douglas Dupler, Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine
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