Heavy metals are widely used in many industries, in medicine and in everyday life. If they are used improperly, acute or chronic poisoning can easily develop and cause serious adverse changes in the functioning of the whole organism. This article describes in detail the symptoms of heavy metal poisoning, the causes and mechanisms of its development and the ways of providing first aid and treatment.

         

Toxic heavy metals

Main reasons of heavy metal poisoning

Heavy metal poisoning most often occurs if the safety regulations at manufacturing process or at home are not observed. The most toxic and widespread heavy metals that cause intoxications in people are: mercury, lead, zinc, copper, nickel and antimony.

Heavy metal poisoning can occur in 2 ways: when heavy metals are ingested or inhaled.

Heavy metal intoxication can develop even from a single contact with a poisonous substance or due to prolonged work with it. Chronic poisoning with salts of heavy metals is most often diagnosed in people who daily contact with heavy metals at work.

Heavy metals in high concentrations are found in exhaust gases, pesticides, rat poison, smoke from cigarettes, various paints, solvents. Contact with these substances causes poisoning of the body.

Also some heavy metals are used in medicine. They are  contained in ointments that treat purulent lesions of the skin. The misuse of these medicines can lead to intoxication.

Various heavy metals affect the body in different ways. The manifestation and severity of symptoms depends on the duration of exposure to the poison, the concentration of heavy metals and the age of the poisoned.

Note that children are more susceptible to heavy metals. Severe intoxication can be caused by a minimum amount of these substances.

Distinctive symptoms of heavy metal poisoning

Symptoms of heavy metal poisoning may appear immediately or after a few days. With prolonged contact with these substances, clinical manifestations develop gradually.

The table below shows the clinical picture of metal poisoning,- the symptoms that are typical for intoxication by different types of them.

 

Name of a heavy metal	Characteristic symptoms and features of the clinical course of poisoning
Mercury	In acute mercury poisoning , signs of intoxication appear throughout the first 2-3 hours. Symptoms:  hyperthermia, at which temperature rises above 39 degrees;  headache, dizziness;  abundant diarrhea, in the feces you can see the inclusion of mucus and blood;  swelling of the gums and mucosa of the entire oral cavity;  increased secretion of saliva, lacrimation, sweating; accelerated heart rate;  Frequent and shallow breathing, shortness of breath; loss of consciousness.
Lead	Lead intoxication most often occurs in a chronic form and is manifested by the following symptoms: memory impairment, amnesia;  lethargy, apathy and drowsiness;  periodic convulsions in certain groups of skeletal muscles; impaired coordination of movement, unsteadiness in walking;  chronic pain in the joints, bones, back; morning sickness, periodic vomiting, indigestion;  decreased appetite, anorexia, progressive weight loss;  chronic constipation; hand trembling
Сopper	In the case of acute intoxication, symptoms develop within the first two days. These include: fever and chills, in which the temperature rises to 39 degrees; headache; dizziness; nausea and multiple vomiting; increased flatulence, a feeling of intestinal colic.

 

Why chronic heavy metal poisoning is especially dangerous?

Heavy metal intoxication leads to the deterioration of many organs and body systems. Сentral nervous system suffers first, and these changes are usually irrevocable.

Below are the most common pathologies and complications caused by chronic heavy metal intoxication:

People who live in polluted regions are imperceptibly daily poisoned by very dangerous chemicals and often suffer from:

• Brain damage. It can be manifested by memory impairment, convulsions, mental disorders. Intellectual development is disturbed in children.

• Toxic hepatitis. Liver becomes gradually damaged with poisons and toxins. It increases in size, loses its functions. A person can develop yellowing of the skin, pain in the right upper quadrant.

                      

• Acute liver failure.  It is the most common complication of metal intoxication. Kidneys lose their ability to clear blood, produce too much urine (more than 5 liters per day) or do not produce it at all.

• Acute anemia due to hemolysis. Upon contact with poisonous substances, decay of erythrocytes may develop.

First aid and treatment of heavy metal poisoning

When acute heavy metal poisoning occurs, treatment should be performed by physicians in a toxicological center. When the first signs of the disease appear, you should call an ambulance. Before the arrival of physicians, it is necessary to help the patient at home.

The components of the first pre-hospital care are listed below:

• If the poisoning occurred in a respiratory way, you should take him  to  fresh air, not contaminated with metal vapor, and give him to  drink  warm tea or water.

• If a patient swallows a toxic substance, you should give a liter of plain water to drink in order to provoke vomiting. Then it is necessary to drink sorbents (PECTIN COMPLEX).

• If the toxic substance has got on the skin, it should be rinsed under running water for 10-15 minutes.

The first medical aid is provided by doctors at the scene of the accident. They inject drugs that regulate the work of the heart and breathing, try to remove intoxication. After primary therapy they take the victim to the hospital, where he undergoes examination and treatment. Heavy metal poisoning is very dangerous for humans. Children are most sensitive to these substances.

What can prevent chronic intoxications and protect health?

There is only one solution – REGULAR DETOXIFICATION! Cleansing the body several times a year can prevent the negative effects of polluted environment that surrounds us everywhere daily at work and home. There are several remedies for body cleansing in Vietnam, but the most trusted and approved on the state level is a natural, high-quality  Ukrainian detox health supplement PECTIN COMPLEX

PECTIN COMPLEX was developed by leading Ukrainian scientists exclusively from high-efficiency natural components. Main ingredients are – purified medical grade sugar beet pectin and apple pectin, which are admitted worldwide by toxicologists as the most effective natural substances for eliminating chemicals of various origin from the body. The safety of this health supplement has been confirmed by numerous clinical studies.

PECTIN COMPLEX does not contain any artificial preservatives, colors or dyers, that’s why this product is approved for use of the whole family – from little children to pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Conduct 2 detox courses with PECTIN COMPLEX per year and you will be confident that environmental pollutants can’t threaten your health.