Do I have Mercury Poisoning?
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The amount of mercury in a fluorescent lamp is only a few milligrams. Was the lamp on when it broke, or off? If it was off, the mercury was not vaporized and would have posed little hazard. If the lamp was on, then the mercury vapor was released into the air. It is possible if you stayed in the area and there was not ventilation, you may have breathed a small amount of mercury vapor. A doctor should be able to conduct a test to determine the level of mercury in your body. Most people have low levels of mercury.
Vitamin C is known to help remove toxic metals from the body.
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Mercury Poisoning Symptoms
Robert Gammal BDS. FACNEM(dent)
These are some of the Symptoms of Mercury poisoning. Be aware that mercury may underlay many disease symptom patterns. Always check This list is only touching the tip of the iceberg. It is by no means a complete list of symptom profiles for mercury poisoning.
ORAL CAVITY - PHARYNX.
Metalic taste
Bleeding gums
Gingivitis Loosening of teeth
Increased salivation
Bad breath
Sore throat resistant to conventional treatment.
Stomatitis - inflamation of the tongue
Leukoplakia
Burning sensations in mouth and throat
Tissue pigmentation- the typical "amalgam Tattoo"
NASAL CAVITY - MIDDLE EAR
Rhinitis leading to chronically stuffed nose
Bloody nasal discharge and dry crusts
Loss of smell
Hg spreads via nasal mucosa to inner ear tubes and middle ear;
Hearing impairement
Loss oof balance
Vertigo
Tinitus - ringing, hissing sounds in the ear. noises in the head
AIRWAYS - LARYNX
LOCAL- Laryngitis
Bronchitis
Pneumonia
Horseness of voice
unusually persistant cough
Damage to Alveolar Tissue;
Emphysemia
Sinusitis
Asthma
shortness of breath [may also be due to cardiac failure]
Chest Pains 15 - 30 minuites after eating accompanied by;
Air hunger
Mercury released from amalgam especially after hard Chewing goes to the Lungs then via the nasal and oral mucosa directly to the brain especially the HYPOTHALIMUS. This part of the brain is responsible for most autonomic functons of the body eg;
Drop in Blood Preasure - Heart rate, Blood Preasure, Respiratory rate.
Faintness
Sudden Weakness
GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT - LIVER
microbial flora convert mercury to methyl mercury
this is one hundred times more toxic than elemental mercury.
Local lesions of;
oesophagus
stomach
liver
gall bladder
intestinal tract
Gastritis
Abdominal pain
Diahrea
colitis
gastric and deuodenal ulcers
liver dysfunction and damage
HEART
Mercury damages blood vessels and muscle tissue
Damage to coronary bld. vessels
Coronary arterial disorder
Myocardial Necrosis
Tachycardia
Heart Muscle Arhythmias
Ventricular fibrilations.
Valve Damage
Some of these effects may also be due to electric currents generated in amalgams
Mercury will affect cholesterol levels
KIDNEY - URINARY SYSTEM
renal damage
oedema
Increased excretion of urine esp. at night
Reduced filtration capacity of kidney
Accompanying increased thirst
Local Irritation of bladder ------difficult and painfull urination
Kidney injury can - refered pain to Groin or Testes
Mercuri chloride (calomel) was used as a diuretic against cardiac edema back in the 1700's
MUSCULAR - SKELETAL - JOINTS
Degenerative Arthrosis
Inflamatory arthritis
Mercury deposits in bone
Mercury deposition especially in bone marrow
Common in Vertebral column, Hips and knees
In a study of 298 dentists over 50 years of age
14% had very high levels of mercury in the bones
of the wrist and temporals. readings of 40 - 200 mcg Hg/g bone.
Muscular pains
muscular weakness
Muscle twitches
joint and muscle pain
ENDOCRINE GLANDS
Maximum storage in Pituritary, Thyroid, Gonads, Adrenals.
Hg has uptake in Epididymus -Sterility
A direct lymphatic route exists between gingiva pf lower jaw and thyroid gland and retrosternally to the Thymic region.
Cold clamy skin esp hands and feet
Subnormal temperatures
IMMUNE SYSTEM
Rapid uptake in bone marrow reduction in B lymphocytes.
Rapid uptake in Thymus reduction in T lymphocytes
Combines with protiens to form organo-mercurial complexes
auto-antibodies ie. Auto Immune Diseases.
( Lupus Ehrythematosis, Endometriosis etc)
Suppression of the whole defence immune system
increased susceptibility to all infections
increased susceptibility to some forms of cancer
Dramatic increase in all sorts of allergic reactions.
Some forms of Leukemia.
Auto Immune diseases
NEUROLOGICAL SYMPTOMS
Inhalation of mercury vapour causes high and rapid accumulation of mercury in the brain.
also accumulates in spinal chord.
Methl mercury has a special afinity for occipital lobes and Cerebellum
Low dosage/ long term mercurialism is characterised by;
extreme inexplicable fatigue - physical and mental
lack of initiative
loss of short term memory
lack of concentration
poor to no decision making ability
Irrational obsesion, phobias, Compulsions
Timidity and lack of self confidence
Grave depresion
unpredictable rapid mood changes. esp rage and sudden anger
unexplainable fear of death
Halucinations
Shyness and timidity
Tendency to isolation
Suicidal
Clinical symptoms are dependant on the sites damaged by the poison:
BRAIN
Frontal Lobes
Motor activity
Turning of head and eyes over contralateral side
Convulsive movements in oppoisite leg and foot
" " " arm and hand
Small muscle contractions,Chronic twitches, chewiing, smacking, licking
Parietal Lobes
Sensations of numbness and tingling
Perceptions of Buzzing and Vibration spreading thropugh body
Electrical stimulating sensations form external genitalia
Schizophrenia
Lack of recognition of size, nature and use of objects. and self
lack of ability for spatial distinction eg. up and down
Temporal Lobes
Rising epigastric sensations such as being choked
OLEFACTORY lobe sensations of unpleasant putrid smells eg rotten eggs
TASTE centresensations of BAD Taste
AUDITORY lobesnoises
Buzzing sounds
Voices
Music
Visual Pathwaysdistortion of small or big images
Objects may appear far away and unreal
strange objects may appear familiar
OCCIPITAL LOBES
Terminus of visual pathwaysflashing lights
Zig Zag scotomas as at early stage migraine
Constriction of visual field
Blindness
Migraine may be caused by a mercury induced angiopathy of small blood vessels in brain
BASAL GANGLIA
involuntary and excessive movements ]
tremor ] Parkinsonism
alpha rigidity of flexors and extensors ]
canimmobility ]
interferes with acetyl choline receptor sites in brain ie. interferes with neural transmision
HYPOTHALMIC REGION
"ANYTHING & EVERYTHING"
This is the controll centre of the whole autonomic nervous system
exerts its metabolic and endocrine function by influencing release of hormones from the pituritary
Appatite may increase obesity
Appatite may reduce anorexia nervosa
reduced sexual function
amenorhea
fatigue. air hunger, heart palpitation, sweating
PITURITARY GALND
Mercury vapour will pass directly to pituritary gland via the oral and nasal mucosa.
ANTERIOR LOBE
Gonadotrophic Hormone -male and female gonads
Adreno Cortico Trophic Hormone(ACTH) - stimulates adrenal functon
Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (STH) - thyroid function
Somato trophic Hormone (STH) - growth hormone
POSTERIOR LOBE
Vasopresin - anti diuretic action on kidneys
lesion here can produce diabetes insipidus- large amounts of urine with extreme thirst
CEREBELLAR LESIONS
organic mercury has a specific affinity for this and the occipital cortex
CONTROLLS MAINTENANCE OF EQUILIBRIUM
trunk ataxia - impairrement of body posture, unsteady gait lik drunkenness
arm and leg coordination
coarse violent shaking, irregular acton
intenton or action tremor
SPINAL CHORD LESIONS
Mercury may enter the spinal chord by the following routes;
1- Arterial- transported to all areas and encounters the blood brain barier. Mercury destroys and crosses the blood brain barrier with ease. Thus enters the brain and spinal chord
2- Vapour settles on the mucous membrane of the oro-nasal cavity and transported directly to the brain by way of the cranial veinous system to the intra cranial cavity and to the cervical region of the spinal chord
3- From nasal mucosa by way of transport along the olefactory nerve to the brain ( mercury is transported along nerves and the trigeminal wuld be another such route) to the cerebrospinal fluid and then to the spinalchord.
4- By entry to the cerebro spinal fluid. and deposited anywhere along the length of the spinal chord including the lower portions.
Anterior motor Horns;
Both lead and mercury produce a deficiency af arterial blood supply microangiopathy
reduction in blood supply to spinal chord
both will damage to red blood cells hemolysis and reduced oxygen carrying caapacity
The large motor neuron cells of the anterior horns of the spinal chord are the first to suffer
from ischemia with local lack of blood supply.
Progressive muscle weakness
Muscle Atrophy
wasting of limb and trunk musculature
Posterior Horns and Spinal Sensory Ganglia;
Extremely vulnerable to mercury poisoning
Sensory disturbances
irritative phenomena
Parasthesias (numbness)
Tingling sensations
Pain
Lack of sensibility
Lower part of spinal chord motor and sensory impairment of sacral reflexes
Irritative symptoms-Frequent urination, Dysuria.
Loss Phenomina- Bladder incontinance,
Loss of erection
impotence
Lack of female and male orgasm
REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
DNA single strand breaks
Crosses placenta
crosses into breast milk
P.M.T.
Menstrual Irregularity and pain
FLUORESCENT LIGHTS AND MERCURY
Mercury is an essential ingredient for most energy-efficient lamps. Fluorescent lamps and high intensity discharge (HID) lamps are the two most common types of lamps that utilize mercury. Fluorescent lamps provide lighting for most schools, office buildings and stores. HID lamps, which include mercury-vapor, metal halide and high-pressure sodium lamps, are used for street lights, floodlights and industrial lighting. A typical fluorescent lamp is composed of a phosphor-coated glass tube with electrodes located at either end. The tube contains mercury, of which only a very small amount is in vapor form. When a voltage is applied, the electrodes energize the mercury vapor, causing it to emit ultraviolet (UV) energy. The phosphor coating absorbs the UV energy, causing the phosphor to fluoresce and emit visible light. Without the mercury vapor to produce UV energy, there would be no light. A four-foot fluorescent lamp has an average rated life of at least 20,000 hours. To achieve this long life, lamps must contain a specific quantity of mercury. The amount of mercury required is very small, typically measured in milligrams, and varies by lamp type, date of manufacture, manufacturing plant and
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