Lead poisoning Health Article

Symptoms

There are many possible symptoms of lead poisoning. Lead can affect many different parts of the body. Over time, even low levels of lead exposure can harm a child's mental development. The possible health problems get worse as the level of lead in the blood gets higher. Possible complications include:

• Reduced IQ
• Slowed body growth
• Hearing problems
• Behavior or attention problems
• Failure at school
• Kidney damage

The symptoms of lead poisoning may include:

• Irritability
• Aggressive behavior
• Low appetite and energy
• Difficulty sleeping
• Headaches
• Reduced sensations
• Loss of previous developmental skills (in young children)
• Anemia
• Constipation
• Abdominal pain and cramping (usually the first sign of a high, toxic dose of lead poison)
• Very high levels may cause vomiting, staggering gait, muscle weakness, seizures, or coma

Home Treatment

You can reduce your exposure to lead. Consider the following steps:

• If you suspect you may have leaded paint in your house, get advice on safe removal from the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) at 800-RID-LEAD or the National Information Center at 800-LEAD-FYI.
• Keep your home as dust free as possible.
• Everyone should wash their hands before eating.
• Throw out old painted toys if you do not know whether the paint contains lead.
• Let tap water run for a minute before drinking or cooking with it.
• If your water has been tested high in lead, consider installing an effective filtering device or switch to bottled water for drinking and cooking.
• Avoid canned goods from foreign countries until the ban on lead soldered cans goes into effect.
• If imported wine containers have a lead foil wrapper, wipe the rim and neck of the bottle with a towel moistened with lemon juice, vinegar, or wine before using.
• Don't store wine, spirits, or vinegar-based salad dressings in lead crystal decanters for long periods of time, as lead can leach out into the liquid.

Another excellent source of information is the National Lead Information Center at (800) 424-5323.

Before Calling Emergency

Try to identify the following information:

• The patient's age, weight, and condition
• The name of the product or the object you think had lead in it
• The date/time the lead was swallowed or inhaled
• The amount swallowed or inhaled