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Lead poisoning

Symptoms
Causes And Risk Factors
Prevention
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prognosis And Complications

Lead is a naturally occurring metal found in the environment and has been utilised for centuries in a number of items. Some examples of these naturally occurring elements are water pipes, ancient paint (that is, paint from before 1978 in the United States), ceramic glazes, some types of batteries, and bullets. Lead is a toxic metal and is highly hazardous to
babies and young children, and can harm them even before they are born. Lead poisoning can also occur in adults, but moderate levels usually do not require any treatment. However, lead poisoning is a matter of great concern in children. Lead poisoning occurs when a lead enters a child's or adult's body by ingestion or inhalation. It can damage children's nervous
systems, brains, and other body parts. It can also lead to problems in learning, behavioural problems, and many other health problems. Lead pencils do not consist of lead and are not dangerous. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), poisoning with lead was
formerly a major public health concern. However, the EPA points out that it has dropped significantly since the 1970s. It has been continuing to drop. However, over 500,000 children under the age of five in the United States have elevated amounts of lead in their blood. The Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention has provided this information.
In children, there is no such thing as a safe blood lead level. Even modest amounts of blood lead have been found to reduce a child's IQ, attention span, and academic performance.[1-3]

Symptoms

Lead toxicity can manifest itself in a variety of ways. Regardless, lead poisoning is more likely to develop slowly over time. This is caused by repeated exposure to low levels of lead. There may be no obvious signs in this situation. Even modest amounts of lead exposure, on the other hand, can impair a child's mental development over time. Furthermore, when the level of lead in the blood rises, health concerns worsen. Possible complications include:

Problems with behaviour or attention

School failure

Hearing issues

Kidney damage

IQ reduction

Slow Body growth

Here are a few signs of lead poisoning:

Headaches

Hearing loss

Irritability

Low appetite and energy

Reduced sensations

Abdominal pain

Aggressive behaviour

Anaemia

Constipation

Difficulty becoming pregnant

Difficulty sleeping

Headaches

Hearing loss

Irritability

Vomiting, internal bleeding, stumbling walks, muscular weakness, seizures, or coma are all symptoms of high levels of lead poisoning [2,3]

Causes And Risk Factors

Lead is a bluish-grey-coloured heavy metal band. Its melting point is low, and it may be alloyed with other metals. As a result, it is common in products like pipes, storage batteries, pigments, paints, glazes, vinyl goods, weights, shot, and ammunition, cable coverings, and radiation shielding. Lead is derived from mined ores (primary), recycled scrap metal, or batteries for these applications (secondary). The majority of lead used in global trade today is recycled from lead-acid batteries. Incorrect recycling of spent lead batteries, on the other hand, pollutes the environment and endangers people's health.[4]

What causes lead poisoning?

The most frequent cause of lead poisoning in youngsters is eating or inhaling dust from disintegrating lead-based paint. Lead poisoning can also be caused by:[5]

Lead-tainted dust and soil from old paint

Lead-tainted dust and soil from leaded gasoline

Paint and dust chips from antique toys, furniture, and ceramic glazes

Tap water in homes with lead pipes

Who is at risk for lead poisoning?

These populations are extensively at risk for lead poisoning:[5]

People who live in large metro areas

People working in places that have lead exposure like lead smelters, lead refineries, lead mines, battery manufacturers, rubber products, manufacturers

Prevention

Lead poisoning is best treated by preventing it from happening in the first place. Protecting children from lead exposure is crucial to their health for the rest of their lives. Although there is no safe blood lead level for children, even low blood lead levels have been found to impair IQ, attention, and academic success. Lead exposure is irreversible. The most important thing parents and others can do to prevent lead exposure is to take action before it happens (primary prevention).

To minimise environmental and occupational exposure to lead, particularly for children and women of childbearing age, more efforts must be made to reduce lead consumption and release. Interventions include the following:[2]

Eliminating non-essential services, such as lead in paint.

Assuring safe recycling of lead-containing trash.

Informing the public about the necessity of properly disposing of lead-acid batteries and computers.

Children, women of childbearing age, and employees are monitored for blood lead levels.

Secondly, lead poisoning must be detected as early as possible to avoid it.

Diagnosis

The signs and symptoms of lead poisoning are not always obvious. If a potential source of lead poisoning is discovered during routine questions, such as peeling paint in old housings combined with such behaviour in children as pica, chewing on surfaces, placing nonfood items in the mouth, or proximity to open waste burning or car battery recycling, the diagnosis of lead poisoning can be suspected. Despite severe poisoning, symptoms may be absent. In children, nutritional and developmental milestones are assessed on a regular basis. The purpose of the environmental investigation is to find probable sources of lead poisoning.

Laboratory Investigation

Blood lead level - Human exposure is generally evaluated by measuring lead in the blood.

Haematology - Hypochromic anaemia, basophilic stippling on red blood cells, increased protoporphyrin levels (erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP) or zinc protoporphyria (ZPP)) (PZP)

Transaminase levels are high in a liver function test (acute poisoning),

Hypocalcemia, hyperuricemia, and other -

Proteinuria, glucosuria, and aminoaciduria are all conditions that affect the urine (acute poisoning).

Lead lines can be seen in the metaphysis of long bones after a radiological examination (chronic poisoning).

Make sure your child has a blood test to see how much lead is in their system. At nine months to one year of age, every kid should have this quick and painless test done, especially if they are at risk for lead poisoning or reside in a high-risk region. The test can be available at your local health department or at your doctor's office.[2]

Treatment

This is true that you may need to undergo medical treatment if your child's blood lead levels are high. According to research, the treatment of lead poisoning in children has been found to enhance a child's IQ level.[2]

Before treatment, the high blood lead level will be confirmed by repeat blood testing.

Because there is no safe blood lead level, medical action is advised in all children with blood lead levels greater than the reference value. The urgency, type, timing, and setting for the medical treatment will vary and depend upon the severity of the lead poisoning.

People with lead poisoning may be given medicine. This medicine binds with the lead. This lets it pass out of the body in the urine.

With mild poisoning, the medicine is given by mouth. With more severe poisoning, the medicine is given by an IV (intravenous) line into a vein.

Medicines that get rid of lead can also get rid of essential minerals. Diet supplements may be given to replace these minerals.

Other children and family members at risk for lead poisoning will be screened.

After treating the person with lead poisoning, find and remove lead from the person's environment. A public health authority will help with this.

The original blood lead level will determine the type of follow-up care needed.

Prognosis And Complications

As mentioned earlier, there is no such thing as a safe blood lead level. Therefore, even after therapy, some people may continue to have physical and behavioural issues.[5] Adults with moderately elevated levels of lead usually recover without any issues after exposure to the substance. When lead poisoning is moderate, it can have a lasting influence on a child's attention and IQ level. Lead-exposed individuals are at a higher risk of developing long-term health issues. It is therefore essential to adhere to the prescriptions. Their nerves and muscles may be severely damaged, and they may no longer function properly. Other body systems, such as the kidneys and blood arteries, may be damaged to varying degrees. People who survive high amounts of toxic lead are at risk of irreversible brain damage. Children are more prone to long-term issues than adults. It might take months or even years to fully recover from chronic lead poisoning.[3]

References

1. Lead poisoning. Cedars Sinai. Available at:https://www.cedars-sinai.org/healthlibrary/diseases-and-conditions/l/lead-poisoning.html.Last.
2. Lead poisoning. Cleveland Clinic. Available at:https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11312-lead-poisoning.
3. Lead poisoning. University of Florida Health. Available at:
https://ufhealth.org/lead-poisoning.
4. Lead poisoning. National Health Portal. Available at:
https://www.nhp.gov.in/disease/non-communicable-disease/lead-poisoning.
5. Lead poisoning. University of Rochester Medical Center. Available at: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=85&contentid=P00848.