Health Effects of Lead Poisoning

Lead poisoning is an ailment that is suffered when a foreign object classified as a heavy metal lead enters the body and causes irregularities. This usually happens through ingesting the heavy metal unknowingly. Lead poisoning can have detrimental effects on the human body if left unchecked and can even prove to be fatal if not treated properly.

Lead poisoning has been known to cause damage to major organs of the body and is considered highly toxic for vital organs such as the heart, bones, intestines and kidneys. It also has highly adverse effects on the respiratory, nervous and reproductive systems. Common symptoms that can be encountered are abdominal pain, headaches, anemia, developing of rashes and skin lesions, and in severe cases may lead to seizure, coma and even death. Lead poisoning usually occurs through ingestion of contaminated articles among children and adults alike, with adults also coming into contact with lead through occupational exposure. Among children, the most common cause of lead poisoning is the ingestion of lead-based paint.

A person can experience lead poisoning either in chronic cases, where lead is slowly built up within the body over a period of a few weeks to several months, or in acute cases where brief yet intense exposure to lead can lead to them being poisoned. Symptoms are both pathological and neurological in nature, and can have irreversible effects if not treated early on. If you want to stay away from these hazardous health effects of lead poisoning you need to be very careful in terms of consumption of lead in your daily life.