Archive for the 'Mercury Related' Category

Severe Effects of Mercury Poisoning

Author: mom_to_one, 06 02nd, 2009
Severe Effects of Mercury Poisoning

While short term exposure to mercury can cause effects such as bloating and redness of the skin, the long term effects can be much more damaging. Mercury is an extremely volatile substance, and if even a small amount of elemental mercury were to enter the blood stream, the result could be fatal. Long term exposure to mercury, which most often occurs with organic mercury that is found in plants and fish, can cause side effects including kidney failure, nervous system damage, and even autism. While the exact cause of autism isn’t known, it’s long been suspected that environmental factors, such as exposure to mercury, can increase the risk of autism in children. Exposure to organic mercury might not be the sole cause autism, but it is certainly a contributor. The effects of mercury poisoning are severe, and it’s important for pregnant women to avoid foods that contain mercury and avoid exposure to mercury.

Mercury is found in all kinds of household items in larger quantities including fluorescent light bulbs and certain thermometers. Mercury is also contained in the preservative thimerosal, which is used in childhood vaccines. Mothers should be extra careful when vaccinating their child.

Recognizing Mercury Poisoning

Author: mom_to_one, 05 22nd, 2009
Recognizing Mercury Poisoning

When we think of mercury poisoning, most people imagine someone coming into physical contact with the substance known as elemental mercury.  This can cause swelling, redness, and certain internal conditions.  However, much more dangerous than coming into physical contact with elemental mercury is exposure to organic mercury over a lifetime.  Organic mercury is most prominent in fish, including swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and white tuna.  Mercury becomes absorbed into these fish as they consume smaller fish, and the concentrations of mercury then become even greater.  It’s recommended that pregnant women and women who are nursing avoid eating the above listed fish, and limit their intake of all other fish and shellfish to about 12 oz. per week.  Eating fish can cause children to develop serious health conditions, and mercury poisoning symptoms at birth often relate to limited or poor nervous system and neural development.

There are also vaccine preservatives that contain mercury, like thimerosal, which have been linked to mercury poisoning and autism in children.  It’s important for all mothers to be aware of the dangers of mercury poisoning before having a child.  

Be Cautions with Infants!

Author: mom_to_one, 05 21st, 2009
Be Cautions with Infants!

When a child is an infant, it’s often a fun but sometimes stressful time for parents.  Parents love to witness their child discover new things, mirrors, rattles, and of course, how to make loud noises and draw their parent’s attention.  But it’s also important to be a little cautious with infants, as it is this stage of life that is crucial to future development.  Infants require constant attention and constant care from their parents, including proper nutrition, social interaction, and immunizations.  It’s also important for parents to be aware of the dangers that certain accepted practices can pose to their children.  For example, certain childhood vaccines might cause birth defects mercury poisoning due to preservatives in the vaccines that contain mercury.  It’s best to check with doctors and physicians beforehand about what is being injected into an infant, and to recognize the dangers associated with all substances that come into contact with the infant’s body. 

It’s possible to remove toxins from the body with treatment like chelation therapy, probiotics, and PCA-Rx.  These treatments target heavy metals, like mercury, and purge them from the body.

Ridding Our Bodies of Harmful Toxins

Author: mom_to_one, 05 01st, 2009
Ridding Our Bodies of Harmful Toxins

The most natural method to detoxify our bodies is through physical activity.  When we sweat, we can help draw harmful toxins out of the body, which then surface in our perspiration.  For a thorough detox, exercise for about 30-60 minutes, and then sit in a sauna for another 30 minutes, followed by a cool shower.  The shower is crucial because it washes away the toxins that are expelled through perspiration.  Exercise followed by a bit of time in the sauna on a regular basis can help the body feel cleaner and expel much of the harmful toxins.  In addition to this method, some toxins can contaminate the body in large amounts over time.  These toxins, which include mercury, arsenic, and cadmium, are harmful to the body and can cause permanent damage.  Every once in a while, it is necessary to perform a heavy metal detox, which involves a chelation agent taken through ingestion.

Regular exercise combined with the occasional chelation therapy keeps dangerous toxins out of our bodies, and helps us to feel cleaner and increase our overall wellness. 

Distinguishing the Different Types of Mercury

Author: mom_to_one, 04 30th, 2009
Distinguishing the Different Types of Mercury

There are three different types of mercury: elemental, salt, and organic.  Elemental mercury is what is found in thermometers.  This type of mercury is often regarded as the most dangerous because it can cause significant neurological damage when inhaled, ingested, or absorbed into the skin.  Mercury poisoning is most often caused by elemental mercury when a child or adult comes into contact with the substance and is unaware of what it is or its effects.  Mercury salts are used for several industrial purposes, and when inhaled, tend to wreak havoc on the kidneys rather than the neurological system.  Organic mercury is what is found in plants, fish, and shellfish.  Plants produce mercury that is then released into the water.  Organic mercury can also cause damage to the nervous system. 

All forms of mercury are especially dangerous to pregnant women because mercury can cause birth defects if the level of exposure is high enough.  Infants exposed to mercury while still unborn have been known to develop several disorders including autism.  

Mercury in the Atmosphere

Author: mom_to_one, 03 06th, 2009
Mercury in the Atmosphere

Mercury is a natural substance that occurs in the environment.  Mercury is released into the atmosphere from the earth’s crust and oceans, and by human activities such as burning coal.  Fish often contain the largest amounts of mercury because fish absorb mercury in the water through their gills, and then predatory fish that eat other fish are exposed to higher levels of mercury.  Most if not all fish contain trace amounts of mercury, and the FDA regulates the acceptable levels of mercury in commercial fish.  The effects of mercury poisoning from prolonged ingestion of fish are mostly neurological; victims of mercury poisoning can die or become severely ill.

In general, it’s okay to eat commercial fish, but it’s important to know where the fish came from as well.  Mercury poisoning is linked to a host of serious conditions that involve the nervous system, including autism. 

Dangers of Contact with Mercury

Author: mom_to_one, 02 11th, 2009
Dangers of Contact with Mercury

The most often recorded physical contact with mercury occurs in children.  Mercury is used in certain household items like fluorescent bulbs and thermometers, and it is when one of these items breaks that children come into contact with elemental mercury.  Mercury is a dangerous substance that can cause a number of symptoms and lead to serious health conditions.  Mercury poisoning symptoms include itching or burning pain at the area of contact, edema, peeling skin and a number of internal conditions like heightened blood pressure and kidney dysfunction.

If you suspect your child has come into contact with mercury, it’s important to immediately consult a physician.  Mercury poisoning is treatable, but if left untreated, it can have numerous harmful effects on the body.  It’s important for parents to be aware of the symptoms of mercury poisoning if your household has any of those items that contain elemental mercury. 

Heavy Metal Poisoning

Author: mom_to_one, 02 04th, 2009
Heavy Metal Poisoning

The terminology referring to heavy metals is often loosely defined, but in general it refers to those metallic elements that have toxic properties.  These metals include iron, aluminum, beryllium, mercury, and several less common other metals.  In addition, there are semimetals like arsenic that can have toxic properties as well.  These toxic metallic elements sometimes make their way into food, soil, and even the air.  Inhaling or ingesting heavy metal elements can be fatal, but if recognized, heavy metal poisoning can be treated with heavy metal detox.

It’s common to find mercury in a number of standard substances, arguably, mercury poisoning is the most common heavy metal poisoning.  Mercury is found in trace amounts in fish, and also is used as a preservative in certain vaccinations.  To purge mercury from the body, a heavy metal detox is necessary. 

Physical Contact with Mercury

Author: mom_to_one, 01 23rd, 2009
Physical Contact with Mercury

Mercury is one of the most toxic substances known to man, and coming into physical contact with mercury, whether from a thermometer, foreign cosmetics, or a fluorescent bulb, is quite dangerous.  Symptoms from mercury poisoning do not often manifest immediately when coming in contact with the substance.  Symptoms include swelling, burning or itching pain at the are of contact, skin discoloration, weight loss, loss of hair, teeth, and nails, rashes, insomnia, kidney problems, and memory impairment.  Most mercury poisoning occurs over time from ingestion of fish, plants, and livestock.  Mercury is also present in certain preservatives, like thiomersal, which is used in childhood vaccinations and has been linked as a potential cause of Autism. 

If you suspect you’ve come into contact with mercury, consult a doctor immediately, as mercury can be treated.  When treating the gradual build-up of mercury in the body, it’s near impossible to identify symptoms over time, thus regular check-ups at the doctor are important to monitor mercury poisoning and other potentially serious condition

Dangers of Household Thermometers

Author: mom_to_one, 12 22nd, 2008
Dangers of Household Thermometers

It’s less common for thermometers made in modern times to contain mercury, but in the past nearly all thermometers were mercury based.  Mercury is one of the most volatile substances known to man; even in small dosages exposure can be fatal.  There have been horrendous accidents in the past where a person or in some cases a child died because a thermometer was broken and the fumes were inhaled or the substance touched their skin.  Most medical clinics, medical practitioners, and even parents have switched to alternative thermometers to prevent mercury poisoning.

If you do happen to come in contact with mercury, be sure to contact a doctor.  Mercury poisoning symptoms include swelling, skin discoloration, skin peeling, and a number of more serious symptoms like memory impairment and kidney failure.