What part of the body does mercury poisoning affect?

What part of the body does mercury poisoning affect?

Mercury exposure at high levels can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. High levels of methylmercury in the bloodstream of unborn babies and young children may harm the developing nervous system, making the child less able to think and learn.

Which human organ system is most affected by mercury?

Mercury vapor or inorganic mercury is distributed by the blood to most of the organs in the body. However, the major target organs are the central nervous system and the kidney for mercury vapor and the kidney for inorganic mercury.

What mercury does to your body?

Human health effects of mercury Mercury and its compounds affect the central nervous system, kidneys, and liver and can disturb immune processes; cause tremors, impaired vision and hearing, paralysis, insomnia and emotional instability.

How does mercury poisoning affect the kidneys?

If inorganic mercury enters your bloodstream, it can attack the kidneys and brain. Permanent kidney damage and kidney failure may occur. A large amount in the bloodstream may cause massive blood and fluid loss from diarrhea and kidney failure, leading to death.

How do you rid your body of mercury?

Mercury is also eliminated in urine, so drinking extra water can help to speed up the process. Avoiding exposure. The best way to get rid of mercury in your body is to avoid sources of it whenever you can. As you reduce your exposure, the level of mercury in your body will decrease as well.

Can mercury be absorbed through skin?

ROUTES OF EXPOSURE: Elemental mercury is toxic primarily through inhalation of mercury vapors. It is only slowly absorbed through the skin, although it may cause skin and eye irritation. Ingestion is not an important route of acute exposure as almost no elemental mercury is absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract.

Does the body need mercury?

It has no known function in our bodies. Once mercury enters bodies of water, bacteria convert it into this toxic form, which is then carried up the food web into top predator species like sport fishes.

How long does it take for mercury to leave your body?

Mercury does not stay in the body forever. It takes about six months to a year to leave the bloodstream once exposure stops. Some researchers think mercury can permanently damage the nervous system in children.

What foods get rid of mercury?

Heavy metal detox foods to eat include:

• cilantro.
• garlic.
• wild blueberries.
• lemon water.
• spirulina.
• chlorella.
• barley grass juice powder.
• Atlantic dulse.

What are the signs of heavy metal poisoning?

Symptoms

• Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea (the hallmark symptoms with most cases of acute metal ingestion)
• Dehydration.
• Heart abnormalities such as cardiomyopathy or abnormal heart beat (dysrhythmia)
• Nervous system symptoms (e.g. numbness, tingling of hands and feet, and weakness)

What are the symptoms of exposure to Mercury?

Mercury poisoning is a type of metal poisoning due to exposure to mercury. Symptoms depend upon the type, dose, method, and duration of exposure. They may include muscle weakness, poor coordination, numbness in the hands and feet, skin rashes, anxiety, memory problems, trouble speaking, trouble hearing, or trouble seeing.

What kind of damage can mercury do to the brain?

Mercury may cause damage to the nervous system, especially the brain. Brain damage from mercury poisoning can cause people to have:

How does mercury toxicity affect the immune system?

The immune system is one of the first casualties of mercury toxicity. It causes a reduction in the number of natural killer (NK) cells which are responsible for policing tumours and viruses leading to the development of chronic viral infections and cancer. The effects of mercury toxicity upon the immune system include:

How does methylmercury and metallic mercury affect the body?

Note that metallic mercury vapor is not the same as methylmercury. High exposure to inorganic mercury may result in damage to the gastrointestinal tract, the nervous system, and the kidneys. Both inorganic and organic mercury are absorbed through the gastrointestinal tract and affect other systems through this route.