Lead Poisoning
Too much lead poisoning levels in the body can seriously injure the brain, nervous system, red blood cells, and the kidneys. Higher signs of lead poisoning in the body can cause mental retardation, fits (convulsions), falling out (unconsciousness, coma), and even death. In years past, that kind of effect was called lead poisoning. Exposures high lead poisoning symptoms enough to cause coma and death are very uncommon today, but they haven't disappeared.
What is lead toxicity?
Low levels of symptoms of lead poisoning in the body when a child's brain is developing can slow the child's development and cause learning and behavior problems.
Lead poison -exposed children may not be as quick at their studies or as good at hitting a baseball or dribbling a basketball as children without the lead exposures.
Where is the risk?
Though lead paint stopped being used on most houses in the mid-1970s, many older homes still have surfaces once painted with lead paint. Young children eat, chew, and suck on lead-painted surfaces they can reach, like window sills and railings. The little ones will put jewelry and printed matter that may have lead in their mouths.
Dirt and dust sometimes have lead poisoning levels in them, as do the fumes and dust stirred up during home renovation and while sandblasting lead-painted buildings and bridges.
Older homes and especially deteriorating and poorly kept older homes can be a threat for children. Particular jobs, like welding, radiator repair, making lead batteries, and demolition work can be especially hazardous to workers.
How does risk become threat?
Lead accumulates in our environment. As we keep using more lead, there will be more lead in the environment. Lead poison accumulates in our bodies, and especially in children's bodies. Exposure to small amounts of lead over time can mean a long-term accumulation of lead in a child, raising the child's risk of bad health effects.
Pregnant women who have lead stored in their bones may release some of that bone lead into their K blood, where it can reach the womb and fetus during pregnancy. That kind of transfer potential makes us think about lead exposures in today's children and what that may mean for their children.
Lead poisoning levels is so common because it has been such a useful metal in many ways -- easy to work with simple tools, handy, and cheap. Lead is also very dangerous.
Why is lead dangerous?
Lead poisoning symptoms in the body is dangerous because it interferes with normal body functions. Signs of lead poisoning can change the way the blood-forming cells work, alter the way nerve cells signal each other, and lead can disturb or destroy the way the brain makes connections for thinking.
Who is threatened by lead?
Workers exposed to high levels of symptoms of lead poisoning are in danger. They need to be very careful to protect themselves from lead fumes and dust.
Infants, children, and pregnant women, because of their unborn child, are threatened by even small amounts of lead in their environment.
Because children are still developing, the potential damage to their development from lead poison exposure is very important to their future health and well-being.
Information Obtained From National Institute Of Health