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Lead Poisoning Isn't Just About Kids

When we think of lead poisoning, we think of toddlers crawling in lead dust or playing with paint chips. But many people don’t realize that adults can get lead poisoning, too, and the symptoms often go undiagnosed.

Stomach pain, trouble sleeping, weakness in the arms and legs, headaches, moodiness and loss of appetite are all symptoms of adult lead poisoning. And exposures can come from places that you least expect them. For example, some calcium supplements inadvertently contain lead (from crushed animal bones), as do some artists’ paints.

The same places that cause childhood lead exposures can also poison adults, though grown-ups are able to absorb larger amounts of lead than children before it becomes toxic. Still, researchers say areas plagued by high levels of childhood lead poisonings are likely to produce adult cases as well.

Lead poisoning in children can cause reduced intelligence, attention deficits, learning disabilities, loss of hearing and emotional and developmental problems. Children are more susceptible to poisoning because of their lower body weight. However, adults should also avoid exposures from drinking water and dust in older homes that have undergone renovations.

Lead poisoning in adults can be treated through diet. In children, it is treated by a process known as chelation, which removes lead from the blood. Chelation is not used for adults, because lead also settles in the bones of adults and chelation would remove bone mass along with the lead.

Adults who suspect lead poisoning should not hesitate to get tested, as treatment and recovery can take years.

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To read more about this and other environmental health issues, go to: www.environmentalhealthnews.org, www.ourstolenfuture.org, or www.healthandenvironment.org