The dangers of lead poisoning

I believe many friends have had this experience in real life, that is, when there is no toilet paper in the toilet, we often use newspapers instead. In fact, this practice is not advisable, mainly because newspapers usually contain lead, and many people will suffer from lead poisoning if they are not careful. So what are the dangers of lead poisoning? This is a question that many people want to fully understand, because there are so many lead-containing items in our lives.

In fact, many people know that general cosmetics contain lead, and some unscrupulous merchants often add a lot of lead to cosmetics in order to make huge profits. In addition, many aquatic products we eat now also contain excessive lead content, so many people are now afraid to eat aquatic products. This is mainly because many people know that the harm of lead poisoning is very great. So, let’s talk specifically about the dangers of lead poisoning.

Adults who are poisoned by lead often experience symptoms such as fatigue, depression, heart failure, abdominal pain, kidney deficiency, high blood pressure, joint pain, reproductive disorders, and anemia. Lead poisoning in pregnant women can cause serious consequences such as miscarriage, low birth weight, stillbirth, and infant malnutrition. Children often experience symptoms such as loss of appetite, stomach pain, insomnia, learning disabilities, constipation, nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, low IQ, anemia, etc.

The hazards of lead poisoning mainly manifest themselves in lifelong damage to the nervous system, blood system, cardiovascular system, skeletal system, etc.: The main effects of lead on the blood system are manifested in two aspects: one is to inhibit the synthesis of hemoglobin, and the other is to shorten the life of red blood cells in circulation. These effects will eventually lead to anemia.

The damage of lead to the cardiovascular system is mainly manifested in: (1) The mortality rate of cardiovascular disease is closely related to excessive lead in the arteries. The blood lead and 24-hour urine lead levels of patients with cardiovascular disease are significantly higher than those of patients without cardiovascular disease. (2) Lead exposure can cause high blood pressure. (3) Lead exposure can cause heart disease and changes in heart function.

Bones are an important target organ system of lead toxicity. On the one hand, lead indirectly affects bone function and the regulatory ability of bone mineral metabolism by damaging endocrine organs. On the other hand, lead directly interferes with the function of bone cells by poisoning cells, interfering with basic cellular processes and enzyme functions, changing the osteoblast-osteoclast coupling relationship and affecting the calcium system.

This shows the serious harm of lead poisoning, so prevention and detection become very important. However, the symptoms of lead poisoning are often very hidden and difficult to detect, so the most reliable method currently is blood testing.

Therefore, through the detailed introduction in the above article, I believe everyone has a good understanding of the hazards of lead poisoning. As mentioned above, lead poisoning is extremely harmful to our body. It not only harms the nervous system, but also, if you often eat foods with excessive lead content, you may become paralyzed all over your body, so everyone must pay attention.