Heavy Metal Poisoning Signs & Symptoms

Though our bodies require some of them in varying amounts, overexposure to heavy metals can cause illness and even death. What constitutes overexposure depends on the type of heavy metal. A little arsenic or lead can do a lot of damage, whereas barium, nickel, and cadmium have medical uses. Toxic waste, legacy materials such as lead pipes, certain work environments, and contaminated food and water supplies all expose us to varying levels of heavy metals.
  1. Sign or Symptom

    • Signs are observable indications of poisoning, such as skin discoloration or behavioral changes. Symptoms are subjective feelings a person has that cannot be felt by anyone else, such as a headache or sleepiness.

    Heavy Metals

    • Heavy metals are metallic elements with a high atomic weight and a density at least five times greater than that of water. Of the 20-plus heavy metals, four--lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), and inorganic arsenic (As)--cause toxicity in humans, even at low levels. Present in toxic waste, they enter the body through the food chain and accumulate in both hard and soft tissue. Other heavy metals, such as nickel, can cause toxicity, but people are less likely to encounter them at toxic levels.

      Acute heavy metal poisoning occurs when a person is exposed directly to toxic levels. Signs and symptoms occur within two weeks after exposure and soon become severe. Chronic poisoning occurs when a person is exposed to non-toxic levels over a period of time, possibly even years, until they reach toxicity levels in the body. Like the exposure, signs and symptoms of chronic heavy metal poisoning may develop over years.

    Signs of Heavy Metal Poisoning

    • Signs of acute heavy metal poisoning may include:
      Anorexia
      Arrhythmia (abnormal changes to heart rhythm)
      Arthritis
      Changes in mucous membranes
      Convulsions
      Cough
      Diarrhea
      Difficulty breathing
      Fever
      Hypertension
      Red skin at contact point--arsenic toxicity
      Renal (kidney) dysfunction
      Sore throat
      Tachycardia (heart rate over 100 beats per minute)
      Vomiting
      Weakness

      Signs of chronic heavy metal poisoning may include:
      Allergies
      Alopecia (abnormal hair loss)--cadmium toxicity
      Anemia--cadmium toxicity
      Arthritis
      Autism
      Birth defects
      Blindness
      Brain damage--mercury toxicity in unborn children
      Cancer
      Cardiovascular disease
      Cerebral palsy--mercury toxicity in unborn children
      Chronic obstructive lung disease--cadmium toxicity
      Cognitive and motor dysfunction--mercury toxicity
      Emotional instability
      Emphysema
      Forgetfulness
      Fragile bones--cadmium toxicity
      Garlic odor to breath--arsenic toxicity
      Growth impairment
      Hyperactivity
      Hyperkeratosis (excessive skin growth on palms and soles)--arsenic toxicity
      Hyperpigmentation (excess darkening of skin)--arsenic toxicity
      Inability to speak--mercury toxicity in unborn children
      Insomnia
      Kidney damage
      Learning disorders--cadmium toxicity
      Liver damage
      Mental retardation
      Mood swings
      Muscular weakness
      Neuropathy (inflammation and wasting away of nerves)--arsenic toxicity
      Osteoporosis
      Paralysis (starting in the forearms--lead toxicity)
      Psychosis
      Shaky hands
      Tremors
      Weight loss

    Symptoms of Heavy Metal Poisoning

    • Symptoms of acute heavy metal poisoning may include:
      Fatigue
      Hallucinations
      Headache
      Loss of appetite
      Metallic taste in the mouth--mercury toxicity
      Nausea
      Numbness
      Severe abdominal pain
      Sleeplessness
      Vertigo
      Visual disturbances (blind spots, halos, etc.)

      Symptoms of chronic heavy metal poisoning may include:
      Anxiety
      Dyslexia
      Lack of concentration
      Loss of taste and smell
      Migraines
      Paresthesia ("needles and pins" sensation)

Poisoning - Related Articles