Mercury Poisoning Treatment

Mercury poisoning, also referred to as hydrargaria, is a health disorder caused due to exposure to mercury, or any of its compounds. This heavy metal, which occurs in various forms, tends to produce several toxic effects, including damage to brain and kidney, on humans. Mercury poisoning is also known to trigger various diseases in humans, most prominent among which are Hunter-Russell syndrome and acrodynia.

Mercury Poisoning Symptoms
Mercury exists in three chemical forms - methylmercury, elemental mercury and other organic as well as inorganic mercury compounds. Exposure to each of these can trigger a series of mercury poisoning symptoms in the individual.

• Exposure to methylmercury can result in impairment of peripheral vision, lack of coordination in movement, speech impairment and muscle weakness.
• Exposure to elemental mercury can lead to mood swings, headache, irritability, nervousness, insomnia and neuromuscular changes. Higher exposure can also cause kidney failure or lung failure and eventually lead to death.
• Exposure to inorganic mercury can cause skin rashes, loss of memory, mental disturbances, dermatitis and muscle weakness. Exposure to organic mercury can also lead to same effects, but organic mercury is more readily absorbed by the body, and hence the ill effects are relatively less.

An individual is normally exposed to methylmercury through consumption of fish and elemental mercury by inhaling products containing the same. Mercury poisoning treatment has to be initiated as soon as any of these mercury poisoning symptoms are observed.

Mercury Poisoning Treatment
Delay in treating any suspected, or confirmed, exposure to mercury can lead to some severe implications on the body. When any of the above mentioned symptoms of mercury poisoning are observed in an individual, he should undergo medical treatment as soon as possible, even if reports of tests are not out. Awaiting reports in order to start mercury poisoning treatment may cause further irreparable damage to various parts of the body. The foremost thing to do is to make sure that the source of mercury exposure is disposed and the person as well as the surroundings have to be thoroughly cleaned of all traces of mercury.

If the person has inhaled mercury in significant amount, he should be put on emergency respiratory support to avoid further damage to the lungs. In case of ingestion of caustic inorganic mercury, making the individual vomit will only lead to further exposure of the tissues to the caustic toxin and hence should be strictly avoided. The right method to treat this case would be to remove the source of mercury poisoning. This should be only executed by an experienced medical professional. In case of acute organic forms of mercury the treatment need not be as aggressive as mercury poisoning treatment in case of inorganic forms. It can be treated by using a charcoal or laxative to remove the source. If the person has ingested elemental mercury, a laxative can be used to remove the elemental mercury. A more aggressive method has to be chosen if the intestinal tract is damaged.

Mercury forms can be chelated with dimercaprol and removed from the blood by the process of dialysis. But using dimercaprol in case of methylmercury poisoning is not a correct measure and it can further aggravate toxicity of the brain and spinal cord. In mercury poisoning treatment, neostigmine can be used to facilitate motor function, while polythiol can be used to bind methylmercury in bile secretions. The use of medication for the treatment of mercury poisoning may differ from one individual to another and should be determined by none other than a medical professional on consulting with the patient.

Although, various methods of mercury poisoning treatment are available, the best bet is to avoid exposure to mercury or any of its compounds. Industries which utilize mercury should be well prepared to treat and dispose the same. Mercury releases in air and water have to be strictly avoided. We can help by properly disposing products that contain mercury and asking for mercury free products when buying new ones. Our efforts can help us live a happy life free from various hazards of this toxic metal. In fact, a mercury free environment is the best way to keep mercury poisoning at bay.