Symptoms of Lead Poisoning

Lead is a heavy metal that occurs naturally in the earth’s crust. It can enter the human body through inhalation or ingestion. Exposure to even small amounts of lead can cause serious health problems. Lead poisoning occurs over many months to years due to the slow accumulation of lead in the body. Please continue reading to learn the signs and symptoms of lead poisoning.

What are the main sources of lead exposure?

Lead-based paints are common sources of lead exposure and lead poisoning. In addition, many consumer products, including toys, jewelry, antiques, dishware, candy wrappers, spices, and traditional remedies can contain traces of lead. Other sources of exposure include contaminated air or household dust (for example, in older buildings), contaminated soil (for example, from industrial sources or leaded gasoline), and contaminated drinking water (for example, from a lead pipe or pipe fitting).

Who is at risk of lead poisoning?

Children younger than 6 years of age are particularly vulnerable and have a higher risk of lead poisoning because their bodies are still developing. Moreover, young children are more likely to touch objects and put their hands into their mouths, thereby swallowing lead paint chips or lead dust. Children who have pica (eating non-edible things like paint chips or soil) are at the greatest risk of lead poisoning.

Additionally, people at risk of lead poisoning include:

Those who live in older houses built before 1978 when lead paint was banned.
People from low-income groups who are more likely to be living in old houses with lead-based paints or lead pipes and plumbing fixtures connected with a lead solder.
Recently adopted children and immigrant and refugee children from less developed foreign countries who may have been exposed to lead in their home countries due to a lack of strict laws to protect against lead poisoning.
Occupational exposure to lead can occur in people who work in battery manufacturing, auto repair shops, or home renovations. Those working near airports may be exposed to lead through aviation gas. Such individuals can unknowingly expose their family members to lead through lead dust on their skin and clothes.
Exposure to lead can also occur through hobbies such as stained glass, jewelry making, furniture refinishing, antique restoration, use of lead bullets at a firing range, and work with metal, pigments, paints, or glazes.
Exposure can occur through lead-contaminated products imported from other countries, such as herbal or folk remedies, food cans, spices, cosmetics, art supplies, dishware, and pottery.

What happens if a child eats lead-based paint?

Eating lead-based paint can cause serious health problems in children. Lead can affect their physical and mental development. Acute lead poisoning (exposure to a large amount of lead over a short period of time) can cause severe symptoms and may even be fatal.

What are some signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in children?

Lead exposure can be difficult to detect. Many children and adults with lead exposure have no symptoms. When present, lead poisoning symptoms in children can include irritability, learning difficulties, developmental delay, fatigue, low energy, loss of appetite, weight loss, stomach pain, vomiting, constipation, hearing problems, and convulsions.

Exposure to lead during pregnancy can result in slowed growth in the unborn child, premature birth, and low birth weight.

What are subtle signs of lead poisoning?

Lead exposure can cause subtle signs such as slowed growth and development, behavior problems, learning difficulties, hearing difficulties, speech problems, low IQ, decreased focus and attention, and poor performance at school due to damage to the brain and nervous system. Young children, whose brains are still developing, are at a particularly high risk of harmful effects from lead poisoning.

What are signs of lead poisoning in adults?

Most adults with low blood lead levels do not have any obvious signs and symptoms. When present, the signs of lead poisoning in adults can include high blood pressure, kidney problems, nervous system problems, and reproductive system issues. Symptoms of lead poisoning may include fatigue, headache, stomach cramps, stomach pain, upset stomach, constipation, trouble sleeping, muscle pain, joint pain, irritability, memory problems, mood changes, low sperm count, low libido (sex drive), and miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature birth in pregnant women.

How long does it take for lead poisoning to show up?

It takes months to years for lead poisoning to show up after low-level lead exposure. In other words, lead builds up gradually in the body after exposure to small amounts over a long period of time. However, exposure to a large amount of lead in a short period of time can result in acute lead poisoning and very high lead levels, which can be life-threatening. In such cases, gastric lavage and bowel irrigation may be necessary. If you suspect or know that someone has been exposed to a large amount of lead, call the national poison control center at 1-800-222-1222 or call 911.

How is lead poisoning diagnosed?

Lead poisoning can be diagnosed with a simple blood test.

How much lead in the blood is safe?

There is no safe level of lead in the blood. Normal blood levels in healthy individuals are zero. If a blood test reveals a level of 5 mcg/dL (micrograms per deciliter) of lead in a child’s blood, it is considered unsafe. Levels of 45 mcg/dL or higher require treatment.

What is the treatment for lead poisoning?

The first thing to do for lead poisoning is to remove the source of exposure. If you have been exposed to lead, a blood lead test can be done to measure the amount of lead in your blood. Depending on the results, your healthcare provider may recommend treatment options. For example, in children, this may include developmental testing. For children and adults with mild lead poisoning, removing the source of lead exposure may be all that is needed, along with eating a healthy diet.

For severe cases of lead poisoning with obvious symptoms or health effects, doctors may recommend chelation therapy. This involves taking a medication by mouth that binds to lead in the blood and removes it from the body through urine. An injection treatment called EDTA chelation therapy is also available for those who cannot tolerate oral chelation treatment for lead poisoning.

Does vitamin C help with lead poisoning?

The results are inconclusive regarding the beneficial effects of vitamin C on blood lead levels. Serum vitamin C levels have been found to be low in people with high blood lead concentrations. However, there is no significant relationship between dietary intake of vitamin C and blood lead levels.

How to prevent lead poisoning?

The best way to prevent lead poisoning is to remove potentially dangerous products and hazards from your environment that may be contaminated with lead. You can lower the risk of lead poisoning in children by:

Using wet paper towels or soap and water to clean toys and play areas and wipe floors.
Encouraging your children to wash their hands frequently.
Discouraging children from putting their hands into their mouths.
Making sure children wash their hands before eating and going to bed.
Using duct tape or contact paper to cover chipping or peeling paint.

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