Treatment to remove mercury from the body may be done by gastric lavage or medication use, depending on the form of contamination and when the person was exposed to metal.
Mercury poisoning can occur as a result of a professional activity, such as garimpeiros and people working in the manufacture of fluorescent lamps, or by consuming mercury-contaminated water or fish. Learn more about how mercury poisoning occurs.
- Mercury poisoning can be acute when contact with this metal is recent and has occurred only once.
- Or chronically.
- During contact with mercury for an extended period of time.
- The longer the exposure time.
- The worse the health consequences.
- As the metal builds up in the body and causes damage.
Treatment of mercury poisoning varies depending on the amount and time of exposure to mercury:
Treatment of acute poisoning, i.e. when contact has only been established once, can be done by gastric lavage, vomiting induction or the use of laxatives to remove the substance from the intestine.
If mercury has come into contact with the skin, wash the area with soap and water, while if eye contact has occurred, wash thoroughly with running water.
If signs and symptoms of poisoning appear even after gastric lavage or vomiting induction, it is important to return to the health center or hospital for testing and other treatments.
Treatment for chronic poisoning, i.e. when you have prolonged exposure to mercury, includes:
As soon as mercury contamination or the first symptoms of poisoning occur, the doctor should be contacted to start treatment, which may take weeks or months, depending on the degree of contamination of the individual.
Learn how to remove mercury from your body through food
Mercury contamination can cause complications such as neurological disorders, kidney problems, liver, skin, immune and reproductive systems. Excess mercury in the body of pregnant women can also cause fetal malformations and the death of the baby.
The intensity of the consequences depends on the form of mercury contamination, mercury concentration and vulnerability of the person, being more dangerous in children and the elderly.
Signs of better mercury contamination include a reduction in symptoms of skin fatigue, weakness and irritation. When contamination begins to pass, it is possible to notice an improvement in appetite, muscle aches and mental confusion, with memory recovery and the proper functioning of the whole body.
Signs of an aggravation of contamination are an increase in initial symptoms, with great mental confusion, memory loss, kidney dysfunction and decreased urine production. When mercury contamination is high, it can cause permanent neurological problems, even with treatment to remove this metal from the body.