Mercury poisoning, caused by the absorption of mercury, can severely damage the nervous system and brain. It was common in hat makers in the 18th century and is now mainly caused by consuming mercury-contaminated fish. Chelation therapy is used to eliminate the contaminant. There is controversy over whether infant immunization shots containing a mercury compound cause autism.
Mercury poisoning is the common phrase for mercuralism, a condition caused by the body absorbing mercury, either in its elemental form or in a compound. Mercury is a heavy metal, liquid at room temperature, and is easily absorbed through the skin. It is a neurotoxin that can severely damage the human nervous system and brain.
Mercury poisoning was commonly encountered in hat makers in the 18th century, as a mercury compound was used extensively in felt making. Unaware of the danger of mercury absorption from the skin, hatters handled the felt and for a period of time went insane from mercury poisoning. This gave rise to the phrase “mad as a hatter,” which in turn led to the Mad Hatter character from Alice in Wonderland. Mercury poisoning is less prevalent than it was in those bad old days, but it can still be a problem. The most common source of high mercury levels today is the consumption of mercury-contaminated fish.
Mercury in ecosystems is nearly impossible to remove, and once a fish habitat has been contaminated, the fish that inhabit it absorb it. Most fish do not live long enough to develop a significant load of mercury and are therefore not dangerous to consume. Long-lived predatory fish such as sharks, however, don’t just absorb mercury from their environment; they also acquire the mercury burden of all the fish they consume. Therefore, sharks and other predatory fish could pose a risk of mercury poisoning if consumed.
That said, the level in even an older shark isn’t significant enough to harm an adult. The risk is greatest for children or pregnant women who could pass mercury poisoning to their unborn baby. It is recommended that women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant refrain from eating certain types of fish known to have higher than normal mercury concentrations.
The human body cannot unaided process and remove mercury from the brain and nervous system. Therefore, in case of mercury poisoning, radical therapies are needed to eliminate the contaminant. Chelation therapy is the currently used therapy, in which chelating agents are introduced. Chelating agents can form bonds with poisonous heavy metals and thus the created compound can be eliminated.
A recent controversy surrounding mercury poisoning is the claim by parents of children with autism that their child’s condition was caused by infant immunization shots containing a preservative that included a mercury compound. The Centers for Disease Control has denied a link, but circumstantially, autistic symptoms often appear shortly after a child’s one-year-old’s vaccinations, and the condition is much rarer in non-injecting populations. childish. Drug companies no longer preserve their medications using the mercury-containing compound, but it couldn’t hurt to ask ahead of your child’s regularly scheduled injections.
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