Did you know that almost everyone in Mumbai has a certain amount of lead in their systems? Rhea Dhanbhoora tells you more about the risks of lead poisoning
Lead poisoning, a medical condition caused by an unnatural amount of lead in your body, is not as rare as it may seem to be. It interferes with the development of the nervous system and causes learning and behaviour disorders. When your body is exposed to lead, it can act as a poison because it is distributed throughout your body and can damage red blood cells, limiting their ability to carry oxygen to the organs and tissues that need it.
CAUSES
Unfortunately, we live in a polluted city, so lead is present in our environment. It can be found in contaminated soil, water that flows through old lead pipes or in water that has not been filtered properly, food that’s stored improperly and even the air we breathe. Also, some toys, jewellery and makeup contain a high amount of lead.
SYMPTOMS
Initially, you may experience irritability, difficulty concentrating and suffer from frequent headaches or a loss of appetite. You could begin to lose weight, feel sluggish and tired all the time and suffer from bouts of constipation, pale skin, nausea and muscle pain. Almost everyone in the city is slightly affected by it, but long term lead poisoning is what you need to be most careful about. In the long run, it can affect your nervous system, kidneys and give you speech and language problems or seizures.
FIGHT IT
If it reaches an advanced stage, precautions such as safe drinking water aren’t going to work and you’re going to need to visit a doctor. You will receive therapy according to the amount of lead in your body, in order to eliminate all of it from your system.
BOX
TIPS:
- Make sure your pipes are in top notch shape and the drinking water is properly boiled and filtered.
- Keep dust away and wash your hands regularly. Also wash toys and keep jewellery clean.
- Use makeup with a low lead content.
- Make sure that your diet has enough iron and calcium in it.