Associated symptoms

The amount of mercury that causes the onset of symptoms in patients varies greatly. Due to a very broad spectrum of symptoms, many different symptoms can also occur. Patients with acute mercury poisoning often complain of nausea, vomiting and a changed taste in the mouth.

This is often described as metallic. In addition, cramp-like abdominal pain can occur. Headaches, dizziness and persistent tiredness are also possible.

Persistent high concentrations of mercury can lead to further inflammation in the area of the gastrointestinal tract (gastroenteritis), which manifests itself, among other things, as persistent abdominal pain. Severe damage to the kidneys also occurs with chronically elevated mercury concentrations. Without treatment and therapy, this kidney damage and the resulting loss of protein and electrolytes leads to death within a few days.

Chronic mercury poisoning (in Japan also often called Minamata disease) manifests itself mainly through neurological symptoms. Chronic mercury poisoning causes a variety of symptoms in the brain. The amounts of mercury can penetrate into the brain via the blood and accumulate there.

They act as a strong nerve poison and inhibit signal transmission. Patients show numerous symptoms. In addition to cramps, which manifest themselves as tremors, paralysis and concentration difficulties are common.

However, chronic mercury poisoning has also been reported to cause poor short-term memory, personality disorders and tingling in the skin. Among other heavy metals, mercury can also lead to hair loss. However, this is only very rarely attributed to possible mercury poisoning.

After spreading in the body, the mercury accumulates in the hair area, among other places. They disturb the further development and maturation of the hair, which manifests itself as increasing hair loss. Often, hair loss is an important early warning symptom that can be diagnosed before other symptoms break out.

Treatment

Untreated, mercury poisoning with high amounts of mercury can lead to death within a few days. Various drugs are available for therapy. The principle is used that heavy metals are bound in the body by various drugs (so-called complexing agents) and can thus be excreted more easily.

Medical charcoal is used for the treatment of acute mercury poisoning, in which the mercury has not yet been absorbed by the body and is in the bloodstream. By binding to the mercury quantities, the mercury is excreted from the body via the stool. However, if the mercury is already in the human bloodstream, other substances are used: BAL (Dimercaprol), D-Penicillamine.

BAL (Dimercaprol) is injected into the muscle in a large surplus. It binds the mercury in the body, which cancels out its toxic effect and allows it to be excreted. The same applies to D-penicillamine, which is administered through a vein or in the form of tablets. Numerous and sometimes serious side effects can occur during therapy with these drugs. Symptomatic treatment is often given at the same time as many other drugs (e.g. for nausea).