A Guide to Toxic Metals from Exposure to Detoxification
Chronic toxicity has become the next insidious health crisis. Aluminum, arsenic, mercury, and other toxic metals pervade the environment, from our diet to our personal care products. Although toxicity is sometimes apparent, many signs and symptoms go unnoticed for extended periods of time. Its variable symptoms and widespread effects present a challenge for traditional clinical diagnosis.
From hormonal imbalances to organ damage, heavy metal toxicity can lead to long-term health complications. Without a thorough understanding of toxic metal sources and their potential effects, these environmental toxins may be gradually wearing down your patients’ immune defenses. To provide the best patient care, it’s important to understand the progression of toxicity and the work of detoxification.
Exposure to Toxic Metals
The overwhelming prevalence of toxic substances in the environment remains a primary concern of toxicology today. Exposure to toxic metals is far more common than your patient may expect. Though the average person may not encounter high doses of heavy metals that lead to acute toxicity, nearly everyone is likely to encounter toxic metals daily.
Lifestyle
Certain lifestyle choices inevitably expose a person to toxic metals. For example, a smoker regularly inhales toxic metals such as nickel, lead, and chromium that are found in cigarettes and e-cigarettes. These toxic metals accumulate in cell tissues over time, contributing to long-term toxicity.
However, even non-smokers may be exposed to these harmful metals. Second-hand smokers inhale traces of these toxins. Even third-hand smokers, who come into contact with items that have traces of cigarette smoke, such as furniture and clothes, can be negatively impacted by these toxic metals.
Occupational Exposure
Occupational exposure to heavy metals has been a cause of public concern for several decades. Though improved working conditions have somewhat moderated the occupational element of toxic metal exposure, several occupations are more likely to contract heavy metal toxicity. The New York Heavy Metals Registry reported that over 85% of New York residents had between 10-24 µg/dL of lead in their urine as of 2020. Of those that were affected, the vast majority worked in construction or in bridge maintenance.
Ingestion and Dermal Exposure
Toxic metals come at your patients from all sides. They’re found in dental amalgam fillings, certain cosmetic products, and many baby foods. Additionally, medications and certain diagnostic tests may expose your patients to toxic metals. Gadolinium, a toxic metal, is used prominently as an MRI contrast material. Through these diagnostic tests and pharmaceuticals, toxic metals can insidiously creep into your patients’ systems. Both organic and inorganic foods, such as apple juice, may contain measurable traces of damaging toxic metals. As common pollutants, heavy metals like arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury can even be ingested through drinking water.
Some level of toxicity is universal in every person’s diet. In vitro, toxic metals can even be passed from mother to fetus. Exposure occurs at such a young age that it has become the common belief that everyone has some level of metal toxicity in their body.
Symptoms of Toxicity
Shortly after exposure, symptoms of toxicity will begin manifesting. There are certain distinctive symptoms to watch out for.
- Arsenic toxicity results in Mee’s lines on fingernails and garlic-scented breath. QT prolongation and neuropathy are also common.
- Lead toxicity can manifest in a Burton’s line on the gums and a radial or peroneal foot drop. Lead toxicity is often symptomized by cognitive decline.
- Mercury toxicity leads to amalgam tattoos, gingival and buccal inflammation, and ataxia.
- Iron toxicity produces anion gap metabolic acidosis and elevated ferritin levels.
The adverse effects of heavy metal toxicity are extensive. Even in low parts per million (ppm), heavy metals like mercury, lead, and cadmium can affect neurotransmitters and reduce the activity of natural killer cells. Additionally, toxicity may contribute to allergies, chronic viral and fungal infections, hormone-related infertility, and sleep disturbances.
The Total Load
As heavy metal toxins combine with additional stressors, they wear down on your patients’ immune strength. EMFs, pesticides, preservatives, solvents, plasticizers, and other environmental toxins contribute to your patients’ total load. Combined with the strain of even minor heavy metal toxicity, this total load can lead to catastrophic health crises. Additional symptoms, conditions, and chronic diseases that seem unrelated may be significantly influenced by the contributions of toxic metals to the total load.
Damage to Organ Health and Immunity
Over time, heavy metal toxicity can have lasting effects on your patients’ organs. Most toxic metals can be transported through the bloodstream, and several are able to cross the blood/brain barrier. As toxic metals inhibit healthy cell function, long-term exposure also lends itself to decreased immune activity and cellular dysfunction.
Cardiovascular, Neurological, and Hormonal Health
Heavy metals are neurotoxic, nephrotoxic, and carcinogenic. Heavy metal toxicity has been connected to dozens of chronic conditions, from cardiovascular disease to neurodegeneration. Vasculotoxic metals like lead, cadmium, gadolinium, hexavalent chromium, arsenic, and aluminum contribute to vascular aging and leave lasting arterial damage. Toxic metals have been known to drastically affect the nervous system. Excessive accumulation within the nervous system has been linked to significant behavioral and neurological changes. As neurotoxic metals like mercury are easily transported across the blood/brain barrier, they have become high risk factors for neurological conditions such as ADHD, autism, and schizophrenia.
Hormonal imbalances, infertility, and unbalanced libido have all been connected to toxic metal exposure. The effect of toxic metals on the endocrine system has been well-documented. Consider the potential role of heavy metal in patients struggling with menstrual changes, mood swings, and other symptoms of hormonal imbalances.
Cell Function
At a cellular level, toxic metals damage cell membranes, disrupt protein function and affect DNA by inducing double-strand breaks. With such influence on cell function, it’s no surprise that heavy metal toxicity has been connected to carcinogenicity. Those with acute toxicity are significantly more at-risk for developing cancer, but even patients with low-levels of toxic exposure are at an increased risk.
Detoxification
Though long-term heavy metal toxicity has some weighty side-effects, many symptoms are reversible with proper treatment. To fight against toxicity, it’s important to work quickly and develop a comprehensive treatment plan that fulfills your patients’ needs. Begin by reducing common sources of toxic metals, including rice, non-organic foods, and alcohol. Urge your patients to incorporate cilantro, wild blueberries, lemon water, green tea, and other foods rich with antioxidants that fight against free radicals and support the body during detoxification.
Additionally, treatments that fight against the toxic effects of heavy metals, such as chelation, aid detoxification. Whatever chelation plan works best for your patient, be sure to maintain consistency and regularly test toxic metal levels to ensure the efficacy of your treatment.
Testing
Some retain toxicity more than others. Genetic differences, high-sugar diets, and the rate of bioaccumulation can all influence your patients’ heavy metal toxicity. Developing a treatment plan requires in-depth information about each patient at a microscopic level.
Popular choices for toxicity testing include hair mineral analysis screening, serum or whole blood testing, and urine testing. However, hair mineral analysis and blood testing provide inconsistent data. For accurate readings, hair mineral analysis requires special hair treatment from the patient three days in advance, and blood testing is only viable as long as the toxic substance remains in the bloodstream.
Urine testing has become the industry standard for accuracy and convenience. With simple collection and quick results, urine samples are ideal for measuring toxicity pre- and post-chelation. Access Medical Lab’s heavy metal testing panels report on common toxic and nutritional metals that may be affecting your patients’ health, with results within 24 to 48 hours, AML’s heavy metal testing is ideal for monitoring the efficacy of chelation and dietary changes.
Fighting Toxic Metals with Proactive Care
To provide the best patient care, consider incorporating toxic metal testing into your regular checkup. With an in-depth picture of your patients’ health, you are better equipped to give your patients the guidance they need, reduce their total load, and help them fight against chronic conditions. Explore heavy metal testing and more from Access Medical Labs.
