Arsenic poisoning occurs when through some manner, a person takes arsenic into their body. Arsenic can be sometimes found in water, food and items commonly found in homes. When a person takes in this substance, it interferes with the normal function of the cells by interfering with its energy levels and longevity. It can cause atherosclerosis, arrhythmia, episodes of high blood pressure, neurological disturbances, dysfunction in the nervous system and eventually may lead to death of not treated.
There are two basic forms of arsenic that a person may come into contact with. One is the organic form and the other inorganic. The organic form is not as toxic as the inorganic but the lethal dose for adults in either case scenario is generally between 70 and 100 mg in one day. Most cases related to arsenic poisoning are not concerning elemental arsenic but with the compounds such as those found in water or food.
Arsenic poisoning is not as prevalent as is used to be because there is more information and education available to the public concerning this toxic. In the past, arsenic has been used for medical and cosmetic purposes and it was even used in art supplies which caused accidental poisonings. There are still accidental poisonings that occur but many with certain occupations such as those that are to do with copper or lead smelting or with jobs that are related to pesticides. It can be inhaled into the body or absorbed into the skin which over a period of time can have the same effects as ingesting it.
Symptoms that someone may have arsenic poisoning include changes on one’s pattern of breathing, tachycardia, headaches, hypertension, and lightheadedness. If not treated, this poisoning can lead to damage of the heart, kidneys, brain and sometimes death. Consequences of chronic exposure to arsenic of the inorganic type may lead to muscular dysfunction such as incontinence, hypertension, neuropathy, diabetes, obesity, depression and cutaneous hyperpigmentation.
Diagnosis of arsenic poisoning comes through various tests that measure the amount of arsenic in the blood, urine, hair and fingernails. The most accurate of these is a urine test but it must be tested within 24-48 hours of exposure for the poisoning to be properly diagnosed while hair and fingernail testing shows that the person in question has been exposed within the last six and twelve months to higher levels of the poison than normal.
When a person has been positively diagnosed with arsenic poisoning, there are various methods that are taken to eliminate the problem. Chelating agents are used to take away the arsenic molecules from blood proteins. Though some of these agents are considered to be toxic and even have side effects such as hypertension, they are quite successful in treating acute arsenic poisoning. In some cases, garlic is shown to have helped the person to eliminate the arsenic in their urine which is attributed to the sulfur levels in that herb. Garlic can be used as a preventative measure for those who live with questionable qualities of water and other possibilities of exposure to arsenic.
