Can lead poisoning be treated?
• Yes, however, the best approach is to stop your children from coming into contact with lead. • The most common way to treat lead poisoning in children is to find the lead source and remove it from their environment. • Few children have high enough levels of lead in their blood that they require a medicine called a chelating agent. A chelating agent is a type of medicine that helps to remove the lead from the child’s body. • Your local Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program is available to help you and your health care provider to find and remove the source of lead poisoning. If your county does not have a local Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, contact your local health department or the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch office. • Any other problems associated with lead poisoning, such as anemia, should be treated. • A healthy diet is recommended. (See “How Can Healthy Food Protect My Child From Lead Poisoning?”.
Lead poisoning can be treated but prevention is best. Once lead is in the body there may already be permanent damage. In mild cases of lead poisoning, the “treatment” is finding the lead source and making the home safe to prevent additional lead from being absorbed into the body. Eating foods that are rich in iron (meat, fish, eggs, beans and green vegetables) and calcium (milk and cheese) and avoiding fried foods, help to keep the body from absorbing more lead. In serious cases of lead poisoning a child or adult may need chelation therapy. How does one prevent lead poisoning? Although not completely curable, lead poisoning is completely preventable through education and environmental interventions (such as painting and replacing windows). One can prevent lead poisoning by identifying where lead is located and learning how to live with it safely. A lead-safe house may contain lead but not pose a significant risk because the lead hazards have been addressed; however, continued maintenan
Yes, but the best approach is to stop your children from coming into contact with lead in the first place. The most common way to treat lead poisoning in children is to find the lead source and remove it from their environment. Few children have high enough levels of lead in their blood that they require a medicine called a chelating agent. A chelating agent is a type of medicine that helps to remove the lead from the child’s body.
