How is lead poisoning treated?
You or your child may have any of the following: • Removal of lead source: The main treatment is to remove the source of lead, which helps decrease lead blood levels. Local health departments can tell you about resources to identify and reduce lead in your home or in your community. • Chelation therapy: This is done to bind lead in the blood. The bound lead is then turned into substances easily removed through the urine and stool. This may be done more than once until lead blood levels return to normal. The medicines used in this therapy are given by mouth or through the vein (IV). It is important to drink enough fluids during therapy. • Medicines: • Iron: This medicine may be given to treat anemia (low red blood cells) which may be caused by lead poisoning • Pain medicine: Caregivers may give you medicine to take away or decrease your pain. Medicine may be given regularly, or may only be given if you ask caregivers for it.
Criteria are set by national organizations when to treat children with lead poisoning. However, the criteria are less specific to adolescents and adults. When a decision is made to treat adolescents with lead poisoning, there are two major paths. Lead is removed from the body by a medication that is called a chelating agent. That is, the medication binds with the lead in the body and it is excreted from the body with the lead attached to it. Succimer was approved in January 1991 as a chelating agent for children with elevated lead levels. It is taken by mouth, and it has a high selectivity for binding to lead. When bound to lead, it produces a diuresis and is then excreted. The most common adverse effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and loss of appetite. Adolescents who are administered succimer should be monitored for side effects especially for changes in the liver enzymes.
One of the key ways of treating lead poisoning is removal or containment of the source of lead. In low-level exposures the removal of the lead along with a change in diet is effective. It is best to eat foods, which are high in iron. Iron will help absorb the lead in the body. If the case of lead poisoning is more severe, the treatment is chelation therapy. Chelation therapy involves taking medication, which will bind to the lead in your body. The medicine quickens the elimination of the lead from the body. To fill out a confidential form, CLICK HERE.
