| In chronic mercury poisoning, digestive and nervous
symptoms predominate.
Early signs include slight digestive disorders,
intermittent tremors, and neurotic disorders.
Gingivitis (gum inflammation/disease) is the most common
gastrointestinal disorder encountered in mercury poisoning.
Ulcerous stomatitis, that is, inflammation and/or
ulceration emanating from the corners of the mouth, is much less
common and is normally found in persons already suffering from
gingivitis who have accidentally inhaled mercury vapors.
Other gastrointestinal disorders encountered in mercury
toxicity include gastritis and gastroduodenitis.
Nervous system involvement may include clinical signs of fine
intention tremor and Parkinsonism with tremor at rest. The most frequently encountered symptoms resemble those associated
with Multiple Sclerosis.
Tremor usually disappears during sleep, although sudden generalized
cramps or contractions may occur.
Tremors typically begin with a subtle trembling of the
fingers; this later affects the hand, forearm, facial muscles,
tongue, and larynx and eventually reaches the lower limbs.
With Mercury toxicity In its most acute form, tremors may invade
all the voluntary muscles and be continuous. Comparing the above with other heavy metal poisoning symptoms such
as Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium and Zinc to name a few, and of course,
depending on the symptoms an individual with Multiple Sclerosis has
experienced, could easily lead to an erroneous belief that one
particular heavy metal has to be the significant factor in Multiple
Sclerosis.
An example of a known heavy metal exposure other than mercury dental
amalgam causing neurological deficit would be that of lead lined
water pipes or paint with excessive lead content.Having said that, there have been studies done which show a trend
towards dental amalgam fillings and the occurrence of Multiple
Sclerosis.
This could point the way towards mercury toxicicity since this
metal does indeed have significant neurotoxic effects, or it could
simply be a reflection of the cravings an MS'r has for carbohydrates
and sweets and the subsequent effect all the extra sugar has on
teeth and the requirement for more dental fillings. |
