IPAL: Iowa Parents Against Lead Poisoning

IN CHILDREN

Headaches
Inability to sleep
Muscle aches
Irritability or hyperactivity
Nausea
Constipation
Weight Loss

IN ADULTS

Headaches
Fatigue, feeling weak
Clumsiness
Shaking hands
Dizziness
Difficulty concentrating
Feeling depressed
Memory loss
Difficulty sleeping
Irritability
Nervousness
Muscle or joint aches
Metallic taste in mouth
Loss of appetite
Stomach aches
Constipation
Nausea
Weight loss
Anemia
High blood pressure
Kidney damage
Infertility

Most often lead causes no symptoms! It moves from our blood and stores in our bones and tissue

• Learning disabilities
• Autism
• Behavioral problems
• Reduced IQ
• Mental retardation
• Academic failure
• Neuropsychological deficits
• Hyperactivity behavior
• Antisocial (criminal) behavior
• Neurological problems
• Sleep disorders
• Stomach ache
• Constipation
• Vomiting
• Anemia
• Decreased appetite
• Hearing loss
• Slow reflexes
• Muscle weakness, affecting mainly the upper extremities
• Weight loss
• Brain damage
• Seizure, coma, death, at very high levels

After being ingested, lead enters the bloodstream and is absorbed and stored in many tissues and organs in the body, including the liver, kidneys, brain, teeth, and bones.

Lead can harm virtually every system in the human body. Lead is particularly harmful to the developing brain and nervous system of fetuses and young children. In many cases there are NO visible symptoms of elevated blood lead levels or lead poisoning.

Lead has no known biological role in the body. The toxicity comes from its ability to mimic other biologically important metals, the most notable of which are calcium, iron and zinc. Lead is able to bind to and interact with the same proteins and molecules as these metals, but after displacement, those molecules function differently and fail to carry out the same reactions, such as in producing enzymes necessary for certain biological processes.

Even small amounts of lead can harm a child's brain, kidneys and stomach. Lead poisoning can slow a child's development and cause learning behavior problems.

The main treatment of lead poisoning is to stop the exposure. Removing the lead from a person's environment helps to ensure a decline in blood lead levels. The longer a person is exposed to lead, the greater the likelihood that damage to the person's health will result. In some cases, medications are used to lower blood lead levels. This is called chelation therapy.

The dangers caused by lead poisoning are irreversible and permanent. The only cure is prevention, and lead lead poisoning is completely preventable. It can take years of low level poisoning before there are any noticeable symptoms, long after the damage has been done. It is very important to have your child tested for lead because a blood test is the ONLY way to know if your child has been exposed to lead.