Mercury Toxicity Part 2 :

Posted March 13, 2011 in Home

My blog on mercury toxicity last month discussed the ways in which we can absorb mercury in our body.  Mercury  can be found as a liquid, vapor, or solid.  The form of mercury an individual is exposed to will determine how the body absorbs it.  Each form of mercury settles in the body differently, thus having different impacts on the body.

The two main forms of mercury exposure to date are from fish and seafood as well as dental amalgam metal fillings.

Methylmercury is found among fish and seafood.

This “organic” form of mercury is a potential health hazard due to it being readily absorbed by the stomach and intestines.  After being absorbed, the mercury travels to the nervous system where it can cause damage.  In pregnant women, an overexposure of mercury can harm the development of the brain as well as potentially affect the heart and circulatory system.  Methylmercury has also been classified by the International Agency for Research on Cancer as “possibly carcinogenic.”

Elemental mercury is mercury that is inhaled typically with dental amalgam fillings.  The vapors are easily absorbed through the lungs and move through the bloodstream and pass the blood/brain barrier.  However, when elemental mercury is ingested, very little is absorbed by the body.

The inhalation of Elemental mercury vapor can cause:

Tremors

Emotional Instability

Insomnia

Memory loss

Neuromuscular changes

Headaches

Damage to kidneys

Damage to Thyroid

Please visit our Riverside Biological Safe Mercury Removal Dental office at (951)686-3666. Say tuned for Part 3 in my series of blogs discussing mercury toxicity, where I will address the ways to find out if there is too much mercury in your system.