Lead

Lead is less of an environmental hazard than it used to be, thanks to legislation passed in the 1970s banning it from gasoline and interior house paint. Unfortunately, however, lead contamination continues to be widespread. The primary source: lead-based paint found in an estimated 100 million homes and apartments built before 1978. Over time, paint peels from the wall and is ingested by small children, who will put almost anything in their mouths. Or it is released into the air as a fine dust when doors and windows are opened and shut. Lead is also found in many of the foods we eat. Soil contamination, a result of years of auto emissions, has made lead an unwelcome part of the food chain. Many glass and ceramic items, including dishes, contain lead. Lead chromate, used as yellow and orange pigments, has even been found recently in some children's toys.

Current lead concentrations in the United States

Lead toxicity affects people at all stages of life. In childhood, exposure causes irreversible damage to the central nervous system. The lead accumulates in the body, particularly in the bones. Because lead has a long half-life, increasingly higher stores of lead build up in the skeleton as a person ages, and serve as an internal source of lead exposure throughout life. During pregnancy, lead absorption is increased even more than usual, and the fetus is particularly sensitive to the toxic effects of lead.

How Can Lead Affect Your Children?

Lead in the body stops good minerals such as iron and calcium from working right.
Lead poisoning can cause learning, hearing, and behavioral problems.
Lead poisoning can harm the brain, kidneys, and other organs.
Some of these effects may be permanent. Lead poisoning can affect nearly every system in the body. It occurs with no obvious symptoms and often goes unnoticed. All children need to be protected from lead poisoning by being tested.

How Are Children Exposed to Lead?

Lead can be harmful if it is eaten or inhaled.
Your children can be exposed to lead if lead-based paint was used in your home or if your home has lead pipes. Homes and buildings built before 1978 are most likely to have lead.
Small children can be exposed to lead by eating paint chips, chewing on painted objects, or swallowing dust or soil that contains lead. Children are also exposed to lead through some home remedies, imported pottery dishes, and candles.

Lead Sources

(bold = everyday exposure)

Auto exhaust
Bone meal
Canned fruit juice
Car batteries
Ceramic glazes
Cigarette ash
City water
Cosmetics
Eating utensils
Evaporated milk
Hair dyes
Insecticides
Lead based paint
Lead crystal dishes and glassware
Lead gasoline
Lead refineries
Lead smelters
Lead water pipes
Lip stick
Liver
Mascara
Milk
Organ meats
Pesticides
Porcelain glazed sinks and Bathtubs
Produce (near roads)
Putty
PVC containers
Rainwater
Snow
Tobacco
Toothpaste
Toys
Vinyl mini-blinds
Well water
Wine

Behavioral, Structural, Functional Abnormalities Associated with Lead

Reference: Published in the August issue of Alternative & Complimentary Therapies (a magazine for doctors) and Published in Townsend Letter for Doctor's and Patients

Psychiatric Disturbances

ADD
ADHD
Aggressive behaviors
Anorexia
Chronic fatigue (CFS)
Depression
Eating disorders
Flat affect
Impaired facial recognition
Impaired visual fixation
Irritability
Lacks eye contact
Loss of appetite/weight
Malaise
Mood swings
Sleep difficulties/disturbances
Temper tantrums
Weakness

Cognitive Impairments
Attention deficits (ADD, ADHD, response inhibition)
Borderline intelligence
Impaired reaction time
Low IQ scores
Lower performance on timed tests
Mental retardation
Poor concentration
Poor memory (short term, verbal, and auditory)
Uneven performance on IQ scores

Sensory Abnormalities
Hearing loss

Motor Disorders
Convulsion
Seizure

Physiological Impairment,
Brain and Central Nervous System
Abnormal EEGs
Alterations in nerve conduction velocity
Autonomic disturbances
Encephalopathy
Neuritis
Neuropathy
Retrobulbar neuritis
Gastrointestinal Tract
Abdominal pain
Burning of the throat of the mouth
Stomach cramps

Renal and Hepatic Impairment
Histological alterations
Kidney damage
Kidney disease
Kidney failure
Renal toxicity
Tubular proteinosis

Cardiovascular System
Hypertension
Cardiovascular
Disease
Electrocardiac disorders
Increased heart rate (tachycardia)
Peripheral vascular disease
Vascular collapse

Immune System
Immunosuppression

Reproductive System
Birth defects
Premature births
Spontaneous abortion

Other Physical Disturbances
Acrodynia
Colic
Headache
Muscle pain

The information on MY PATIENTS WEBSITE with Dr. Tindall, D.C., C.C.S.T. are provided for the purposes of education only and is not intended as a substitute for advice from your physician or other health care professional. Any products recommend or claims made about specific products on or through this site have not been evaluated by the United States Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. . You should not use the information on this site for diagnosis or treatment of any health problem or for prescription of any medication or other treatment. You should consult with a healthcare professional before starting any diet, exercise or supplementation program, before taking any medication, or if you have or suspect you might have a health problem.