How to Know if You Have Lead Poisoning, and What to Do Next
How can you get lead poisoning?
You can get lead poisoning multiple ways, often through a building you might live or work in. Before its use was banned in the 1970s, lead was commonly found in paints, pipes, and window fixtures. Despite legislation being passed to protect homeowners and renters alike from dangerous lead exposure, many older properties still contain lead. It can also be found in food containers and toys.
Most commonly, lead is either ingested or inhaled — babies and young children may ingest lead paint chips, and adults and children alike may inhale lead dust from lead paint (especially during renovations). Exposure to lead through paint and water from leaded piping can put tenants at risk for lead poisoning, a dangerous buildup of the toxic chemical in the body.
Symptoms of lead poisoning in adults
In adults, symptoms of lead poisoning manifest through both physical and behavioral symptoms:
Physical symptoms
High blood pressure
Nausea or abdominal pain
Continued fatigue
Headaches
Difficulty sleeping
Muscle weakness or coordination problems
Numbness in extremities
Infertility or miscarriage
Behavioral symptoms
Depressed mood
Problems with memory or focus
Increased irritability
General decline in mental function
Extreme changes in mood or personality
The longer one has been exposed to lead, the more severe the symptoms. Lead poisoning also varies with the amount of lead found in the body. When exposed to high levels of lead for a long period of time, lead poisoning can prove to be fatal.
Symptoms of lead poisoning in children
It is crucial to recognize the symptoms of lead poisoning in children — because they are in a critical period of development, babies and children under six are at heightened risk for lead poisoning. Additionally, it looks a bit different than it does in adults, as their symptoms tend to be more severe and affect development.
Physical symptoms
Nausea, vomiting, or abdominal pain
Headaches
Fatigue
Seizures
Loss of appetite
Slow and poor growth
Heading loss
In newborns, premature birth or low birth weight
Behavioral symptoms
Hyperactivity, including constant fidgeting, excessive talking, or impatient behavior
Learning difficulties
Behavior problems
Developmental delay
What do you do if you think you have lead poisoning?
If you think you have lead poisoning, be sure to get yourself to a safe environment, preferably somewhere with good ventilation. If possible, remove the possible source of contamination or distance yourself from it. After getting to a safe area away from potential sources of lead poisoning, call a healthcare professional. You can get your blood lead level checked at a poison control center, an emergency room, or your local doctor.
If your blood lead levels indicate lead poisoning, there are a variety of treatment options available. For low blood lead levels, avoiding exposure is often a method of reducing dangerous lead levels. In more severe cases, healthcare providers may proceed with chelation therapy (administering medication that causes lead to be excreted) or EDTA chelation therapy (an injection that also causes lead to be excreted).
We are here to help
In California, landlords are not required to remove lead from properties, but they are required to comprehensively inform tenants about the risks of lead exposure. Additionally, should tenants develop lead poisoning, landlords are responsible for losses and damages, including loss of employment, past and foreseeable lost wages, medical expenses, emotional distress, among other things.
If you are struggling with lead poisoning and its effects, please do not hesitate to contact us through this link here if you need any support or resources regarding lead poisoning. We will get back to you as soon as possible!