If a certain amount of mercury vapor is in the air, and according to indicators it will exceed 0.25 milligrams per cubic meter, then they begin to settle in the lungs of a person. If the concentration is higher, then penetration into the body begins not only during breathing, but also through the skin. Then mercury poisoning occurs.
As a rule, two types of symptoms of poisoning are distinguished : chronic and acute. All the symptoms are severe enough, but more complicated, everything goes on in women and small children.
Acute mercury poisoning often occurs during heating of an uninsulated substance, if there is no special extract. For example, such a situation may occur when the bath is heated with a liquid into which mercury from a broken thermometer has penetrated for some reason. Also, a harmful concentration of steam can occur during the breakdown of devices in which heated mercury was located. Often there is a situation when a thermometer breaks in a household cabinet. By the way, in this case, malicious fumes evaporate in no time.
As a rule, symptoms appear immediately after the vapor enters the body. This is weakness, loss of appetite, sore throat, a feeling of a taste of metal in the mouth, nausea, vomiting, severe headaches may appear, salivation may intensify, and bleeding and swelling of the gums may appear. All symptoms should be carefully studied by those at risk.
In addition to all of the above, with mercury poisoning, inflammatory processes in the lungs can occur, which are accompanied by coughing and painful breathing. The presence of mercury in the body shows an analysis of urine. Therefore, if there is a suspicion of such poisoning, it is not worth delaying a visit to a doctor, since there is a likelihood of a fatal outcome.
Mercury poisoning can also be chronic. Chronic mercury poisoning mostly occurs due to a rather long stay in an environment containing mercury vapor. Not infrequently, such conditions are the working environment.
Symptoms of chronic poisoning, as a rule, primarily affect the human nervous system. More specifically: it is weakness, headache, drowsiness and fatigue. Some emotional irritability and nervousness are also characteristic. Against this general background, there are such signs of poisoning as a weakening of intellectual abilities and a significant decrease in concentration. If mercury poisoning was very strong, then a trembling of the whole body is observed.
A huge role in the diagnosis of mercury poisoning is played by a decrease in the ability of the skin to touch, and also reduced susceptibility to taste and smell. Pressure may decrease and there is a chance of frequent urination.
If all of the above symptoms occur, and through certain tests mercury poisoning has been confirmed, treatment is simply necessary and as soon as possible. If this is not done, then in the worst case, as already mentioned, a fatal outcome is possible, and with a more favorable prognosis, death may not occur, but there is a chance of developing diseases such as atherosclerosis, tuberculosis, various pathologies of the liver and gastrointestinal tract.
In women, symptoms of poisoning can be irregularities in the cycle of menstruation, and pregnancy can also fail.
Mercury poisoning is very dangerous in that the symptoms may not occur at all for a very long time. And a person will continue to live and work, not noticing that his body is exposed to the strongest effects of deadly fumes.