Mercury is a very toxic chemical element. You can poison it in pairs at home and at the enterprise. At home, you can poison yourself with mercury by breaking an ordinary mercury thermometer, mercury lamps or barometer. In this case, the poisonous liquid metal spreads on the surface with small shiny balls and immediately begins to evaporate.
You can get
mercury poisoning at enterprises if mercury pumps and pressure gauges are damaged. Chronic poisoning can occur when inhaled mercury vapor in a poorly ventilated area, or if mercury enters the body with food. Mercury accumulates in the human body and is practically not removed from it. Mercury poisoning is chronic and acute.
Quite often, the risk of poisoning arises from negligence. It's about a broken thermometer. Worst of all, if it was not immediately noticed, or if not all the leaked substance was collected. Having noticed the first signs of mercury poisoning, it is urgent to seek medical help.
Poisonous vapors upon evaporation of the metal begin their destructive effect on the body. Signs of mercury poisoning appear: severe headache, weakness, swollen gums and their bleeding, increased salivation. Perhaps a sharp increase in temperature to 40 degrees, chills, cough, shortness of breath.
Gradually, the concentration of toxic substances rises, signs of poisoning
are becoming more apparent. And if at first the headache was not very severe, lethargy - symptoms that can be attributed to many diseases, then after a while obvious signs of mercury poisoning, which were mentioned earlier, begin to appear.
Most likely, each of these symptoms alone will not indicate mercury poisoning, but together they should force the healthcare professional to carefully consider this option, especially if the sharp deterioration in well-being is not explained by other reasons.
Chronic intoxication with mercury vapor is called mercurialism. This is primarily a serious damage to the nervous system. In the initial, functional stage of poisoning, neurological disorders are diagnosed - irritability, insomnia or dreams interrupted by nightmares.
Possible manifestations of tachycardia, excessive sweating, an enlarged thyroid gland. If mercury intoxication continues, then the process can go to the next stage - psycho-organic.
There is trembling of the fingers and toes, and then the whole body. The gait is disturbed, speech becomes illegible, a change in handwriting is possible. Signs of mercury poisoning should be a serious reason to call an ambulance. Before a physician arrives, the physician must be given milk to drink, then artificially induce vomiting.
The consequences of mercury poisoning are very dangerous for a person, but you should not rely on your own knowledge in this matter, the victim needs qualified medical help and constant monitoring of his condition.