This cell-altering ability may be useful in cancer treatment, as some studies have shown it can send the disease into remission and help thin the blood.
Arsenic-based chemotherapy drugs, such as arsenic trioxide, are already in use for some cancers. The symptoms of arsenic poisoning can be acute, or severe and immediate, or chronic, where damage to health is experienced over a longer period.
This will often depend on the method of exposure. If arsenic has been inhaled, or a less concentrated amount has been ingested, symptoms may take longer to develop. As the arsenic poisoning progresses, the patient may start experiencing convulsions, and their fingernail pigmentation may change. Arsenic poisoning typically affects the skin, liver, lungs, and kidneys. In the final stage, symptoms include seizures and shock.
This could lead to a coma or death. Arsenic, consumed in large amounts, can kill a person rapidly. Consumed in smaller amounts over a long period, it can cause serious illness or a prolonged death.
The main cause of arsenic poisoning worldwide is the drinking of groundwater that contains high levels of the toxin. The water becomes contaminated underground by rocks that release the arsenic. Daniel E. Transient contact with arsenic-containing rocks will not lead to effect absorption or clinical concerns for arsenic poisoning. The World Health Organization WHO estimate that more than million people worldwide are exposed to water that contains potentially unsafe levels of arsenic.
If proper safety measures are not taken, workers in certain industries may face a higher risk of toxicity. The method through which arsenic enters the human body in these industries depends on the way the arsenic is being used. For example, arsenic may be inhaled in the smelting industry, as there is inorganic arsenic in coke emissions.
In the wood treatment industry, it may be absorbed through the skin if a chemical containing arsenic makes contact. There may be traces of arsenic in some foods, such as meat, poultry, and fish. There is no cure. Learn how to prevent hemlock poisoning, including identifying it by its white…. Food poisoning occurs when you consume foods contaminated with bacteria, viruses, or parasites.
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Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect. Medically reviewed by Elaine K. Luo, M. Symptoms of arsenic poisoning. The most common causes of arsenic poisoning. A leading indicator of our success is the feedback we get from our patients. Arsenic toxicity is exposure to toxic amounts of arsenic. It has no smell or taste. If you suspect you have been exposed to arsenic, contact your doctor right away. Arsenic occurs naturally in soil and minerals, and may enter the air, water, and soil.
It is also used:. Some people are more likely to be exposed to arsenic, but it can occur in anyone. Factors that may increase your chance of arsenic exposure include:. In addition, children may be more susceptible than adults to the health effects of arsenic. There is some evidence that arsenic exposure may harm pregnant women and their unborn babies.
Ingesting high levels of arsenic can result in death. Arsenic has also been linked to increased risks of cancer of the lung , skin , bladder , liver , kidney , and prostate. Symptoms of acute arsenic exposure generally occur within minutes after ingestion.
These may include:. You will be asked about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. It can be difficult to make a diagnosis of arsenic poisoning because symptoms are so varied. If you have concerns about arsenic causing symptoms in yourself or a family member, talk to your doctor.
There is no effective treatment for arsenic toxicity. There is increasing evidence that chelation therapy may benefit some people who were poisoned with arsenic.
Chelation therapy involves putting a chemical called a chelating agent into the bloodstream. The chelating agent combines with a toxin to help remove it from the body. Elemental arsenic is the least toxic. Trivalent arsenic is well absorbed through the skin and is 60 times more toxic than pentavalent arsenic, which is well absorbed by the gut. Toxicity is due to arsenic's effect on many cell enzymes, which affect metabolism and DNA repair. Arsenic is excreted in urine but can also accumulate in many body tissues.
Arsenic has been used in many medicines and was widely used to treat syphilis until the mid 20th century. It is currently used to treat acute promyelocytic leukaemia and other myeloproliferative disorders. It shares many toxic features with the other heavy metals like mercury and lead.
It is used in the production of glass and semiconductors. It is found naturally in some water supplies and, in its least toxic form, in fish and seafood. In Victorian times arsenic was famous as a homicidal or suicidal poison; it is now thankfully much harder to obtain. Health and safety at work have also improved so that, in the UK, both acute and chronic arsenic poisoning are rare. Geological contamination of underground water supplies occurs in parts of: [ 4 , 5 ]. Occupational exposure [ 9 ] This can occur in:.
Note that organic arsenics found in fish and seafood are non-toxic and not a cause of arsenic poisoning. Similarly, the long-term exposure with the cutting and burning of wood preserved with copper chrome arsenate leads to elevated blood levels but no signs or symptoms of toxicity. Overview of acute poisoning features Symptoms usually start within 30 minutes to two hours. Acute arsenic ingestion is typically followed by a severe gastroenteritis, garlic odour and hypersalivation.
Marrow suppression develops after a few days to weeks in survivors, as does alopecia and an ascending motor neuropathy. Overview of chronic poisoning features Chronic arsenic exposure through drinking water leads to an increase in mortality which is directly related to the dose of arsenic exposure.
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