Mercury Poisoning FAQ
SMART Amalgam removal
Mercury is a poison. What about mercury fillings? Are they safe? Here are the answers to your questions.
What does the WHO say about mercury, including its inhaled form (mercury vapour from amalgam fillings)?
“Mercury is highly toxic and harmful to health. Approximately 80% of inhaled mercury vapor is absorbed in the blood through the lungs, causing damages to lungs, kidneys and the nervous, digestive, respiratory and immune systems. Health effects from excessive mercury exposure include tremors, impaired vision and hearing, paralysis, insomnia, emotional instability, developmental deficits during fetal development, and attention deficit and developmental delays during childhood.”
If I eat a lot of fish can I get mercury poisoning?
The higher the fish is in the food chain the more likely it is that it has a lot of poison in its body.
Which fish are high in mercury?
Farmed Salmon, Atlantic Cod, Eel, Farmed Shrimp or King Crab, King Mackerel or Atlantic Blue-fin Tuna.
How long does it take for your body to get rid of mercury?
It can take up to a year for your mercury levels to go down after you stop eating the mercury-rich fish.
What happens to the absorbed mercury from fish?
When you eat seafood containing methylmercury, over 95 percent of the mercury can be absorbed into your bloodstream.
Where does the mercury from fish travel in your body?
Methylmercury can travel throughout your body and penetrate the cells of various tissues and organs where it can remain stored up for years, which can cause symptoms that you may or may not realize are the result of mercury poisoning.
What sort of fish are safer options regarding Mercury?
Better options are Wild-caught Atlantic Salmon, Pacific Sardines, Atlantic Mackerel or Black Cod.
What are Mercury Poisoning Symptoms?
Symptoms can be grouped into three categories based on the form of mercury toxicity:
- Elemental and vapourized mercury,
- Organic mercury
- Inorganic mercury
Are mercury poising symptoms quickly appearing?
- Symptoms of mercury poisoning can be numerous and may occur either rapidly or over long periods of time.
- In general, symptoms occur and progress more rapidly the higher the dose of mercury encountered.
- Exposure to the various forms of mercury can result in some similar and some different symptoms.
What are some symptoms of Elemental and Vapourised Mercury Poisoning?
- Mood Swings, Nervousness, Irritability and Other Emotional Changes
- Insomnia
- Headache
- Abnormal Sensations
- Muscle Twitching
- Tremors
- Weakness
- Muscle Atrophy
- Decreased Cognitive Functions
What can high exposure to elemental mercury cause?
- Kidney malfunction
- Respiratory failure and
- Death
What are Organic Mercury Poisoning Symptoms?
Organic Mercury Toxicity (most Frequently in The Methylmercury Form from Ingestion), Causes Neurological Malfunctions, and Especially in A Fetus, Impaired Neurological Development.
Other Symptoms Include:
- Peripheral vision impairment,
- Stinging or needle-like sensations in the extremities and mouth,
- Loss of coordination
- Muscle weakness, and other impairments of speech and hearing.
What are Inorganic Mercury Poisoning Symptoms?
Inorganic mercury toxicity often causes:
- Skin rashes and
- Inflammation (dermatitis)
If ingested, it can dissolve tissues and some may be absorbed by the intestinal tissue.
Large amounts of ingested inorganic mercury may cause bloody diarrhea.
Absorbed mercury can spread to other organ systems resulting in mental changes including mood swings and memory loss or renal damage.
Can I have muscle weakness from mercury poisoning?
Yes, this may also occur.
Is Mercury a problem when you are pregnant?
Many pregnant women have had methylmercury toxicity which effects their children.
Why is Mercury a problem in pregnant women?
The brain of the foetus is very sensitive to methylmercury.
What can be the side effects of mercury in a new-born
Developmental impairments such as reduced ability in thinking, attention span, memory, and most motor skills occur in various degrees, often severe, even if the mother developed few if any symptoms.
What neurological problems can Mercury cause?
- Tremor
- Muscle weakness
- Partial or complete paralysis
- Partial or complete loss of sensation
- Seizures
- Difficulty reading and writing
- Poor cognitive abilities
- Unexplained pain
- Decreased alertness
How can your dentist remove Amalgam fillings safely?
He can use the SMART Protocol from the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) which explains exactly how mercury fillings can be removed in a save way, protecting patient, dentist and assistant alike.
What is the IAOMT Protocol for safe Amalgam removal?
The full protocol can be found here.