Mercury Toxicity Fast Facts
Mercury is a common environmental contaminant that can be very harmful to our bodies. I am finding this to be the route cause of many symptoms when looking for the underlying causes of chronic illness. Mercury comes in three forms:
- Organic mercury: also known as methylmercury, is the type of mercury found in the seafood we eat. Especially large fish like swordfish, tilefish, shark, tuna, sea bass and king mackerel. This type of mercury has a high absorption rate and the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier and hide out in the brain tissue.
- Inorganic mercury: this type of mercury usually enters the body through the skin or orally. It has been found in skin lightening creams, laxatives and soaps.
- Elemental mercury: this form of mercury is found in amalgam or “silver” fillings in the mouth. We inhale small amounts of mercury vapor and it goes into the tissues in our bodies. This can affect the nervous, immune, digestive and respiratory systems in the body.
Symptoms
Mercury toxicity can cause a wide range of symptoms, including but not limited to:
- Anxiety
- Autoimmune disease
- Brain fog
- Cardiovascular disease
- Depression
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Hair loss
- Hormone dysregulation
- Multiple chemical sensitivities
- Neuropathy
Diagnosis
There are multiple methods of diagnosing mercury toxicity. Some practitioners rely on hair testing alone and others do not believe in using hair to find out accurate levels of mercury. I prefer the mercury tri-test, which looks at mercury in the blood, hair and urine. Dr. Christopher Shade, a mercury and glutathione expert from the University of Illinois created this method.
Treatment
Treatment for mercury toxicity involves building up the glutathione system in our bodies and using key detoxifying agents to remove the mercury from the body. The approach is to gradually introduce these to the body and dose to a high therapeutic level then back down. Dr. Shade’s protocol (which I use in my practice) involves five days on and 2 days off for about 3 months.
Prognosis
Once the mercury has successfully been removed from the body a full recovery can occur. This process alone can cause relief from the symptoms listed or may be paired with other treatments for other underlying causes of these symptoms.
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Sources:
Nett, A (2014, August). Could Mercury Toxicity Be Causing Your Symptoms? Retrieved from https://chriskresser.com/could-mercury-toxicity-be-causing-your-symptoms/
Mercola, J (2001, March). Mercury Toxicity and Systemic Elimination Elements. Retrieved from http://www.mercola.com/article/mercury/mercury_elimination.htm
Murphy, J (2012). Three Types of Mercury. Retrieved from http://holisticdentistry.ie/three-forms-of-mercury.html
