"It is the inability to see the effects of chronic, low level toxicities on human health that has been, and remains, our greatest failing as intelligent beings."
- Boyd Haley, Professor and Chair, Dept. of Chemistry, Univ. of Kentucky"Mercury is now a ubiquitous contaminant. The average American may have several micrograms of it in each liter of blood, and the atmospheric burden of mercury has perhaps tripled since the industrial age. Whatever needs to be done to protect humanity from its love affair with quicksilver, it had better happen soon."
- Discover Magazine, "Our Preferred Poison: A Little Mercury is All That Humans Need to Do Away With Themselves Quietly, Slowly, and Surely," Vol. 26, No. 03, March 2005"At every crossway on the road that leads to the future, each progressive spirit is opposed by a thousand men appointed to guard the past."
- Maurice Maeterlinck (1862-1949), Belgian poet and playwright
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Symptoms of Mercury Toxicity
Here is a list of symptoms that can be caused by mercury toxicity, and which are particularly associated with it. (Of course, there are other causes of these symptoms as well).
Central Nervous System
Anxiety- Depression
- Irritability
- Panic attacks
- Lack of self-control and fits of anger
- Loss of self confidence
- Indecision, shyness, or timidity
- Being easily embarrassed
- Impatience
- Loss of memory, particularly short-term memory / forgetfulness
- Decline in intellect
- Inability to concentrate
- Fearfulness
- Restlessness
- Lack of motivation / extreme procrastination
- Exaggerated response to stimulation
- Emotional instability / moodiness
- Inability to select words to convey meaning
- Obsessive or compulsive behavior
- Lethargy
- Withdrawal
- Suicidal tendencies
- Numbness and tingling of hands, feet, fingers, toes, or lips
- Fine tremors / trembling of hands, feet, lips, eyelids, or tongue
- Dizziness, acute or chronic vertigo
- Poor balance
- Decreased sense of smell / taste
- Loss of coordination
- Different effects depending on gender: men more frequently become quietly depressive and withdrawn; women tend to become anxious, shy, fearful, and tense
Oral Cavity
- Bleeding gums
- Loose teeth
- Canker sores / ulceration of the gums, tongue, or palate
- Metallic taste
- Excessive salivation
- Bad breath (halitosis)
- Burning / tingling sensation in mouth, lips, face
- Swollen tongue / inflammation of the mouth
- Coated tongue
- Dark spots on gums
- Bone loss around teeth
- Chronic tonsillitis
Gastrointestinal
- Food sensitivities, especially to milk and eggs
- Abdominal cramps
- Weak appetite
- Chronic constipation / diarrhea
- Malabsorption
- Leaky gut
- Gastroenteritis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines)
- Frequent or recurring nausea
- Frequent or recurring heartburn / reflux
Endocrine
- Cold, clammy skin, especially hands and feet
- Low body temperature
- Excessive perspiration
- Hypoglycemia
- Hypothyroidism
- Hypoadrenalism
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Constant fatigue
- Showers cause fatigue
- Fertility problems
- Diminished sex drive
- Menstrual cycle problems / Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS)
- Night sweats
- Biological clock disturbances -- waking up late and staying up late
- Weight loss
- Excessive urination / frequent urination during the night
Musculoskeletal
- Tender, sore muscles
- Joint pain / swelling / stiffness
- Muscle cramps / twitching
- Low-back pain
- Muscle weakness
Immunological
- Candida or other yeast infections
- Allergies
- Asthma
- Repeated infections / suppressed immune function
Cardiovascular
- Heart racing (tachycardia) / palpitations / irregular heartrate
- Feeble or irregular pulse (arrhythmia)
- Pain and/or pressure in chest (angina)
- Elevated homocysteine
- Anemia
- Changes in blood pressure
- Clotting problems, leading to easy bleeding and bruising
Head / Eyes
- Sinusitis
- Rhinitis / nasal congestion
- Unusually persistent cough
- Intermittent blurred distance / vision disturbances
- Reduced peripheral vision / tunnel vision
- Bulging eyes (proptosis)
- Photophobic (pain / sensitivity to bright light)
- Difficulty focusing on close objects (convergence difficulties)
- Swollen lymph nodes in neck (or elsewhere in body)
- Tinnitus (ringing in ears)
- Hearing loss
- Unexplained pain in ear canals
Skin / Hair / Nails
- Dry skin
- Male / female hair loss
- Dryer, thinner, duller, slower-growing hair
- Dermatitis
- Eczema / psoriasis
- Unexplained sores on skin
- Unexplained rashes
- Excessive itching
- Flushing or reddening of the skin, particularly on the face and neck
Other Diseases / Syndromes Associated with Mercury Toxicity
- Alzheimer's Disease (AD)
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gerhrig's Disease)
- Ankylosing Spondylitis (arthritis / inflammation of the spine)
- Arthritis
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Autism
- Autoimmune disease (e.g., Sjogren's syndrome, Graves disease, Myasthenia Gravis, etc.)
- Candida / yeast-overgrowth syndrome
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
- Colitis
- Crohn's disease
- Fibromyalgia (FM)
- Gastritis
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
- Kidney disease
- Learning disabilities
- Manic-Depressive Disorder
- Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) / Environmental Illness (EI)
- Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Panic disorders
- Parkinson's Disease
- Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) / juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA)
- Schizophrenia spectrum disorders
- Scleroderma
- Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)