What causes high lead levels in children, and what are the symptoms?
High lead levels in children are often related to environmental pollution, high lead content in home decoration materials, diet, toys, and other factors. Children with high lead levels may exhibit symptoms such as inattention, insomnia, fatigue, and decreased intelligence. When a child's lead level exceeds the limit due to various reasons, it can have serious negative impacts on their physical development. The causes of high lead levels in children are:
1. Commonly, pollution is a major factor. If the living environment contains lead mines or has a high density of vehicles with heavy exhaust emissions, the air may contain high levels of lead. Inhaling or ingesting high levels of lead can lead to elevated blood lead levels in children.
2. The home environment can also contribute. Newly decorated houses that use poor-quality environmentally friendly paint may have excessive lead levels. Additionally, having an excessive amount of plastic toys in the home may also lead to elevated lead levels in children.
3. Some children may take medications containing lead or herbal medicines with high lead content, which can also contribute to elevated blood lead levels.
1. Symptoms of lead poisoning in children may include hyperactivity, inattention, emotional instability, reading difficulties, poor eye-hand coordination, decreased cognitive ability, and lower intelligence. Other symptoms may include anemia, lack of weight gain, anorexia, lack of height growth, abdominal pain, sluggishness, constipation or diarrhea, motor impairment, hearing and vision loss, poor physical health, recurrent fever, susceptibility to colds, dental caries, and lead lines.
2. Patients with mild chronic lead poisoning may experience symptoms such as headache, dizziness, insomnia, excessive dreaming, memory impairment, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and indigestion. They may also have a metallic taste in their mouths and may experience nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and constipation.
3. Patients with severe chronic lead poisoning often exhibit limb paralysis or toxic encephalopathy. Their extensor muscles may become paralyzed, manifesting as wrist drop in the upper limbs and foot drop in the lower limbs. In the early stages of toxic encephalopathy, patients may experience mild impairments in sensation, memory, and emotions, but within weeks or months, they may develop symptoms such as lethargy, mania, and eventually severe neurological symptoms and physical manifestations such as tremors, coma, and convulsions.
