What is lead poisoning?

Lead poisoning is a dangerous medical condition that results from increasing levels of lead in a person’s blood stream. Lead poisoning is also known as saturnism.

What are the affects of lead poisoning?

Lead poisoning can cause several behavioral problems, brain damage, growth problems, visual impairments, hearing impairments, possibly death, and other disabilities. Lead poisoning can be less severe causing mild headaches, nausea, and abdominal pain. It has also known to cause various effects on the reproductive system as well as the kidney.

How do you get lead poisoning?

The majority of lead poisoning cases occur in small children. A child is more likely to put objects into their mouths that have been in contact with lead based paints. Older homes contain more lead based paint than today’s homes. Many times an old home’s paint will chip away creating a dust that contains traces of lead. In return, the inhalation of these dusts can result in lead poisoning. Also, cases have been known to occur due to lead found in drinking water. Some homes have lead plumbing while others contain lead fixtures that can result in lead poisoning.

What is the Governments role?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, has set exposure limits to the amount of lead that can be found in workplaces in the United States . The EPA has set standards concerning lead in drinking water. The FDA concerns itself with the amount of lead found in food.

What are some ways to avoid lead poisoning?

If you are renting an apartment, be sure to contact your landlord in regards to lead paint in your apartment. He or she should be able to tell you if the apartment or home you are living in contains lead paint or other forms of lead. Most of the time, your landlord make you aware of this without asking.

If lead paint removal is an option for your apartment or residence, it is a good idea to keep children away from the home during the removal process. Removing lead paint can result in dust containing lead.

How can I determine if my child or children have lead poisoning?

If you suspect that your one or more of your children have been exposed to lead it is important to see a doctor right away. The doctor can simply take a blood test to make sure that your child’s blood does not contain lead.