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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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By Mayo Clinic staffIf you think you or your child has been exposed to lead, see your doctor or contact your local public health department. A simple test can help determine blood lead levels. To help make the appointment easier:
- Write down any symptoms or changes in behavior you may have noticed. Lead poisoning doesn't always cause obvious symptoms, but sometimes a common problem, such as stomach pain or constipation, can be a sign of lead poisoning.
- Write down key personal information, including any recent life changes. For instance, have you moved to a different home or apartment, especially one built before 1978? Have your children switched schools? Do they visit friends or relatives who live in older buildings? Do you have a new job that might expose you to lead?
- Make a list of important medical information for you and your family, including recent surgical procedures, the names of all medications taken and any other health conditions.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor. For instance, you'll want to ask about the long-term effects of lead exposure, how lead poisoning is treated, and how you can prevent further exposure.
References
- CDC's Third National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals: Spotlight on Lead. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/pdf/factsheet_lead.pdf. Accessed Jan. 17, 2009.
- ToxFAQs for lead. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/tfacts13.html#bookmark05. Accessed Jan. 17, 2008.
- Goldman RH, et al. Adult lead poisoning. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 19, 2008.
- HUD sets new requirements to prevent childhood lead poisoning in housing assisted or being sold by the federal government. U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. http://nhl.gov/offices/lead/library/enforcement/1012fs.pdf. Accessed Jan. 23, 2009.
- General lead information: Questions and answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/lead/faq/about.htm. Accessed Jan. 23, 2009.
- Protect your family from lead in your home. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/426.pdf. Accessed Jan. 23, 2009.
