Lead is a metal that's found in things like some water pipes, old paint (from before 1978 in the United States), some pottery glazes, bullets, and some kinds of batteries.
"Lead" pencils don't contain lead and aren't poisonous. Car gasoline no longer contains lead. That's why gas is called "unleaded."
What is lead poisoning?
Lead poisoning develops slowly as lead builds up in your body.
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Lead poisoning mainly affects your brain
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Babies and young children are in the most danger because their brains are still developing
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Lead poisoning can cause lifelong problems with a child's thinking and learning
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In an older home, repair chipping paint and keep surfaces clean so children don't eat or breathe in lead paint dust
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If you or your children may be exposed to lead, ask your doctor about getting a blood test
Children living in old houses that may have lead paint (built before 1978) should be tested for lead poisoning, even if they don’t have any symptoms.
Call your local health department or the poison control center for advice (1-800-222-1222 in the United States). The World Health Organization provides a world directory of poison centers.
How do you get lead poisoning?
You can get lead poisoning from:
Young children may put paint chips in their mouth. Dust from old paint can get all over your house. Anyone can touch surfaces with paint dust and get the dust in their mouth or on their food. Even though you might not have enough dust to see, it can still affect you over time.
Many cities still have lead pipes to bring water from the street into houses. Water pipes inside houses aren't made of lead. If your water comes to your house from lead pipes and the water has more acid than normal, the acid can dissolve lead from the pipe and put it in your water.
Acidic foods and drinks (such as tomatoes and orange juice) can dissolve lead from the glaze on certain pottery. Pottery made in the United States doesn't contain lead. Pottery made outside the United States may have lead.
Bullets contain lead. If you have a bullet inside you from being shot, the amount of lead is usually too low to cause poisoning.
What are the symptoms of lead poisoning?
Symptoms depend on how much lead is in your body and how quickly it built up. Many people with mild lead poisoning have no symptoms. Symptoms usually start slowly, over a period of several weeks or longer.
Children
Adults
How can doctors tell if I have lead poisoning?
How do doctors treat lead poisoning?
Doctors will:
With mild poisoning, you'll take the medicine by mouth. With more severe poisoning, you'll get the medicine by vein (IV). Medicines that get rid of the lead can also get rid of important minerals. You may need to take supplements to replace these minerals.
Even with treatment, children can have long-lasting brain or kidney damage.
