What are the health risks of having excessive lead levels in the blood?
Mar 19, 2025
Source: Cainiu Health
Dr. Tian Hongbo
Introduction
Under normal circumstances, excessive lead content in the blood can harm the body, including damage to nerve function, blood abnormalities, digestive disturbances, urinary injury, and skeletal changes. In daily life, one should pay attention to food hygiene, avoid consuming foods high in lead content, such as preserved eggs (pidan) and old-style popcorn, and eat more foods rich in calcium, iron, and zinc, as these nutrients can competitively inhibit lead absorption.
Generally, excessive lead content in the blood can harm the body, including damage to neurological function, blood abnormalities, digestive disturbances, urinary injury, bone changes, and more. The specific effects are as follows:
1. Neurological Dysfunction
Lead affects the synthesis and release of neurotransmitters and interferes with the conduction of nerve impulses. Symptoms such as headache, dizziness, insomnia, and memory loss may occur. Severe cases can lead to peripheral nerve lesions,表现为 limb numbness, sensory abnormalities, and motor impairments.
2. Blood Abnormalities
Lead inhibits multiple enzymes involved in heme synthesis, hindering hemoglobin production. This can shorten red blood cell lifespan and cause anemia,表现为 pale complexion, fatigue, dizziness, and palpitations. Additionally, abnormal findings such as increased basophilic stippling and reticulocytes may appear in the blood.
3. Digestive Disturbances
Elevated blood lead levels can disrupt normal gastrointestinal motility and digestive juice secretion. Patients often experience poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The abdominal pain is typically sudden, cramp-like, and not localized, most commonly around the navel, severely affecting nutrient intake and digestion absorption.
4. Urinary Injury
Lead accumulates in the kidneys and can damage renal tubules and glomeruli. In early stages, increased微量 protein in urine may be observed. As the condition progresses, kidney function may decline,表现为 elevated creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels. In severe cases, kidney failure may develop.
5. Bone Changes
Lead interferes with the metabolism of minerals such as calcium and phosphorus in bones, affecting normal bone growth and development. Children may exhibit delayed growth and development, bone pain, and rickets-like changes; adults may experience osteoporosis and reduced bone density, increasing the risk of fractures.
In daily life, it is important to maintain dietary hygiene, avoid foods high in lead content, such as preserved eggs and old-style popcorn, and consume more foods rich in calcium, iron, and zinc, as these nutrients can competitively inhibit lead absorption.
