Being Aware Of Toxins That Can Be Harmful To The Brain

Toxic products are thought to be chemicals which are only found in industrial areas and thus exposure to these substances are only causing occupational related diseases. The fact is that these chemicals are found nearly everywhere and can affect anyone.

Organophosphate pesticides

Organophosphate toxins suppress the enzyme which breaks down acetylcholine, a protein involved with neurotransmission, thereby resulting in high levels of this protein. The result is that the patient will start experiencing a variety of symptoms such as shortness of breath, a decreased heart rate, vomiting and diarrhoea. In severe cases, neurological symptoms such as convulsions and coma may be experienced.

The latest revelation is that long term pesticide exposure has been linked to the development of Parkinson’s disease. Although these pesticides are regulated, not all countries abide by the same rules unfortunately.

Therefore, the best way to try and avoid pesticide exposure it to make sure that produce has been properly cleaned before consumption or to rather switch to organic produce.

BPA

Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an organic synthetic compound which is known to be a toxin found in plastic containing products such as shopping bags, soft-drinks and water bottles, etc. It has been linked to neurological disorders, learning difficulties, behavioural issues and it affects memory recall.

Benzene

When you hear the word benzene, the thought of car fuel is the first thing that comes into your mind. It can also be found in certain pharmaceuticals as well as detergents.

Benzene is even found in cigarette smoke and has been classified as a cancer producing chemical. The average smoker will inhale 10 times the amount of benzene than a non-smoker will, according to the Centre of Disease Control (CDC).

This toxin can also easily pass from mother to child via the placenta. The best way to try and avoid benzene is to distance yourself from petrol products, cigarette smoke and waste plants.

Mercury

This toxin has been used by humans for hundreds of years and for many purposes. From apparent medical treatments to being used in medical equipment up to being utilized in plants that use coal. This has led to mercury becoming a major pollutant which has resulted in being found in seafood.

Mercury is easily absorbed by the body through being consumed, inhaled and even via the skin. It can cause many issue ranging from neurological problems such as psychosis, hallucinations and delirium to physical complications such as kidney and liver failure.

Mercury can easily pass over to an unborn baby and cause neural tube defects during the first 12 weeks of development. Pregnant women should best avoid this toxin and one of the ways to do so is to avoid seafood during this time.

READ Safety Of Food And Recent Aflatoxin Scare In Europe

Lead

Lead poisoning was quite prevalent not only in the 19^th century but even occurs today. The main reason behind lead poisoning was lead based paint which children were either exposed to through inhaling the products or they would peel dry paint chips and consume them. Once again, lead would also pass to an unborn baby via the pregnant mother.

This led to a multitude of medical issues which included chronic problems such as stunted growth, developmental delays, learning difficulties and hearing loss. More acute issues would include loss of appetite, fatigue, vomiting, weight loss and constipation.

One would need to avoid exposure to not only lead based paints but any lead containing products such as toys and jewellery.

Dealing With Neurological Issues Caused By Toxins

Other symptoms of toxic encephalopathy can include:

• Increased irritability
• Small personality changes
• Difficulty to concentrate and lack of focus
• Fatigue
• Involuntary movements
• Possible convulsions
• Weakness in the limbs

Prevention and treatment

If there's acute exposure to a chemical or toxin, then the patient needs to be managed in an hospital setting where they can be stabilized and then treated accordingly for the specific toxin they were exposed to.

In a situation where the patient has been exposed to these toxins over a long period of time, then the management protocol varies slightly. Chronic exposure can lead to irreversible damage to the neurons in the brain and therefore these patients are treated symptomatically.

Even if there has been chronic exposure to the chemical, this prevents any further damage from occurring. Dietary intervention and nutritional and vitamin supplementation can be beneficial to some patients. Anticonvulsant medication can also be prescribed to decrease the incidence of or stop seizures. Dialysis or even organ transplantation may be required in severe cases where kidney and/or liver damage has also occurred. If depression is present then this also has to be managed.

Babies who were born to mothers who were exposed to toxins which harm the brain were shown to exhibit behavioural and cognitive changes in their developmental years. Pregnant women should then try to avoid exposure to these harmful products.

These are ways in which they can reduce their risk of chemical exposure:

• They should avoid painting.
• Be wary of moving into older properties which could be painted with lead based paints.
• Use of pesticides should also be avoided and pregnant women should wear gloves when gardening to avoid any accidental contact with harmful substances. Eating organic fruit also avoids ingestion of pesticides.
• Fish intake is very important but there are those that have high mercury content in them. Low mercury containing seafood include trout, calamari, crab prawns/shrimp and Alaskan salmon.

READ A Brief Practical Guide To Removing Toxins From The Body

Prognosis

In acute toxic exposure, the patient can have a favourable outcome if they are managed appropriately and on time. Patients with chronic exposure, most of the time, unfortunately have irreversible damage done to the brain. This then leads to behavioural and cognitive changes which affect their social functioning as well as causing attention and information processing impairment. The latter can last up to 10 years after exposure to toxins has ceased.

The best way to avoid damage to the brain by harmful toxins is to try and avoid then as far as possible. Be aware of your surroundings and living quarters, avoid harmful chemicals and try using natural alternatives rather.