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Why lab tests almost always come back negative in mercury toxic people? Knowledge Base > Dentistry > Amalgam |
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Those tests can only measure mercury inside urine and blood! by entrance_to_reality 19 year 4 of 4 (100%)
Why lab tests always come back negative in mercury toxic people? That's because those tests can only measure mercury inside urine and blood, but not inside tissues. They're only useful when a person is exposed to a lot of mercury in a relatively short time. Imagine if there's a mercury spill in a building. Those people who are present at the site of a spill inhale huge amounts of mercury in a short time. The inhaled mercury gets fast in their blood and urine, but not inside tissue cells because the cell membranes are keeping most of it out. So in those people lab tests do come back positive because mercury is still present in their blood and urine. Here we're talking about acute poisoning, where a person has a lot of mercury in blood and urine but almost none inside the tissues. Like I said, that's because cell membranes are keeping it out. However, they're not 100% successful in doing this. Some mercury does cross the membranes and accumulates inside the cells. But in order for cells to fill up to such extent that a person gets sick, one would have to be exposed to mercury for a long time. And that's exactly what's happening in case of dental amalgam. Here is the patient exposed to relatively small amounts but for a very long time, which makes it possible for mercury to leak inside the tissue cells and fill them up. And this is what's called chronic mercury poisoning, where the patient has a lot of mercury inside tissues but almost none in his blood and urine. That's why lab tests never come back positive and patients never get diagnosed correctly. Doctors are only familiar with acute poisoning, but acute and chronic mercury poisoning are two completely opposite stories. Why do you think it took such a long time before they realized it was mercury that was making Minamata villagers sick?! Viewed 2489491 times All entrance_to_reality's Answers |