Heavy Metal Toxicity Specialist
Genesis Natural Medicine Center
Integrative Oncology & Naturopathic Medicine located in Tucson, AZ
Everyone is exposed to heavy metals because of contaminated environments and products, such as mercury in fish and lead from old water pipes. Your body doesn’t process heavy metals, it stores them, putting you at risk for heavy metal toxicity. If you’re worried about your symptoms or want to learn more about the amount of heavy metals in your body, the practitioners at Genesis Natural Medicine Center in Tucson, Arizona, are experts in testing your levels and using chelation to remove the metals from your body. To schedule an appointment, call the office or use the online booking feature today.
Heavy Metal Toxicity Q & A
What are heavy metals?
These are a few of the most common heavy metals:
- Lead
- Mercury
- Arsenic
- Cadmium
- Chromium
Heavy metals are extensively used in industries and power plants, where they’re spewed into the air. Commercial fertilizers used by farmers often contain heavy metals. If you have silver amalgam fillings, you have mercury in your mouth. Additionally, heavy metals are naturally found in the soil.
It’s easy to see how heavy metals end up in the water, soil, air, and ultimately in certain foods. You absorb them through your skin and they enter your body when you breathe, eat, and drink. Once heavy metals are in your body, they’re stored in your body’s soft tissues, where they accumulate and become toxic.
What symptoms develop due to heavy metal toxicity?
You can develop heavy metal poisoning through one exposure to a large amount of metal, or from long-term exposure to a small dose. These are a few of the most common symptoms of heavy metal poisoning:
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Shortness of breath
- Tingling or numbness in your hands and feet
- Swollen legs and ankles
- Fatigue and drowsiness
- Muscle weakness
- Difficulty concentrating
- Memory loss
Children with toxic metal poisoning suffer from malformed bones, stunted growth, and developmental disabilities. Heavy metal toxicity also causes miscarriages in pregnant women.
How do you treat heavy metal toxicity?
There are three steps to detoxifying heavy metals. First, your provider at Genesis Natural Medicine Center identifies the type and amount of metals in your body. This is done through a urine test, blood test, or both, depending on which metals are suspected.
Once your provider knows the heavy metals in your body, the next step is creating a plan to eliminate or reduce your exposure to the metal. The final step, removing heavy metals from your body, is performed using a process called chelation.
During chelation, your provider gives you an intravenous (IV) infusion of agents that bind with the toxic metals, and then carry the metals out of your body through your urine. The team at Genesis Natural Medicine Center often uses an amino acid called EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid) to chelate heavy metals.
Your provider at Genesis Natural Medicine Center may also recommend vitamin and mineral supplements, or other alternative therapies to support your body as it heals, boost your energy, and promote overall health.
If you suffer with ongoing symptoms, like fatigue and nausea, call Genesis Natural Medicine Center or schedule an appointment online.