How Does Mercury Toxicity Affect The Body?

Mercury Poisoning Can Cause Disease

Mercury can enter the body through dental amalgam, pesticides/fertilisers and seafood. After it enters the mouth, it is absorbed by any mucosal tissue (often the gums, or lungs where it is inhaled). Mercury can also enter the body through the eyes - particularly by way of conjunctivitis eye drops which contain the preservative, mercuric acetate. Upon absorption into the mucosal tissue, mercury can enter the bloodstream. Mercury is able to do this due to the high affinity for haemoglobin and sulphur-binding proteins (proteins and cholesterol).

How Mercury Poisoning Works

Hitching a ride on the 'blood highway', mercury can go anywhere in the body - often ending up in vital organs, like the kidneys, liver and brain. It can also find its way into bone. When mercury ends up in vital organs, it will often induce a secondary immune response, which is the catalyst for a new chronic disease.

Mercury can also work with bacteria, viruses, parasites, cancer, tumours, fungi, yeasts, moulds, solvents, pesticides and other metals, such as gold, titanium and nickel (stainless steel crowns and dentures) to further weaken the immune system. And herein lies the danger of mercury.

Mercury Poisoning Symptoms and Conditions

So, how does mercury affect the body and what are some of the conditions associated with mercury poisoning?

What are the Common Symptoms and Diseases Associated with Mercury Poisoning

Mercury toxicity is associated with over 250 symptoms, the most common of which are fatigue, depression and kidney dysfunction. There are, however, much more sinister conditions that arise because of mercury toxicity…

Mercury Poisoning in the Oral Mucosa

• Oral Lichen Planus
• Oral Lichenoid Reaction
• Glossodynia - burning mouth syndrome and hypersensitivity
• Excessive saliva production
• Throat and Tongue Cancer risk - when saliva conducts with mercury and gold fillings, it sets off a galvanic reaction
• Geographic Tongue
• Periodontal and Gum Disease
• Metallic taste
• Sjogrens
• Myasthenia Gravis

Mercury Poisoning in the Stomach

• Nausea
• Reflux

Mercury Poisoning in the Gut

• Skin Disorder
• Anaphylaxis and Hypersensitivity Disorders/ Severe Universal Allergies
• Abdominal Pain
• SIBO
• SIFO
• Gut Dysbiosis
• Altered Gut/Brain Connection
• Candida
• Irritable Bowel
• Colitis
• Crohn's Disease
• Diverticulitis

Mercury Poisoning in the Blood

• Hypoxia - breathlessness and pale grey/yellow skin tone or butterfly rash on cheeks. Older dentists in their 60's or dental assistants that had to mix and place amalgam will exhibit this trait. People who also eat a lot of seafood will classically show this complexion. This phenomenon occurs as mercury competes with oxygen and interferes with vitamin A conversion.
• Haemoglobin Dysfunction (causes fatigue)
• Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia
• Macrocytic Anaemia
• Hypercholesterolaemia or elevated LDL Cholesterol
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Polycythaemia
• Porphyria
• Hypergammaglobulinemia
• Haemochromatosis
• Thrombocytopenia - Maybe Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)
• Acrodynia or Pink Disease
• Eosinophilia - Hypersensitivity - think 5G, wifi, Lyme Disease, mold, and universal reactors who are at risk of Anaphylaxis. Check high Free Calcium Excess, high/low IgE, low Albumin and Iron Studies.
• Autoimmune Haemolytic Anaemia - Mercury, Cadmium, and Arsenic but probably in combination with a solvent and pesticide. Check farming background.
• Raynaud's Syndrome

Mercury Poisoning in the Mitochondria

• Elevated Porphyrins/Pyrroles or Kryptopyrroles
• Mitochondrial Dysfunction/Disease
• Methylation Disorders
• High Homocysteine Levels
• Copper and Zinc imbalances (see page 544 - mercury is the cause, not zinc and vitamin B6)
• Free Radical Oxidative Stress

Mercury Poisoning in the Heart

• Heart Disease
• Atrial Fibrillation - Mercury ties up Oxygen in the way that Carbon Monoxide would and then displaces minerals that are required for the heart to beat (sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium).
• Tachyarrhythmia or Tachycardia

Mercury Poisoning in the Brain / Nervous System / Myelin Sheath

Unlike other heavy metals, mercury can pass through the blood brain barrier.

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Motor Neurons Disease (MND)
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's Disease
• Encephalitis
• Meningitis - Thiomersal (mercury) induced meningococcal inoculation
• Parkinson's
• Dementia - Amyloid Plaque
• Tics and Tourettes Syndrome
• Autism - genetic alteration
• Autism Spectrum Disorders
• ADHD
• Minamata disease
• Alzheimer's disease
• Ontario Minamata disease
• Depression / Anxiety
• Schizophrenia
• Suicide
• Tremor
• Ataxia
• Dysarthria
• Memory loss
• Epilepsy
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome
• Myasthenia Gravis
• Peripheral Neuropathy
• Polyneuropathy
• Acute Ischemic Stroke
• Vascular Dysfunction - methyl mercury penetrates the blood brain barrier into the brain parenchyma through active transport systems, on membranes of endothelial cells.

Peripheral neuropathy may occur when mercury causes degeneration of the myelin sheath around nerves. The nerves begin to misfire signals to the brain, which is caused by inefficient neuron energy utilisation.

Neurotoxins like mercury, are transported throughout the body attached to protein components of lipoproteins, and therefore require cholesterol for their transport and elimination. These neurotoxins also have a strong affinity for lipoidal tissue of the nervous system and brain. A rise in cholesterol levels and triglycerides in response to neurotoxins protects by preventing permanent attachment of the neurotoxin to the nerve and brain cells. Symptoms of neurotoxicity are most likely to occur when the cholesterol is lowered suddenly or when the affected client goes on a low-fat, low-cholesterol, low-protein diet.

A correct cholesterol response is fundamental to move mercury and other neurotoxins to sites where they can be excreted. A Danish study of 50,318 users of statin (cholesterol-lowering) drugs revealed a higher risk of peripheral neuropathy related to the percentage of drop in total cholesterol. In other words, lowering cholesterol increases risk of reactivity to nerve toxins resulting in pain, paraesthesia, numbness and demyelinating effects. Six additional studies since 1994 have indicated the same rise in poly peripheral neuropathy symptoms for users of statin drugs, supporting our clinical findings that low cholesterol levels in the presence of a potent neurotoxin such as mercury found in amalgam fillings or any other source, is a recipe for disaster.

 

Mercury Poisoning in the Eyes

• Macular Degeneration
• Retina and Optic Nerve Damage
• Sjogrens
• Myasthenia Gravis
• Glaucoma

Mercury Poisoning in the Ears

• Sensorineural Hearing Loss
• Impaired Speech Perception
• Tinnitus

Mercury Poisoning in the Thyroid

• Thyroid Disorder
• Hashimoto's and Graves' Disease - mercury seeps into the jaw which has an embryological connection with the thyroid, blocking T4 to T3 and then usually resulting in an elevated TSH. In some cases, treating the thyroid may overlook mercury's presence. Always note dental history.

Do not overdose on Iodine (Potassium Iodide or Lugol's). When protein is low and mercury is present, too much iodine can create thyroid disorders by blocking receptor sites. Breast Cancer and Iodine deficiency have also been linked, but what if mercury is really behind the scene? Always look for Mercury's footprints in women who are of child bearing age, low iron or fast losing protein through menopause.

Mercury Poisoning and Hormones

• Poor Libido
• Fatigue
• Endocrine Dysfunction - Low/High Testosterone, Estrogen, Progesterone

Mercury Poisoning in the Lungs

• Pneumonitis
• Chest Pain
• Dry Cough
• Dyspnea
• Pulmonary Edema
• Emphysema
• Sarcoidosis

Mercury Poisoning in the Liver

• Liver Disease
• Gilbert's Syndrome - failure of cytochrome P450 system inefficiently converting indirect bilirubin to direct bilirubin. Mercury will damage the Red Blood Cell causing the rise of bilirubin in chemistry. This is a hallmark of oxidative stress.

 

Mercury Poisoning in the Kidney / Bladder

• Chronic Urinary Tract Infections
• Renal Failure
• Lupus nephritis - SLE
• High/Low Blood Pressure
• Kidney Dysfunction
• Autoimmune glomerulonephritis
• Acute intermittent porphyria
• Oedema
• Berger's disease
• Interstitial Cystitis - mercury, microbes and poor iron stores

Mercury Poisoning in the Prostate / Testes

• Prostate Cancer Risk
• Infertility
• Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Mercury Poisoning in the Ovaries / Uterus / Womb

• Infertility
• Ovarian/Uterine Cancer Risk
• Neurological Disorders
• Microcephaly in Offspring Risk - not to be confused with Zika Virus
• Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus et Atrophicus
• Neurological System of children - Autism, ADHD, or Spectrum Mood Disorder

 

Mercury Poisoning in the Pancreas

• Type 1 Diabetes

Mercury Poisoning in the Muscle, Bone and Joints

• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Polymyalgia Rheumatica (PMR)
• Fibromyalgia
• Scleroderma
• Lupus - SLE - Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (MCTD)
• Gout - combination of sugar/alcohol/coffee/fruit juice with a vitamin C deficiency
• Erythema
• Hyperesthesia
• Osteoporosis/Osteopenia
• Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS) or severe muscle cramps - mercury displaces copper, zinc, magnesium, manganese, sodium, and potassium.

Mercury Poisoning in the Skin

• Grover's disease
• Psoriasis
• Eczema
• Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE)
• Discoid lupus erythematosus - check red ink in tattoo

Mercury Poisoning in the Spleen and Bone Marrow

• Leukemia
• Multiple Myeloma
• Immunodeficiency
• Sideroblastic Anemias
• Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
• T Cell Lymphoma
• B Cell Lymphoma

For more information on the relationship between mercury and T Cell Lymphoma and B Cell Lymphoma, see the following links:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12849721/

Toxicol In Vitro 2003 Aug;17(4):385-95. doi: 10.1016/s0887-2333(03)00040-7.
Cytotoxicity of inorganic mercury in murine T and B lymphoma cell lines: involvement of reactive oxygen species, Ca(2+) homeostasis, and cytokine gene expression.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9600808/

Environ Res 1998 May;77(2):149-59. doi: 10.1006/enrs.1997.3816.
Low-level methylmercury exposure causes human T-cells to undergo apoptosis: evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction.

Who is Most at Risk of Mercury Poisoning and the Diseases Associated with it?

Often those who suffer from iron deficiency (perhaps due to a poorly formulated vegan or vegetarian diet), anaemia, diabetes, hormone imbalances (menopausal women or men who have low testosterone), sarcopenia (poor muscle tone), osteoporosis and osteopenia. These people are stereotypically more at risk of mercury poisoning. This is because their conditions often leave them immunocompromised.

When an immunocompromised individual, (especially those who have the above medical conditions) are exposed to mercury, the mercury poisoning will often induce a secondary immune response, which acts as a catalyst for another autoimmune disease or cancer risk.