It is my opinion that those with chronic conditions and autoimmune diseases should be routinely tested for metals poisoning before a diagnosis is accepted.  The similarity in symptoms are too many to ignore.  Given the prevalence of metals exposure in consumables and dentistry, it seems irresponsible to ignore metals as the root of many of these chronic conditions.

Some assume that their doctor would have known if toxicity was an issue, but that is not necessarily true.  Traditional Western medicine does not attempt to link established disorders to a root cause.  Once a diagnosis is made, and the puzzle seems to fit, the search ends. Maybe that is where the search for the cause should begin.

In medicine today, symptoms are reviewed and the corresponding disease is attached. Once paired with a pharmaceutical, the patient is set for a lifetime of medications that mitigate symptoms, but do not cure.  No one gets better, but symptoms are managed and the doctor gets paid.

Looking at metals as a possible source of toxicity seems reasonable. We can be ingested orally, absorbed through the skin or inhaled as with metals in cigarette smoke or in dust particles.  Clearly the opportunity for exposure is everywhere from natural sources, industry, our food supply, dentistry and water.  Rather than asking who might be metals toxic, the real question should be, “Who among us is NOT metals toxic?”  

The body has systems in place to remove toxicity and they are active day and night.  The problem begins when the body has too many toxins to dispose of quickly enough to keep you alive.  Its remedy is to store the excess to keep the body safe and functioning.  It is this storage and warehousing of toxicity that evolves into trouble, causing unexplained chronic conditions.

Unaware of exposure, you may have never felt sick or recognized an incident of poisoning.  Initially you showed no symptoms and had no idea trouble was brewing.   Then one day, seemingly without notice, things change.  Pain and illness begin to manifest without an obvious cause.  Symptoms surface as the body burden finally reaches its limit. 

The undeniable signs of toxicity can take years to manifest because the body is a working miracle and is determined to keep you functioning.  Once symptoms appear, the search for a diagnosis begins.   Most cases of metals poisoning are misdiagnosed and end up with a “disease,” a “condition” and a “pill” that are not appropriate.  Meanwhile the metals poisoned body is in constant distress and creating what I call a Lead Head.



Symptoms Vary

Symptoms of metals poisoning vary.  The timing of a toxicity crisis is also individual.  The ever changing symptoms are difficult to pinpoint and ultimately, a doctor finds a diagnosis that seems to fit and you are labeled or mislabeled, as the case may be.  If nothing else, you can be offered the diagnosis of fibromyalgia, the melting pot for too many symptoms.

Because there is no definite patterns for metals poisoning symptoms, they are often confused with other conditions.  How symptoms manifest has a lot to do with exactly what metals are involved and how they are stored.  Every body is different.  Add to that difference, the ranges in diet and lifestyle. 

Combinations of metals can produce a variety of symptoms that differ even more.  As levels of toxicity change from day to day, so do the symptoms, making chaos of a diagnosis.

Unwanted metals in the body need a place to store.  Tissue and bone are selected by the body as storage areas.  Metals will replace essential minerals when they settle.
 
The body's storage of metals causes changes.  Calcium can be replaced by lead. Zinc can be replaced by cadmium. Magnesium can be replaced by aluminum.
The losses of these vital minerals will each bring their own symptom groupings.  This is what makes casual diagnosis tricky.

Autoimmune issues can develop when molecules change due to the invasion of metals. When they are disrupted and not recognized by the body, the immune system resists these changes and begin to essentially fight with itself.  This internal warfare brings a whole new set of issues.

Meanwhile, heavy metals make the body acidic.  The body needs a constant pH level or you will die, so it sets out to correct the added acidity.  That actions triggers the body to use stored calcium which causes osteoporosis among other conditions that can be diagnosed before metals are considered.

Metals create chaos which makes the ever changing symptoms understandable.  Now add to this the detoxification process which disrupts the body yet agin by reintoducing metals into blood stream from storage in the body.  Not knowing what metal is being released or what essential mineral might be missing makes every day different for a Lead Head.  It is literally crazy making.
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Additionally, those with chronic illness and pain who are sporting mercury fillings must look at metals toxicity as the source.  I’ve heard too many stories about miracle cures when toxic sources were eliminated to not suspect a link between chronic conditions and poison.  Reports of vanishing pain and the return of health once mercury fillings were removed from mouths, tells the true story.

With so much casual exposure to toxicity, it seems reasonable that a check for metals is in order before settling on a diagnosis with similar symptoms?  We could all benefit from knowing our metals levels just like we benefit from knowing our blood pressure. ​

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