Heavy Metal Toxicity

Heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, iron, and aluminum occur naturally in the environment, and very limited exposure typically does not cause disease or harm to humans. Long-term exposure to low levels of heavy metals, however, can result in an accumulation of these toxins in your body.

Many patients find that addressing an underlying toxicity disorder can alleviate or resolve their longstanding medical problems. Health benefits of a successful detoxification regime include improvements in fatigue, digestive issues, cognitive issues, mood, skin condition, sleep and generalized pain.

How Do Heavy Metals Affect the Body?

We can be exposed to heavy metals through the inhalation of air pollutants and through the consumption of food (ex. mercury found in some fish), drink and other consumer products such as household and personal care products that have been contaminated.

Over time, heavy metals can interfere with the body’s natural healing process and can cause illness. We use the term “biotoxicity” to refer to the build-up of toxins in your body tissues that cause digestive problems and joint pain, and we use the word “neurotoxicity” when these toxins affect your nervous system and cause neurological disorders, including headaches, sleep disturbances, depression, and cognitive difficulties.

The most common symptoms include:

• chronic fatigue
• memory loss
• sleep disturbances
• unexplained tremors
• mood disorders/depression
• headaches/migraine
• joint/muscle aches

What makes heavy metal toxicity a difficult diagnosis is that the symptoms are similar to the symptoms of a variety of other medical conditions. These conditions include fibromyalgia, migraine or chronic headaches, depression, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Lyme Disease, chronic sinusitis and asthma that is unresponsive to conventional therapy. Biotoxicity symptoms also can mimic those of certain autoimmune diseases, such as psoriatic arthritis, Celiac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and rheumatoid arthritis.

If you have been dealing with a health issue (or issues) that has not improved with treatment, it is crucial that you find a provider that will consider toxicity as a potential source of your symptoms.  

The problem is, if an underlying cause of your pain or illness is heavy metal toxicity and your treatment plan does not include a detoxification regimen, your overall recovery is very likely to be incomplete and far slower than it needs to be.

How We Can Help

At the Kaplan Center, our providers have years of experience treating patients with heavy metal toxicity. At your first visit, your Kaplan provider will take time exploring the onset of your condition, the specific nature of your symptoms and the overall status of your health. You’ll also be asked about the medications and therapies you’ve tried in the past, and what has and hasn’t worked for you. To gather additional information about your condition, specialized diagnostic laboratory testing may be necessary.

We offer a multitude of effective treatment options, including:

• Biotoxicity/Neurotoxicity Protocol
• Nutritional Counseling
• Acupuncture
• Intravenous Supplementation
• Osteopathic Manual Medicine
• Sleep Evaluation & Management
• Meditation Training
• Prescription Medication
• Herbal Remedies & Nutritional Supplements

Lifestyle modifications may also be recommended to lower your risk of future exposure.

After reviewing all of the factors contributing to your condition, your provider will spend time talking with you about your diagnosis and working with you to create a customized and multi-dimensional treatment plan that addresses not only your immediate pain but also any possible underlying or co-existing conditions that may be causing or aggravating your symptoms.

References/Resources

National Library of Medicine: Heavy Metal Toxicity

Toxic Metals By the Occupational Safety & Health Administration