Mercury poisoning

Mercury poisoning is a health disturbance caused by high levels of exposure to mercury.

Mercury poisoning
Other names	Mercury toxicity, mercury overdose, mercury intoxication, hydrargyria, mercurialism
The bulb of a mercury-in-glass thermometer
Medical specialty	Toxicology
Symptoms	Muscle weakness, poor coordination, numbness in the hands and feet[1]
Complications	Kidney problems, decreased intelligence[2]
Causes	Exposure to mercury[1]
Risk factors	Consumption of fish, which may contain mercury[3]
Diagnostic method	Difficult[3]
Prevention	Decreasing use of mercury, low mercury diet[4]
Medication	Acute poisoning: dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA), dimercaptopropane sulfonate (DMPS)[5]

Symptoms of mercury poisoning include pink colour in the cheeks, fingertips, and toes, swelling, unexplainable sweating, lots of saliva, fast heartbeat (tachycardia), high blood pressure (hypertension) and hair loss for some people. Mercury exposure happens most often through eating certain types of fish or via other ways.