Lead Poisoning
What is Lead Poisoning?
Lead poisoning happens when lead builds up in your body over months or years. Lead is a toxic metal that has no safe level in your blood. Even small amounts can cause harm, especially in children and pregnant women.
When lead enters your body, it acts like calcium and gets stored in your bones and teeth. It also travels through your bloodstream to your brain, kidneys, liver, and nerves. Over time, high levels can cause permanent damage to these organs. Lead poisoning affects both physical and mental health.
Children under age 6 are most vulnerable because their bodies absorb lead more easily. Their brains and nervous systems are still developing. Adults who work with lead or live in older homes also face risks. The good news is that blood testing can catch lead poisoning early, before serious damage occurs.
Symptoms
- Abdominal pain and cramping
- Headaches that come and go
- Irritability and mood changes
- Memory problems and trouble concentrating
- Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
- Fatigue and weakness
- Joint and muscle pain
- Loss of appetite and weight loss
- Constipation
- Hearing problems or ringing in ears
- High blood pressure
- Slowed growth in children
- Learning and behavior problems in children
- Speech delays in young children
Many people with lead poisoning have no obvious symptoms at first. This is especially true when lead levels rise slowly over time. Children may show signs of developmental delays before other symptoms appear. Regular testing is the only way to know for sure if lead is building up in your body.
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Causes and risk factors
Lead poisoning comes from exposure to lead in your environment. The most common source is paint in homes built before 1978. When old paint chips, peels, or turns to dust, you can breathe it in or swallow it. Lead can also contaminate soil around older homes and industrial sites. Drinking water from pipes with lead solder or fixtures is another major source. Some imported candies, cosmetics, pottery, and traditional medicines contain lead.
Children face higher risk when they put their hands or toys in their mouths after touching contaminated surfaces. Adults who work in construction, battery manufacturing, auto repair, or metal recycling face workplace exposure. Hobbies like making stained glass, casting bullets, or restoring old furniture can expose you to lead. Living near former smelting sites or busy highways increases your risk. Pregnant women can pass lead stored in their bones to their developing babies.
How it's diagnosed
Doctors diagnose lead poisoning with a simple blood test that measures the amount of lead in your bloodstream. Blood lead levels are measured in micrograms per deciliter. The CDC considers any level above 3.5 in children or 5 in adults as cause for action. Your doctor may also check your Mean Corpuscular Volume, which measures red blood cell size, and Zinc Protoporphyrin, which rises when lead interferes with red blood cell production.
Rite Aid offers blood testing that includes lead level screening as part of our panel. Getting tested is quick and easy at over 2,000 Quest Diagnostics locations nationwide. If your results show elevated lead, your doctor will help you find the source of exposure and create a treatment plan. Repeat testing shows whether lead levels are dropping after you remove the source.
Treatment options
- Identify and remove the source of lead exposure in your home or workplace
- Wash hands frequently, especially before eating or preparing food
- Clean floors and windowsills regularly with wet mops to remove lead dust
- Eat a diet rich in calcium, iron, and vitamin C to reduce lead absorption
- Drink filtered or bottled water if your pipes may contain lead
- Take off shoes and work clothes before entering your home if you work with lead
- Use chelation therapy for very high lead levels to help your body remove lead faster
- Treat high blood pressure or kidney problems caused by lead exposure
- Work with occupational health specialists to reduce workplace exposure
- Consider moving if your home has widespread lead paint that cannot be safely removed
Concerned about Lead Poisoning? Get tested at Rite Aid.
- Simple blood draw at your nearest lab
- Results in days, not weeks
- Share results with your doctor
Frequently asked questions
The CDC considers blood lead levels above 3.5 micrograms per deciliter in children as elevated. For adults, levels above 5 are cause for concern. No amount of lead is actually safe. Even low levels can cause problems over time, especially in young children whose brains are still developing.
Lead stays in your blood for about 30 days. But your body stores lead in your bones and teeth for much longer, sometimes decades. Stored lead can leak back into your bloodstream during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or bone loss from aging. This is why treating lead poisoning takes time and ongoing monitoring.
You can lower your lead levels and prevent further damage by removing the source of exposure. For mild cases, this may be enough. For higher levels, chelation therapy can help your body remove lead faster. However, damage to the brain and nervous system may be permanent, which is why early detection through blood testing is so important.
Homes built before 1978 are likely to have lead paint. You can buy lead testing kits at hardware stores or hire a certified inspector. Look for peeling, chipping, or chalky paint, especially on windows, doors, and porches. Even if paint looks fine, sanding or demolition can release dangerous lead dust.
Foods high in calcium, iron, and vitamin C can reduce how much lead your body absorbs. Good choices include milk, yogurt, cheese, leafy greens, beans, lean meat, and citrus fruits. Eating regular meals also helps because lead is absorbed more easily on an empty stomach.
Yes, the CDC recommends testing children at ages 1 and 2, or any time a child may have been exposed to lead. Children absorb lead more easily than adults and are more vulnerable to its effects. Early testing can catch problems before permanent damage occurs.
Yes, lead can leach into drinking water from old pipes, solder, or fixtures. Homes built before 1986 are more likely to have lead plumbing. Let water run for 30 seconds before drinking if it has been sitting in pipes overnight. Consider testing your water or using a filter certified to remove lead.
Chelation therapy uses medication that binds to lead in your bloodstream so you can pass it through urine. Doctors use it for people with very high lead levels, usually above 45 micrograms per deciliter. The medication can be given as pills or through an IV. Treatment may take several rounds to bring levels down safely.
Yes, high levels of lead can cause permanent damage to the brain, kidneys, and nervous system. Children may experience lasting learning disabilities, behavior problems, and lower IQ. Adults can develop chronic kidney disease or nerve damage. This is why prevention and early detection are so important.
OSHA requires employers to test workers exposed to lead at least every 6 months. Some jobs require testing every 2 months. If you work in construction, battery manufacturing, auto repair, or other lead-related industries, talk to your employer about regular blood lead monitoring.