What are the symptoms of acrodynia ? and how to treat them ?
ACRODYNIA :
Acrodynia is a medical condition which occurs due to mercury poisoning . The condition of pain and dusky pink discoloration in the hands and feet is due to exposure or ingesting of mercury . It was known as pink disease before it was accepted that it was just mercury poisoning . The word acrodynia is derived from the Greek which means pain. It might be used to indicated that a patient has pain in the hands or feet . the condition is known by various other names including hydrargyria , mercurialism , erythredema polyneuropathy , swift's and swift feer disease .
SIGN & SYMPTOMS :
Besides and discoloration , swelling and desquamation may occur . Since mercury blocks the degradation pathway of catecholacholamines , epinephrine excess causes profuse sweating , tachycardia , salivation and elevated blood pressure . Mercury is suggest to infunction activate which is necessary for catecholamine catabolism by may show red cheeks and nose , red lips , loss of hair , teeth , and nails ,transient rashes , hypotonia and photophobia . Other symptoms may include kidney dysfunction or neuropsychiatric symptoms . There is some evidence that the same mercury poisoning may predispose to young's syndrome .
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF ACRODYNIA ?
Mercury compounds like calomel were historically used for various medical purposes : as laxalives , diuretics , antiseptics or antimicrobial drugs for syphilis , typhus and yellow fever . Teething powders were a widespreads source of mercury poisoning until the recognition of mercury toxicity in the 1940s . however , mercury poisoning and acrodynia still exist today . Modern sources of mercury intoxication include broke thermometers .
HOW TO TREAT ACRODYNIA AND DIAGNOSIS ?
Removal of the inciting agent is the goal of treatment . Correcting fluid and electrolyte losses and rectifying any nutritional imbalances are of utmost important in the treatment of the disease . The chelating agent meso2,3- dimercaptosuccinic acid has been shown to be the preferred treatment modality . it can almost completely prevent methylmercury uptake by erthrocytes and hepatocytes . It has a less favourable adverse effect profile than meso 2, 3- dimercaptosuccinic acid. Hemodialysis with and without the addition of L- cysteine as a chelating agent has been used in some patients experiencing acute kidney injury from mercury toxicity . Tolazoline has been shown to offer symptomatic relief from sympathetic overactivity . this can easily progress to bacterial secondary infection with a tendency for ulcerating pyoderma .
The standard of care is discontinuation of the environmental exposure and chelation therapy done safely with the Andrew Cutler Protocol , DMPS / DMSA and ALA taken orally in small doses according to their half - lives over a 72 hours period , followed by a 3 day break .
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