Mercury poisoning is a type of metal poisoning due to exposure to mercury. Symptoms depend upon the type, dose, method, and duration of exposure. They may include muscle weakness, poor coordination, numbness in the hands and feet, skin rashes, anxiety, memory problems, trouble speaking, trouble hearing, or trouble seeing. High-level exposure to methylmercury is known as Minamata disease. Methylmercury exposure in children may result in acrodynia (pink disease) in which the skin becomes pink and peels. Long-term complications may include kidney problems and decreased intelligence. The effects of long-term low-dose exposure to methylmercury are unclear.Forms of mercury exposure include metal, vapor, salt, and organic compound. Most exposure is from eating fish, amalgam-based dental fillings, or exposure at a workplace. In fish, those higher up in the food chain generally have higher levels of mercury, a process known as biomagnification. Less commonly, poisoning may occur as a method of attempted suicide. Human activities that release mercury into the environment include the burning of coal and mining of gold. Tests of the blood, urine, and hair for mercury are available but do not relate well to the amount in the body.Prevention includes eating a diet low in mercury, removing mercury from medical and other devices, proper disposal of mercury, and not mining further mercury. In those with acute poisoning from inorganic mercury salts, chelation with either dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) or dimercaptopropane sulfonate (DMPS) appears to improve outcomes if given within a few hours of exposure. Chelation for those with long-term exposure is of unclear benefit.
Simeticone (INN), also known as simethicone (USAN), is an anti-foaming agent used to reduce bloating, discomfort or pain caused by excessive gas. Medical uses
Simeticone is used to relieve the symptoms of excessive gas in the gastrointestinal tract, namely bloating, burping, and flatulence. While there is a lack of conclusive evidence that simeticone is effective for this use, ⁣ studies have shown that it can relieve symptoms of functional dyspepsia and functional bloating.It has not been fully established that simeticone is useful to treat colic in babies, and it is not recommended for this purpose. A study in the United Kingdom reported that according to parental perception simeticone helped infant colic in some cases.Simeticone can also be used for suspected postoperative abdominal discomfort in infants. Side effects
Simeticone does not have any serious side effects. Two uncommon side effects (occurring in 1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000 patients) are constipation and nausea. Pharmacology
Simeticone is a non-systemic surfactant which decreases the surface tension of gas bubbles in the GI tract. This allows gas bubbles to leave the GI tract as flatulence or belching. Simeticone does not reduce or prevent the formation of gas. Its effectiveness has been shown in several in vitro studies. Chemistry
Simethicone is a mixture of dimethicone and silicon dioxide. Names
The INN name is "simeticone", which was added to the INN recommended list in 1999.Simeticone is marketed under many brand names and in many combination drugs; it is also marketed as a veterinary drug. == References ==