A few weeks ago a woman in her late 50s from Kathmandu visited a private hospital, seeking help for persistent abdominal pain and weakness. When doctors at the hospital could not diagnose her condition, she turned to another private hospital in Lalitpur. “Even there, doctors couldn't figure out her ailment in the general health checks,” said Kabin Maleku, executive director at Ask foundation, a non profit that provides free telemedicine services.
“Doctors then carried out a blood test, which showed lead poisoning.” This has become a common refrain among hundreds of people across the country who have been affected by heavy metal poisoning from various sources, including from dietary foods, health supplements, and some ayurvedic medicines. Doctors attending the patient say that the actual cause of excessive lead levels in the blood of the woman is not known, though they suspect dietary supplements the woman has been using could be the main culprit.
The acceptable limit for lead in the blood is 3.5 micrograms per deciliter(mcg/dl), but the woman’s levels had reached 65. Multiple doctors the Post talked to said that the number of people suffering from heavy metal has been rising of late.
People often complain about severe abdominal pain, dehydration, diarrhoea, weakness, nausea, vomiting, and numbness in hands and feet, according to them. Doctors say high lead levels can cause anaemia, weakness, and damage to kidneys and brain. Mercury exposure may cause lung damage, an.