Arsenic is a toxic metal with human health colorless, odorless and tasteless. The World Health Organization defines arsenicosis as a chronic health condition that occurs when arsenic is ingested in concentrations above safe levels in the body. Long periods of time (over 6 months) are often manifested by characteristic skin lesions.
Chronic arsenic poisoning can accumulate in teeth, nails, hair, skin for many years without people even knowing. Long-term exposure to arsenic can cause skin cancer and skin lesions.
The Department of Men’s Skin Disease Treatment, Central Dermatology Hospital (Hanoi) recently received a 64-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of squamous cell cancer. candles to monitor chronic arsenic poisoning. The patient has a habit of using drilled well water regularly in daily life and taking drugs of unknown origin.
The patient said that the medicine he has used for many years is an oriental medicine in pill form in an unbranded plastic package and is advertised to completely cure psoriasis.
BSCKII Nguyen Minh Thu, Deputy Head of the Department of Men’s Skin Disease Treatment, said that through examination, doctors assessed that the patient had signs of chronic arsenic poisoning. The cause may stem from the patient’s habit of using well water and taking drugs of unknown origin for many years.
Common skin manifestations of chronic arsenic poisoning include changes in the skin. hyperpigmented skin with hyperkeratosis on the palms and feet, especially the appearance of many squamous cell cancer lesions.
According to Dr. Thu arsenic can enter the human body through inhalation, digestion or absorption through the skin through the use of arsenic-contaminated groundwater, some pharmaceuticals and industrial production.
In nature, arsenic concentration in groundwater and well water People often use much more water than water from rivers and lakes.
Doctors note that if people suffer from chronic diseases such as psoriasis, bronchial asthma, pemphigus, etc., people should absolutely not arbitrarily use drugs of unknown origin because they may be mixed with drugs. arsenic in.
In addition, it can be an ingredient in makeup products such as eye shadow, eyebrow pencil or lipstick… Therefore, when choosing beauty products, people need to pay close attention. to the origin and place of production.
The notable feature of chronic arsenic poisoning is that it accumulates in the teeth, nails, hair, skin, and skin for many years without people even knowing. Common manifestations of arsenic poisoning on the body are focal keratosis of the palms and feet, a “raindrops on sand” condition described as small hypopigmented spots on a hyperpigmented background (common). in the back) and squamous cell cancer lesions.
If you experience any symptoms such as nodules on the palms, feet, rough skin, changes in skin pigmentation… accompanied by habits People need to see a dermatologist for diagnosis and treatment as soon as possible if they use borehole water or take drugs of unknown origin for many years to avoid progression to skin cancer.
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