Q: Should Adults Get Tested?

I posted out about getting tested when you are pregnant (on Facebook.)

This is Dawn’s comment/ question (6/23/2014):

No, I never thought of it [getting a blood lead level test while pregnant.] Before I discovered you I only thought we were exposed to lead via chipping paint. The Organic Mom has posted items such as match box cars, Mardi gras beads and keys can be culprits so I kept my little one away from those since then. Now I’m shocked that we have always been so highly exposed. I’m supposed to have her [my daughter] tested again soon. None of my kids have ever tested positive though.

I have a question: what about adults…should we get tested?

ANSWER:

From Len:

I suppose that ultimately depends on your perspective…

If you have an interest in knowing about and/or improving your health and staying healthy longer, then one more simple diagnostic test seems like a trivial matter (add it to your next checkup—or to any blood work you might have reason to do).

If you (or your spouse, or anyone else that enters your home) live, work or frequently spend time in any building built before 1980, or work in or around the painting or remodeling of older buildings, or have a job or hobby that includes the handling of firearms or ammunition, fishing tackle, metal toy soldiers (or D&D figurines), stained glass (or repairs or mods to old electronics or anything else containing leaded solder), antiques or refinishing, metal fabrication or repairs—or a host of other activities that can routinely expose you to lead, or handle a lot of pliable rubber or plastic items (older soft plastic toys like rubber duckies, appliance or extension cords, musical instrument or sound reinforcement cables and amp handles, many garden hoses, Christmas light strings, etc.)—or many older imported painted toys, costume jewelry, etc.—or drink/eat off of any “fine” (=leaded) crystal, or older porcelain, china, pewter, brass, etc. that often contain very high levels of lead, or eat a lot of chocolate or older wines that both contain high levels of lead, or…..

—especially if you have young children or are pregnant or planning to have children (a newborn’s BLL will generally be 80%-100% of the mom’s BLL)…

I would definitely add it to the top of the list of  things to routinely, universally  screen for. [Hey, lead’s a very potent neurotoxin, and due to widespread ignorance / cavalier disregard about lead (resulting from the lead industry’s 100-year campaign of misdirection and misinformation, with the virtual assistance of U.S. public agencies in the past)—it’s still all over the place!]

Oh, yeah—and have a great day! 😉