Treatment of Poisoning Due to Heavy Metals, Insecticides, Opioids and Other Addict-Forming Drugs

Poisoning may be defined as the accumulation of heavy metals, insecticides, opioids, or any other drugs into the body’s soft tissues through contaminated water, food, polluted air, etc.  This accumulation causes various health-related abnormalities in the body of an organism and even death when overexposed. The severity of the poisoning depends on the type of heavy metals, insecticides, or opioids accumulated. Some heavy metals like zinc, copper, iron, chromium, etc., are necessary for proper body functions, and hence they are known as trace elements. But if these metals are exposed to high amounts in the body, they may cause poisoning. 

Heavy metals like mercury, cadmium, arsenic, lead, etc., may occur due to industrial exposure and wastage that flows in water bodies or the air. Not only heavy metals, insecticides, opioids, and other addict-forming drugs influence the organisms in the same manner and affect the health of the organisms to a great extent. 

Treatment of poisoning due to heavy metals

The major elements involved in the manufacturing of insecticides may include arsenic, sulphur, fluorine, and copper. After being sprayed in the agricultural fields, these insecticides flow into water bodies due to rain. When these insecticides mix with water and air, they are swallowed through food, inhaled, and absorbed through the skin. 

Such diseases or disorders by poisoning due to heavy metals may be treated with the help of three common drugs: Dimercaprol (arsenic chelators), calcium disodium versenate, and Penicillamine (copper chelators). These drugs bind with the accumulated heavy metals, degrade their structure, and finally eliminate them from the body through the urine. In normal situations, gastric lavage will also be effective in removing ingested heavy metals from the body. 

Forms of chelating agents:

Apart from drugs, some forms of chelating agents may also be utilised as an antidote to heavy metal poisoning. These agents bind with heavy metals in the blood and excessively eliminate their high levels. Chelating agents react with the ions of heavy metals and form a stable and water-soluble complex that easily passes compounds of heavy metals out of the body. 

Treatment Of Poisoning Due To Insecticides

The major elements involved in the manufacturing of insecticides may include arsenic, sulfur, fluorine, and copper. These insecticides, after being sprayed in the agricultural fields, flow into water bodies due to rain. When these insecticides mix with water and air, they are swallowed through food, inhaled through the air, and absorbed through the skin. 

Some of the serious insecticide poisonings are the outcome of organophosphate and carbamate types of insecticides. Accumulation of insecticides in the body causes many severe health-related problems like heart problems, breathing difficulty, blindness, diarrhoea, etc. 

Such diseases and disorders of poisoning due to insecticides may be treated with the help of drugs like atropine and pralidoxime. Atropine is injected intravenously into the individual who accumulates insecticides. This drug helps in maintaining breathing and heart function. Pralidoxime is an antidote that is used to treat pesticide accumulation. 

Treatment Of Poisoning Due To Opioids

Opioids are known as pain-relieving drugs. These drugs interact with their receptors found in the cells of living organisms. Opioids are extracted from the poppy plants. These drugs include morphine, heroin, codeine, fentanyl, etc. Such substances, in low amounts, signal the brain and relieve pain, make people sleepy, and stimulate laziness. But their consumption in excess leads to abnormal heart function, difficulty in breathing, disturbed brain psychology, etc. An overdose of opioids can lead to death. 

Such diseases or disorders of poisoning due to opioids may be treated with the help of three common drugs, namely Naloxone, an antidote for opioid poisoning. It is an antagonist to the opioid receptor (mu-opioid receptor), which reduces the effect of opioids and their intoxication. It is a drug approved by the food and drug administration to reverse the effect of opioid overdose. 

An overdose of opioids may also be reduced by using activated charcoal. It adsorbs the toxic compounds within the gastrointestinal tract by preventing the actual absorption of that toxin in the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, it may tolerate the effect of any toxic compounds inside the body. 

Chronic Exposure to Poisoning

Chronic exposure to heavy metals like lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium leads to Parkinson’s disease, neuromuscular degeneration, muscular dystrophy, Alzheimer’s disease, and even directs to death. Chronic exposure to insecticides may lead to skin cancer, reproductive infertility, developmental toxicity, and even death. 

Chronic exposure to opioids may result in long-lasting diseases that impact physical health, social background, and economic concerns. It may damage the brain as well. 

Drug Abuse State

Drug abuse may be defined as the overuse of illegal drugs to develop pleasant effects on the brain. It makes people addicted to any drug that significantly benefits them in a small amount, but when such drugs are consumed at regular intervals, it may lead to drug abuse. Examples of drug abuse include opioid consumption for pain relief, intake of sleeping pills, etc. 

The initial effect of all common drugs impacts the brain by giving pleasant signals. Still, the long-term effects are very severe as opioids inhibit the synthesis of dopamine, a neurotransmitter from the brain. Other drugs include brain damage, mental confusion, suicidal behavior, and even death. 

Conclusion

Poisoning is something that accumulates the excess concentration of any toxic compounds within the body through contaminated water, food, polluted air, etc. The severity of the poisoning depends on the type of heavy metals, insecticides, or opioids accumulated. The effect of poisoning due to heavy metals leads to serious diseases like edema, tachycardia, etc. The poisoning due to heavy metals is treated by Dimercaprol, Calcium Disodium Versenate, and Penicillamine. The treatment of poisoning due to insecticides may be treated with atropine and pralidoxime. The poisoning of opioids may be treated with Naloxone as well as with activated charcoal.