Mercury poisoning is a type of metal poisoning due to mercury exposure.

[3] Symptoms depend upon the type,

dose, method, and duration of exposure.[3][4] 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.[1] High level exposure to methylmercuryis known as Minamata disease.[2] Methylmercury exposure in
children may result in acrodynia (pink's disease) in which the skin becomes pink and peels.[2] Long-term
complications may include kidney problems and decreased intelligence.[2] The effects of long-term low-dose
exposure to methylmercury is unclear.[6]
Forms of mercury exposure include metal, vapor, salt, and organic compound.[3] Most exposure is from eating
fish, amalgambased dental fillings, or exposure at work.[3] In fish, those higher up in the food chain generally
have higher levels of mercury.[3]Less commonly poisoning may occur as an attempt to end one's life.[3] Human
activities that release mercury into the environment include the burning of coal and mining of gold.[4] Tests of
the blood, urine, and hair for mercury are available but do not relate well to the amount in the body. [3]
Prevention includes eating a diet low in mercury, removing mercury from medical and other devices, proper
disposal of mercury, and not mining further mercury.[4][2] 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.[5] Chelation for those with long-term exposure is of
unclear benefit.[5] In certain communities that survive on fishing, rates of mercury poisoning among children
have been as high as 1.7 per 100.
Common symptoms of mercury poisoning include peripheral neuropathy, presenting as paresthesia or itching,
burning, pain, or even a sensation that resembles small insects crawling on or under the skin (formication); skin
discoloration (pink cheeks, fingertips and toes); swelling; and desquamation (shedding or peeling of skin).
Mercury irreversibly inhibits selenium-dependent enzymes (see below) and may also inactivate S-adenosyl-
methionine, which is necessary for catecholamine catabolism by catechol-O-methyl transferase. Due to the
body's inability to degrade catecholamines (e.g. epinephrine), a person suffering from mercury poisoning may
experience profuse sweating, tachycardia (persistently faster-than-normal heart beat), increased salivation,
and hypertension (high blood pressure).
Affected children may show red cheeks, nose and lips, loss of hair, teeth, and nails, transient
rashes, hypotonia (muscle weakness), and increased sensitivity to light. Other symptoms may
include kidney dysfunction (e.g. Fanconi syndrome) or neuropsychiatric symptoms such as
emotional lability, memory impairment, or insomnia.
Thus, the clinical presentation may resemble pheochromocytoma or Kawasaki disease. Desquamation (skin
peeling) can occur with severe mercury poisoning acquired by handling elemental mercury.