Why You Should Check Your Lead Level If You’re Depressed

Are you feeling a bit down lately? If so, you may want to get your lead level checked. According to a study published in Archives of General Psychiatry young adults with high levels of lead in their blood may be prone to depression, anxiety, and even panic attacks.

A Study

To determine this, researchers looked at almost 2,000 young adults under the age of forty. After examining them and determining if they had psychiatric problems such as depression, anxiety, or panic attacks, they collected blood to check for high levels of lead. As it turns out, those adults who had the highest blood levels of lead were 2.3 times more likely to be diagnosed with depression and five times more likely to have panic disorder compared to those who had the lowest levels of lead in their blood.

How Does High Blood Lead Levels Cause Psychiatric Problems?

While the issue of lead poisoning has always focused around its effects on children, high levels of lead can cause problems for adults too – particularly brain health issues. Lead affects communication between brain cells by altering the levels of certain brain neurotransmitters which can increase the risk of depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. If blood levels of lead aren’t extremely high this may be the only symptoms a young adult experiences. Other symptoms of high blood levels of lead include nausea, decreased energy level, a bad taste in the mouth, irritability, headache, and difficulty focusing.

How Does an Adult Get High Blood Lead Levels?

Lead is commonly found in the environment as well as in the air, soil, and water. The most common way that adults get exposure to high levels of lead is through industrial occupations that manufacture products containing lead. It’s not uncommon for workers to bring home lead particles on their clothing and expose other members of the household. Lead can also be found in soil and water that runs over lead pipes especially in areas near industrial sites. Food can be contaminated with lead especially if it’s cooked in ceramic bowls painted with lead glazes. Lead based paints and fumes from batteries are another source. High blood levels of lead can come from ingestion, inhalation, and even through skin contact.

The Bottom Line?

If you’re experiencing anxiety or depression, it may be helpful to check a lead level to se if it could be contributing to your symptoms. This can be checked with a simple blood test at your doctor’s office.