Real estate investor and TV personality and home renovation guru Christina Hall blames her mercury and lead poisoning on all of the “gross houses” she’s been in.
The former host of Flip or Flop on HGTV, and current host of Christina on the Coast, sees Hall explore a number of properties as she aims to renovate and sell them on, or “flip” them. Last week, Hall revealed she was having a scan to find anything negatively affecting her health. An hour later she shared her results.
“My scan said I have mercury and lead poisoning,” she shared with her fans on ger Instagram stories. “Most likely from all the gross houses I’ve been in (the bad flips) and I have small intestine bacteria overgrowth. So we are first detoxing all of this through herbs and IVs and then see how I feel and tackle implants.” Hall finished her stories on the subject by sharing a product that would induce “intense sweating and detox.”
The implants Hall is referring to are her breast implants, which she believes could affecting her health, according to a December 17 Instagram post. In the caption, the HGTV star revealed that she’s been experiencing a wide range of symptoms including unexplained skin rashes, joint and muscle pain, dry eyes, swollen lymph nodes, acid reflux and brain fog.
Dr. Robert O. Wright, a medical toxicologist at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said in an interview with TODAY.com that lead and mercury were used in house paints before 1978. “If she’s renovating old homes, she’s around old paint,” Wright explains. “In the process of tearing down walls, you create dust and powders that you inhale.”
Wright says that wearing respiratory protection fitted with filters is key. But masks aren’t fool-proof. “There are masks that bring clean air in front of you so that you don’t inhale dust and fumes,” he says. “You’ll see construction workers wearing them. They are at highest risk for exposure.”
The diagnosis led many of her 1.8 million followers to research what exactly mercury and lead poisoning is.
What Is It?
Mercury and lead poisoning can be categorized under “Heavy Metal Poisoning,” according to WebMD’s Dr. Nayana Ambardekar. This includes lead, mercury, arsenic, copper, iron, zinc and cadmium.
You can catch heavy metal poisoning if you eat or drink something tainted with high levels of a metal, or if you breathe in contaminated dust or fumes, as Hall suggested she may have done in the “gross houses.” Small amounts of these metals can keep our bodies healthy, but an over-intake can be harmful.
It can be caused by eating food, such as fish, that contains metals, drinking water from old water supply systems, inhaling metals at a job site without wearing the proper protective equipment.
What Are the Symptoms?
If you’re suffering from acute heavy metal poisoning, when you ingest or inhale a high dose at one time, the symptoms may come on quickly. They include, but are not limited to: feeling confused, going numb, feeling sick or vomiting, passing out, abdominal pain, diarrhea, dehydration and memory loss, having horizontal lines on your nails and behavioral changes.
Heavy metal poisoning can occur as a result of chronic poisoning, a smaller intake of metals taken over a long period. The symptoms then include headaches, fatigue, aches and constipation.
How do you Cure Mercury and Lead Poisoning?
If you’ve had a sudden intake of heavy metals and are worried you’re suffering from acute poisoning, it’s recommended you call your doctor immediately. Alternatively, there are local poison control centers available, while the National Poison Help Line is 800-222-1222.
Those suffering from heavy metal poisoning can have their situation analyzed by a doctor, who will suggest the next course of action. Mercury and lead poisoning is typically treated with chelation therapy, which involves weekly IV treatments.
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