Being that I have had very high levels of lead in my body for which I have had years of treatment, I can relate to the dangerous side effects from lead poisoning. The funny thing about it is that I got it down to an acceptable level about 2 years ago with treatment, got off treatment, then the high levels came right back. It just shows you how incredibly polluted our environment is. Well, now it seems that another dangerous side effect of lead is cataracts. All the findings that keep coming out about the high levels of environmental toxins, chemicals and heavy metals is frightening. Now we have one more reason to be concerned.

When you consider that we have had almost 80 years of neglecting toxic levels of lead in our environment, it’s no wonder that our air, soil and water is contaminated. From an article on the HuffingtonPost.com, it is revealed that most of this can be attributed to the Ethyl Corporation, the lead battery industry, and the gasoline industry. But the worst perpetrators are those Congressional supporters who looked the other way when consumers were crying out for greater regulatory control. Unfortunately, when Congress finally did act there was lead permeating our environment everywhere. Most adults continue to have dangerous amounts of lead without even knowing it. I found out only because I had a very astute doctor who was suspicious of an autoimmune disorder I had that he noted could have been caused by heavy metal poisoning. So, I got tested and got treatment.

The reason lead poisoning goes undiagnosed is because one of the biggest problems in dealing with heavy metal poisoning is the fact that it is not a disease that can be diagnosed. It is a body burden for which every individual reacts differently with symptoms that can vary from autoimmune disorders, to hypertension, cognitive decline and a whole realm of other disorders. So, you may have heavy metal poisoning that is manifesting a very serious disease but not even know that the heavy metal poisoning is the real cause. Now scientists are beginning to find that cataracts which is the leading cause of blindness and visual impairment around the world may also be added to the list.

From a study by the D.A. Schaumberg research team, data was analyzed from 2,280 healthy American men that were followed from the 1960s on onward. Every 3 to 5 years since the 1960s, participants underwent an extensive physical examination that included a standard ocular evaluation and testing for bone lead levels. What they found was that accumulated lead exposure, such as is commonly experienced by adults in the U.S., may be an important unrecognized risk factor for cataracts. Men with the highest bone lead levels had more than 2.5 times greater risk for cataracts compared to those with the lowest level of bone lead. What was particularly revealing is that individuals with cataracts had significant levels of lead in the ocular lens along with decreased levels of zinc in lens tissue.

Even though there are studies like these and continuing discussions of how extensive heavy metals and other environmental toxins are in our environment, there is little being done on the part of the government to further research and regulate industries who deal in these poisons. As is the continual mantra of Republicans that government should not interfere with industry but that they should be left to self-regulate, it just continues and continues.

Conservatives strongly believe that the inherent ability of consumers to look out for themselves should be the government policy. I find this incredibly flawed in that the consumer has no idea what products contain toxins, heavy metals or dangerous chemicals. This was the same argument that has been put out by the same conservatives when asked about the contaminated toys and products from China. Their response was that the buyer should make the right choices about what products to buy. My question is how in the hell is the consumer supposed to know which products contain lead? Is it on the label? The label doesn’t even tell us which country the product is from thanks to the Republicans’ continually stalling of the law that will require manufacturers to label the country of origin. Congress can’t even get that law enacted.

So, here I am someone who is constantly fighting the accumulation of lead in my body and I don’t even know where to start or where it is coming from. It’s literally everywhere. It’s in our cosmetics and toiletries, our food and water and our soil. I am continually paranoid about what to eat, drink or put on my face. Until the government steps up and starts to do what it is supposed to do–protect the American people, we will continue to have increases in chronic aging, autoimmune disorders, autism, hypertension, cataracts, etc. etc. etc. Isn’t it time we actually stop and ask–what is causing all this? It might be as simple as internal body pollution which is something we can do something about–if it’s not too late.