Essential Tremor

[JohnP]

Lead absorbed by the body years ago is now being looked at as a possible cause of tremors

That's the idea emerging from some recent studies, part of a broader area of new research that suggests some pollutants can cause harm that shows up only years after someone is exposed.

The new work suggests long-ago lead exposure can make an aging person's brain work as if it's five years older than it really is.

"It's an emerging area" for research, said Dr. Philip Landrigan of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. It certainly makes sense that if a substance destroys brain cells in early life, the brain may cope by drawing on its reserve capacity until it loses still more cells with aging, he said. Only then would symptoms like forgetfulness or tremors appear.

I was exposed to large amounts of lead throughout most of my life. As a young person I worked in an auto repair shop where we often washed grease off our hands and arms with leaded gasoline. As a Navy aircraft mechanic I was exposed to the highest amounts of lead ever added to gasoline, breathing the vapors while refueling aircraft and washing grease from my hands and arms with the gasoline. This was over a 14-year period. Later in civilian life I was exposed to even higher lead levels over a 19-year period while blending gasoline at a large refinery before lead was removed as an additive.

That might possibly explain my tremors, but what would be the cause of tremors in someone who has never been exposed to lead?

Many questions, few answers.

[shakeyguy]

i have a high lead level and it does cause memory problems . it can also cause difficulties in getting pregnant. it also causes fatigue

[macacoza]

Amazing sttuff here John! Of course I was not exposed like you. I do remember smellign the gas as parents filled the tanks..it used to smell good..haha..BUT, was that enough? Something that I have wondered about and never read any coralation. As kids the mosquito sprayer tro\uck woudl coem down the alleys..Who knew how dangerous that could be..As the truck was blocks away the cry woudl start up and all us kids woudl yell.." Mosquito truck is coming' We woudl run down a couple blocks and follow that truck with all that fog DDT spraying..we ran in it giggling and laughing as if we had sense!.. I have wondered now 40 years or so later if this is a possible cause also??? More questions with NO answers!
Take care all
Deb

[steadyshaker]

I believe I have some genetic inheritance of tremors, but I also believe that working with lead over the years as a plumber may have contributed to the problem. I never realized that lead was a contributing factor until I came here and started reading. I have had tremors for 20 years of so, but it has become more difficult to work, especially with fine motor skills, in the past 5 years.

I do pretty good first thing in the morning, but as the day goes on, I get shakier. Par for the course from what I understand.

Ron

[macacoza]

YEP!! Par for the course!...I think back to the time of running in that DDT fog...what were we thinking??? haha..BUT..we didn't know..no one knew...is it a factor with ET? I dotn know..but it does raise more questions!
deb

[elkmagik]

I never gave much thought about my exposures to lead and mercury because my ETs were linked to my exposure to agent orange. ...but, as an commercial electrician and high voltage splicer ... hunter and fisherman who made weights and reloads ... good grief I would hate to guess heavy metals and chemicals [some good .. some bad] I have exposed myself to. I am surprised my exposures to PCB [transformer oil] has not given me something real bad. I was one of those kids that played with mercury putting it on our silver coins to make them shimmer and carrying it around in our hands for days.

Lead and solder was used in my trade and helping other trades, like the plumber who needed the extra hand with pouring some lead seals. I too have washed my grimy hands in Leaded Gas until I was forced to switch to Unleaded. I have always been a shade-tree mechanic, street rod builder who washed his hands in Retro-Gas several times a day and until it suddenly became dangerous, I was also a lead-based paint user and used lead in bodywork. What fisherman has not crimped a split shot with their teeth onto a fishing line? I never gave it much though John, but I would not be surprised.

Health sure was simpler back in the 50s ... the only thing we really had to worry about was how to "Duck and Cover" .. not lead or asbestos or DDT ...

I will be 61 in August ...
Elk

[macacoza]

WELL...I did the heavy metals testing. Have not heard back yet, but hope to soon. Dr. does not think it will shwo anything,,but who knows..at least it will answer the question if it had anythign to do with it...lol...BUT..even if it doesn't..who knows if the damage was done already and the metals dont show up..I sure dont know!...Speaking of the coins...hahaha..you made me laugh..we used to ACCIDENTLY break mom's thermomertors to get to that stuff!!...then it woudl roll around on floor and make balls and wowwwwwwww the coins sure were pretty...
Have a great day all my fellow ET'ers!
deb