Colloidal silver is a product that is used in the treatment and to fight against infections and bacteria in the body or skin. Historically, colloidal silver has been used to fight infections and viruses over the years. Micro-organism could not build up resistance against silver because of its potency, which makes them stands out from other antibiotics.
Colloidal silver helps to cure many infections and viruses in the body, such as the common cold, cancer, HIV/AIDS, shingles, herpes, or eye problem. It also helps in boosting the immune system, eases chest congestion, and treats or prevents viral infections.
However colloidal Silver can cause serious side effects, and one of the major effects is called ARGYRIA (a bluish-gray discoloration of the skin, which is usually permanent)
What is Argyria?
Argyria is a rare skin condition that can happen if silver builds up in your body over a long time. It can turn your skin, eyes, internal organs, nails, and gums a blue-gray color. That change in your skin color is permanent. If you have argyria, the symptoms may start in your mouth, with your gums turning gray-brown. Your skin may start to turn slate-gray, metallic, or blue-gray. This could happen after a few months or years, depending on how much silver you are exposed to.
It may only affect one area of the skin, or it could change the appearance of all of your skin. The discoloration may stand out most on your forehead, nose, hands, and other areas that are exposed to the sun.
The major reason for this is that too much exposure to silver chemical compounds causes damage to the body. Even when medication contains silver for a long time, it can cause argyria. Argyria results from prolonged contact with or ingestion of silver salts. Argyria is characterized by gray to gray-black staining of the skin and mucous membranes produced by silver deposition.
Silver may be deposited in the skin either from industrial exposure or as a result of medications containing silver salts. Silver isn’t necessarily a bad thing, and has had some medical uses. For example, it’s been used in bandages, salves, and medications like eye drops. Silver is a substance that occurs naturally. Every day, you come into contact with small amounts of silver.
Silver traces can be detected in water, food, and even the air. Through the skin, mucous membranes, or mouth, silver can enter your body. If you have an excessive amount of silver in your body, which usually happens after repeated exposure, you can develop argyria. When silver enters your stomach, a chemical reaction occurs. Silver enters your circulation as it degrades. Most of the silver we eat leaves the body through our feces within a week. Some people expel urine. It means silver is natural, it only becomes a problem when you are exposed to it too much.
Is Argyria Harmful?
By itself, argyria is not harmful and is considered to be “medically benign.” Any skin darkening is obviously not a desirable side effect. Additionally, colloidal silver hinders your body’s ability to absorb several medications. These consist of thyroid deficiency drugs and antibiotics. Because argyria is a rare illness, the clinical appearance has frequently been mistaken as cyanosis, leading to intrusive, expensive, and pointless diagnostic procedures.
In argyria, skin hyperpigmentation and silver deposition may be permanent, mostly of cosmetic importance, and not responsive to treatment. The only reason why it becomes more harmful to the body is when adequate perfective measure is not put in place.
There are types of Argyria, one of which is Ocular Argyrosis. Although man has been aware of the harmful consequences of silver exposure for about ten centuries, the dosage required to cause argyria is still not fully understood. The most prevalent form of local argyria is called ocular argyrosis; it is characterized by a permanent dirty-gray to brownish staining that only affects the eye and its surrounding tissues and is linked to the deposition of silver salts.
These silver salts can be produced either by systemic silver deposition or exogenous sources like silver-containing eye drops or cosmetics. Other than the optic nerve, retina, lens, and vitreous, most of the eye’s structural components are implicated.
Few cases of corneal argyrosis caused by explosion damage or by a delicate injury have been reported, as have cases of ocular argyrosis from occupational exposure to silver nitrate in an industrial plant. Their effects may not be several if proper care is done to them.
Because argyria was connected to the use of silver in numerous drugs during the beginning of the 20th century, it was more frequently observed. Physician-directed usage of silver-containing products, however, decreased as reports of complications related to silver consumption (such as intestinal ulcers and argyria) increased and as more potent pharmacologic substitutes emerged. The reason why the agencies had to reduce the use of colloidal silver is to take preventive measures, not that it is dangerous on its own.
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And because it could be contacted either from industrial exposure or as a result of medications containing silver salts. Mostly all medications have side effects on the body system and likewise colloidal silver. Preventive measure is the major thing to take note of. In addition, argyria can be harmful to the body if it’s not properly taken care of, or if there’s continual exposure to silver.
How is Argyria Treated?
Scientists work on Data on 70 cases of generalized argyria following two years of syphilis therapy with organic and colloidal silver published by two scientists. In a sample of 12 individuals given 4–20 gm IV arsphenamine, argyria only manifests clinically after the patient has received an 8 gm total IV dose of arsphenamine. This does equate to a total silver dose that can result in clinical argyria of 1.84 gm (8 0.23, where 0.23 is the silver content of silver arsphenamine).
However, this figure does not account for any potential lifetime exposure to silver that a patient may have had from other sources. The scientist calculated that a person aged 50 would have average retention of 0.23-0.48 gm of silver, equal to 1-2 gm of silver arsphenamine, using their comprehensive database of individuals with argyria [11]. The cumulative dosage required to cause argyria has been estimated to be around 6 gm [15] if the patient has instead been exposed to silver nitrate. The patient in this case consumed 16 ounces of 450 ppm (450 mg/l) colloidal silver TID over a period of 10 months, or around 648 mg per day, and a total dose of 200 gm.
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It means there is currently no cure for argyria, but recent research indicates that laser therapy using the quality switch (QS) laser may significantly improve skin discoloration. The QS laser delivers high-intensity pulses of light to affected areas of the skin.
And other treatments include wearing protective clothing and eyewear when dealing with silver, applying sunscreen with a high SPF limiting the amount of time in the sun, minimize silver-containing medications, supplements, and cosmetics.
Is Argyria Permanent?
An uncommon skin disorder called argyria can develop if your body accumulates silver over an extended period of time. It can cause blue-gray discoloration of your skin, eyes, internal organs, nails, and gums, especially where your body is exposed to sunlight. Your skin’s hue has changed permanently. This means there is probably for the effect to be permanent if precautions are not taken.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to note that no case of argyria has ever been reported due to the use of properly prepared colloidal silver – whether it is particulate or ionic.
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