What is chelation therapy?
- It Treats Metal Poisoning
- It Is Administered Depending on the Agent
- Potential Risks and Side Effects
If you’ve been constantly exposed to metals like lead, mercury, iron, and arsenic, you need to know what is chelation therapy. There are medical professionals in Las Pinas Hospitals that offer to get this procedure done to treat toxic metal poisoning. Here’s how it works and why you might need it.
How Does Chelation Therapy Work?
Toxic metal poisoning occurs when the soft tissues of the body absorb heavy amounts of metal. The level of metal toxicity depends on the duration of exposure, how much metal is absorbed by the body, type of metal, and the person’s age.
Chelation therapy is a medical procedure wherein a chelating agent is administered into the body. Once it enters the bloodstream, the agent binds to the metals, gets filtered through the kidneys, and released through urination.
Chelation therapy commonly makes use of ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA). EDTA is known for getting rid of substances like lead, iron, copper, and even calcium from the blood.
It Treats Metal Poisoning
There are several claims surrounding the topic of chelation therapy. Others say that it can be used to treat a wide variety of conditions such as autism, Alzheimer’s disease, heart diseases, and even Parkinson’s disease. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved chelation therapy only for the treatment of metal poisoning.
While it’s true that there are studies that examine the impact of chelation therapy for other conditions, there is not enough scientific evidence to prove that the treatment is effective. In fact, it can be life-threatening if chelation therapy is used for an unapproved reason.
Moreover, the FDA states they don’t approve any over the counter medication for chelation therapy that does not have a prescription. It is a treatment that can only be done under the supervision of medical professionals.
It Is Administered Depending On The Agent
Before you get approved for chelation therapy, medical professionals will ask for a blood test to ensure you have metal poisoning. They may also ask for a urine test.
How the treatment will be administered will depend on what metal is causing the problem and what agent will be used to target the problem. There are agents that are taken orally. But, the typical chelation therapy will be done intravenously.
It is performed on an outpatient basis that does not require hospital confinement. However, it can be given through a series of weekly treatments when an intravenous fluid (IV) drip is used. Typically, each session will last for about one to two hours because the flow of the IV drip must be slow to prevent any kidney damage.
After your treatment, there will be a team that monitors you for possible side effects.
Potential Risks and Side Effects
Just like any other controversial treatment, chelation therapy carries its own risks. Some of the side effects that a person may experience from chelation therapy include:
- Fever
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Low blood pressure
- Anemia
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Seizures
- Brain damage
- Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
- Kidney and liver damage
- Heart failure
- Drop-in bone marrow counts
- Abnormally low blood levels of calcium (Hypocalcemia)
There’s also some concern that chelation therapy could remove calcium from healthy bones and other tissues. With that being said, children, pregnant women, and people with heart or kidney failure should not undergo chelation therapy at any dose.
Due to these potential risks, chelation therapy is only recommended for people who are suffering from metal poisoning.
Key Takeaway
Reading this article will offer you good insight if you’re wondering about what is chelation therapy. We cannot stress enough how important it is to be informed about metal poisoning.
If you have been exposed to high levels of toxic metals and are considering undergoing treatment, it would be best to consult medical professionals first. Together, you can make shared and well-informed decisions.
Here at the Perpetual Help Medical Center-Las Pinas, we offer chelation therapy in the Philippines. Contact our staff to learn more about it. Call us at (+632) 8874-ALTA | (+632) 8874-8515 or visit us at Alabang-Zapote Rd., Pamplona III Las Pinas City, Philippines 1740.