What is Chelation Therapy? Let's find out the truth about this treatment that removes metals from the body!

We have sometimes heard stories like, "Oh, I have too much iron in my body," "Old pipes can cause lead to accumulate in the water and poison the body." In fact, although our body needs a certain amount of metals like iron, zinc , and copper to function, if some heavy metals, for example, lead, mercury , or even iron, increase in excess, it is very harmful to our body. There is a special treatment method that doctors use to remove harmful heavy metals that accumulate in the body in this way. That is what we call chelation therapy . Let's learn more about this today, whether it is true or not.

Simply put, what is Chelation Therapy?

Imagine that the blood vessel system inside your body is like a water pipe system. Imagine that inside these pipes, there are harmful, sticky metal fragments (heavy metals) that are deposited. Now we need to remove these. Chelation therapy is a special type of medicine (called chelating agents ) that works like a magnet.

When this medicine enters the body, it travels through the blood, seeks out those harmful heavy metal particles, and binds tightly to them, like a pair of pliers. Then, the compound formed by this medicine and the metal particles it has captured, is filtered through our kidneys and either excreted in the urine or through the liver and excreted in the feces.

Who really needs this treatment?

Not everyone needs this treatment. Your doctor will only recommend this treatment if they have done something like a blood test and determined that your heavy metal levels are high enough to be harmful to your health . Sometimes, simply avoiding exposure to the metals may be enough. But this treatment is only given when that is not enough.

This treatment has been approved by world-renowned medical institutions such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).Only as a treatment for heavy metal poisoning.

Why do these types of metals accumulate in our bodies?

• Environment and work: Some people may be exposed to metals such as lead and mercury in their workplaces (e.g., battery factories, paint industries). These can also accumulate in the body through old paints and old water pipes in old houses.
• Medical reasons: As mentioned above, since thalassemia patients often have to receive blood transfusions, the iron in that blood can accumulate in the body and damage the liver and heart. To prevent this, the excess iron needs to be removed.
• Genetic diseases: Some congenital diseases , such as Wilson's disease, cause the body to not properly metabolize metals like copper, causing them to accumulate in the body.

What are the dangerous practices that are not medically approved?

This is the most important part of this article and the one you need to remember the most.

Some people and businesses advertise chelation therapy as a panacea for all ailments. They claim that this treatment can cure the following diseases:

• Autism spectrum disorder
• Alzheimer's disease
• Diabetes
• Heart disease and its associated high blood pressure, cholesterol, and atherosclerosis
• Parkinson's disease

Don't be fooled by such false information and delay getting proven treatments. Also, if a healthy person takes this treatment, the body will lose minerals like zinc and calcium that it needs, and you may become even sicker. Therefore, if someone tells you about such things, think twice and talk to your doctor.

How is the treatment done?

This is done under the supervision of a doctor. There are two main methods.

1. By injection: By injecting the medicine into a blood vessel (intravenous) or sometimes into a muscle (intramuscular). This is usually done in a hospital or clinic.

2. By swallowing pills: In some cases, for example, when iron levels are high, the doctor may prescribe pills to take at home. But even that is given very carefully, in a specific dosage, and with frequent monitoring.

The type of chelating agent you are given will vary depending on the type of metal you have (lead, iron, copper, etc.). The dosage is also determined by your doctor based on your age, weight, and metal levels. The length of treatment also depends on the condition. It may be short-term, or it may be lifelong.

The benefits and possible side effects of this

Like any medical treatment, this one has both benefits and risks.

Because of these side effects, this treatment should only be done under medical supervision. Your doctor will regularly check things like your kidney function and blood mineral levels.

Is this useful for autism and heart disease? (Controversial)

Let's talk about this again, because this is very important.

Autism

Autism is a developmental disorder of the brain, not a disease caused by heavy metal poisoning. Chelation therapy has not been scientifically proven to help with autism in any way. In fact, there have been reports of children suffering serious side effects, including death, from the use of chelation therapy. Therefore, it is extremely dangerous and wrong to give this treatment to a child with autism.

Heart Disease

Some people argue that this treatment can remove cholesterol deposits (plaque) from blood vessels, just like removing heavy metals. But this is completely wrong.

Scientists themselves admitted that a major study on this had serious design flaws. It's like watering a garden with a hose during a rainstorm, putting a measuring cup in it, and saying that only rainwater collected. The results are unbelievable. Later, new research proved that chelation therapy has no benefit for heart disease . Therefore, using it for heart disease is useless and potentially dangerous.

When do you need to talk to your doctor?

• If you experience any side effects (such as fever, vomiting, body aches) from the treatment.
• If you have any questions or concerns about the treatment plan.
• If you suspect you have heavy metal poisoning, see a doctor immediately rather than seeking treatment on your own.
• In the event of a poisoning emergency, you can also call the National Poison Information Center at the Colombo National Hospital .

In the event of an emergency, for example, if you experience difficulty breathing or seizures, go to the nearest hospital's Emergency Department (ETU) immediately.