Before reading this article, I sincerely invite you to click "Follow", which is not only convenient for you to discuss and share, but also to share more professional health knowledge with you, so as to escort your health, thank you for your support.
On a summer afternoon, the sun shines through the curtains on the corridors of the hospital. Dr. Lee was looking through his medical records in his office when there was a soft knock on the door. "Please come in." He said without looking up.
An elegant middle-aged lady walked in, wearing a sparkling silver bracelet on her wrist. "Dr. Li, I'm Zhang Mei, and I heard that you are an expert in this area.
I've been wearing this silver bracelet for almost 20 years, but lately I've been feeling uncomfortable with my wrists. She said, rubbing her wrist slightly.
Dr. Lee looked up, his gaze resting on the silver bracelet. He frowned slightly, as if thinking about something. "Ms. Zhang, can you take off the bracelet for me to see?"
Zhang Mei tried to take off the bracelet, but found that she couldn't take it off. She said in a bit of a panic, "Doctor Li, I can't seem to take it off." "
Dr. Lee's expression became more serious. He stood up and walked over to Zhang Mei to take a closer look. "Ms. Zhang, your situation may be more complicated than you think. We need to do some checks. "
And just like that, a seemingly ordinary consultation unravels a shocking medical case.
After a series of examinations, Dr. Li found that Zhang Mei's condition was indeed not optimistic. Wearing silver bracelets for a long time causes problems that are far more serious than you think.
First of all, silver bracelets are in long-term contact with the skin, which may cause localized skin discoloration.
This is because silver ions react with sulfides in the skin to form a black form of silver sulfide [1]. While this discoloration is usually harmless, it can be aesthetically distressing.
Secondly, some people may be allergic to silver. Although silver allergy is less common than nickel allergy, an allergic reaction occurs in a certain percentage of people [2]. Symptoms may include rash, itching, redness, swelling, etc.
More seriously, long-term wearing of silver jewelry that is close to the skin may affect local blood circulation. Zhang Mei already had slight edema and indentations on her wrists, suggesting that the bracelet had affected her blood circulation [3].
But what worries Dr. Li the most is that Zhang Mei's blood test results showed that her silver levels were significantly higher than normal. Although silver is generally considered a relatively safe metal, long-term excessive exposure can still lead to silver poisoning [4].
"Ms. Zhang," Dr. Li said solemnly, "your situation is quite special. We need to do something to address these issues. "
After listening to Dr. Li's explanation, Zhang Mei's face turned pale. "Dr. Lee, I always thought that silver bracelets were good for the body. A lot of people say it's good for health, but I never thought it would be like this. "
Dr. Lee nodded understandingly. "Indeed, there are a lot of folk sayings about silver jewelry. But from a medical point of view, most of these claims lack scientific basis. "
Over the next few days, Zhang Mei underwent a series of treatments. First, the professionals at the hospital carefully removed the silver bracelet, which had been embedded in the skin.
She then underwent a topical skin treatment to relieve the discomfort caused by long-term silver jewellings.
At the same time, in order to reduce the silver content in the body, Zhang Mei underwent chelation therapy. This treatment can help remove excess heavy metals from the body [5].
During the treatment, Zhang Mei got acquainted with Wang Li, another patient who had been seeking medical attention for wearing silver jewelry for a long time. Wang Li is a middle school teacher who has been wearing a silver necklace for 15 years.
"I thought that silver jewelry could ward off evil spirits and keep me safe," Wang Li said with a wry smile, "but I didn't expect to almost hurt myself." "
The experiences of the two ladies attracted the attention of the hospital. Dr. Lee and his team decided to conduct a study on the health effects of long-term silver jewellery.
The results of the study are astounding. Of the 100 subjects who wore silver jewelry for a long time, 35% experienced skin problems of varying severity, 15% had higher than normal levels of silver, and 5% experienced mild symptoms of silver poisoning.
This study quickly attracted a lot of attention from society. Many media outlets have reported on the health risks associated with wearing silver jewellery.
Faced with such an outcome, Dr. Li feels a great responsibility. He began to promote the knowledge of the correct wearing of jewelry on various occasions, calling for a rational view of the folklore method of "health care".
"Silver does have some antimicrobial effects," Dr. Lee said in a public lecture, "but that doesn't mean that long-term wearing of silver jewellery is necessarily good for your health." Anything, too much. "
The experiences of Zhang Mei and Wang Li have also become a warning. They began to actively participate in health education activities and share their experiences with more people.
"We're not trying to completely deny the value of silver," Ms. Zhang said in an interview, "but we want people to look at it more rationally." Jewelry should be for beauty, not for so-called health care. "
Over time, society's awareness of the issue has deepened. More and more people are beginning to pay attention to the health of jewelry wearing, and no longer blindly believe in unproven folk sayings.
A year later, Dr. Li's team published a review article summarizing the effects of silver jewelry on human health [6]. This article has not only aroused wide discussion in the academic community, but also provided the public with reliable scientific knowledge.
The article points out that although silver does have some antimicrobial effect, this effect is not enough to offset the risks that may arise from long-term wearing of silver jewelry.
At the same time, the article also emphasizes that it is generally safe to wear silver jewelry in moderation, and the key is to pay attention to cleaning and regular inspections.
The discussion, sparked by a silver bracelet, eventually led to the society's attention to the health of jewelry wearing.
Major jewelry brands have begun to include health tips in product descriptions, and some medical institutions have begun to offer health advice related to jewelry wearing.
The experiences of Zhang Mei and Wang Li have become the epitome of this change. Their stories have been included in health education books to warn against blindly believing in unproven "health" methods.
Ultimately, this story, which began with a silver bracelet, not only changed the lives of many people, but also promoted society's emphasis on science and reason.
As Dr. Lee often says, "The key to health lies in scientific knowledge and rational living, rather than hoping for a 'magical' object." "
Bibliography:
[1] Drake， P. L.， & Hazelwood， K. J. (2005). Exposure-related health effects of silver and silver compounds: a review. The Annals of occupational hygiene， 49(7)， 575-585.
[2] Hostynek， J. J.， & Maibach， H. I. (2004). Silver. In Handbook of Metal-Ligand Interactions in Biological Fluids (pp. 1188-1196). Marcel Dekker， New York.
[3] Wahlberg， J. E. (1965). Percutaneous toxicity of metal compounds: A comparative investigation in guinea pigs. Archives of Environmental Health: An International Journal， 11(2)， 201-204.
[4] Hadrup， N.， & Lam， H. R. (2014). Oral toxicity of silver ions， silver nanoparticles and colloidal silver–a review. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology， 68(1)， 1-7.
[5] Sears， M. E. (2013). Chelation: harnessing and enhancing heavy metal detoxification—a review. The Scientific World Journal， 2013.
[6] Chen， X.， & Schluesener， H. J. (2008). Nanosilver: a nanoproduct in medical application. Toxicology letters， 176(1)， 1-12.
What are your thoughts on this? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!
[This content is a fictional short story, and any name, place name, or other aspects involved in the text have nothing to do with reality (without any implications). If there is any similarity, it is purely a coincidence, please read it rationally. 】