I think I've been exposed to lead!?!

I think I've been exposed to lead!?

me and brother found a big piece of something gray and we thought we could crave it and make it shine...looks like silver. anyway now that im reading what it might be "lead" im gettin a little scared.. I had no idea what it was..it had been buried for so many years. I was polishing it, craving it, touching it with my fingers until they got all black ..(it stains black when you touch it) and i also ate after handling it... i dont even think i washed my hands really good....what should i do?? right now im sick from my stomach..kinda like diahrrea ...im scared!!!

You're always exposed to lead. It's in the dirt . . . it's even in the water you drink.

There's a difference, though. Because lead is a heavy metal, it's toxic to the body . . . it's hard for the body to process and remove -- small amounts won't harm you seriously, but large amounts can lead to neurotoxicity.

If you start vomiting, getting dizzy, or fainting, I'd rush to the ER.

If you touch lead, it's ok -- some is absorbed through skin, but nothing like mercury. My concern is the hand-washing thing. If you washed your hands at all, chances are, you removed most of the lead on your hands before eating.

The diarrhea COULD be because of the lead, but, it could also be whatever you ate, a cold/flu, or your nerves from being worked up about the possibility of lead poisining.

Do some research online and see how much lead is absorbed through skin, what the symptoms of toxicity are, and what the toxic doses are.

If you're really concerned, it's always best to get checked out.