I Have A House That Was Built In 1940 And

Posted on Sat, 6 Oct 2018

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Sat, 6 Oct 2018 Answered on

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Question : I have a house that was built in 1940 and probably has lead paint. I took two screws out of a wall and some of the dust got on the fabric of a chair seat. (I think more went on the floor.) I licked my finger to try to get it off the seat, wiped the paint dust with my wet finger off the seat, and then licked my finger and wiped again (and repeated a couple of times), without even thinking about the fact that this might be lead paint. Is this a small enough amount of possible lead exposure that it wouldn’t matter, or do I need to be concerned?

Answered by Dr. salah saad shoman (25 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
No need to worry

Detailed Answer:
Dear sir, I have gone through your question and I understand your concerns but it is unlikely that you suffer from lead poisoning from such tiny amount. However, multiple exposures to lead paint can cause serious problems including high blood pressure, joint and muscle pain, difficult concentration, headache or abdominal pain.. If you experience any of these symptoms then please get a blood test for lead level to detect if it’s level is high. I hope you find this helpful..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T