Argyria Symptoms, Causes & More
Article Sources
- 1. Wadhera, Akhil, and Max Fung. ‘Systemic Argyria Associated with Ingestion of Colloidal Silver.’ Dermatology Online Journal, 1 Jan. 2005, escholarship.org/uc/item/0832g6d3
- 2. Bracey, Nathan A, et al. ‘Argyria Caused by Chronic Ingestion of Silver.’ CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association Journal = Journal De L'Association Medicale Canadienne, Joule Inc., 5 Feb. 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5798984/#:~:text=Argyria refers to benign grey,/doi:10.1503/cmaj
- 3. Almurayshid, Abdurrahman, et al. ‘Effective Laser Treatment Options for Argyria: Review of Literatures.’ Wiley Online Library, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, 3 July 2020, onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jocd.13549
Risk Factors
It's not yet clear exactly what amount of silver causes argyria. However, people who engage in work or recreational activities under conditions of prolonged exposure to silver have the highest risk of developing argyria. These activities include soldering, dark-room photo processing, silver mining and jewelry making.
The long-term use of colloidal silver supplements and non-FDA-approved topical silver-containing medications may expose people to an excessive amount of silver. Other things to watch out for include nasal sprays, cosmetics, dental fillings and acupuncture needles that contain silver.
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