Patient education: Lead levels in adults (The Basics)

What is a lead level? — 

This is a type of blood test to see how much lead is in the blood. Lead is a metal. Exposure to lead can happen in the workplace or at home.

Lead can be found in many things, including:

●Wall paint

●Dust from lead-painted surfaces

●Pottery

●Soil

●Drinking water from lead pipes or a contaminated water source

●Firing ranges, or bullet pieces in the body

●Some herbal supplements and holistic medicines

When too much lead gets into the body, it is called "lead toxicity" or "lead poisoning." This is a serious medical problem that can affect adults, but is more common in children. Lead poisoning can damage the brain, kidneys, and other organs.

Why might I get a lead level? — 

Your doctor might order this test:

●To screen for lead poisoning if you might be exposed to lead

●If you are having symptoms of lead poisoning

●To decide if you need treatment for lead poisoning

●To check if treatment for lead poisoning is working

How do I prepare for a lead level? — 

The staff might be able to prick your finger to get a blood sample. Or you might need to get a "blood draw" instead. Your doctor or nurse will tell you where to go for this.

It might help to wear a short-sleeve shirt to your blood draw appointment. This makes it easier for the person drawing your blood to get to your arm.

What happens during a blood draw? — 

A needle is used to take a small amount of blood from your arm (figure 1). Collecting the blood only takes a few minutes. The blood is then tested in a lab.

Tell the person who takes your blood:

●If you take "blood thinner" medicines or have a bleeding problem – They will make sure your bleeding is under control before you leave.

●If you have a latex allergy – Some of the supplies used for blood draws might contain latex.

●If you have a preferred arm to use

Most of the time, getting blood taken does not cause problems. You might have a little soreness or bruising where the needle went in.

What do my results mean? — 

Your doctor or nurse will tell you when to expect your results, and will contact you with the results. Or if you use an online "patient portal," you might get an alert there when your results are ready.

If your lead level is high, your doctor or nurse will talk to you about what to do next. They might need to do more tests to figure out the cause.

If you do have a health problem, your doctor will work with you to come up with a treatment plan.

More on this topic

Patient education: Lead levels in children (The Basics)
Patient education: Lead poisoning (The Basics)