Medical professionals at Prince of Wales Hospital in Hong Kong were puzzled after examining an 84-year-old man admitted for complications related to an enlarged prostate. However, their surprise was not due to his prostate issues but rather his unnaturally silver skin, fingernails, and even the whites of his eyes.
A skin biopsy conducted later revealed gray granules in the man’s blood vessels, sweat gland membranes, hair follicles, and skin fibers. Subsequent blood tests confirmed the suspicion of the hospital staff: the patient had a silver concentration of 423 nmol/L, which was over 40 times the normal amount. This octogenarian was suffering from a rare case of generalized argyria, a condition often permanent and caused by an accumulation of silver in the body.
According to Ars Technica, the recent case report from the New England Journal of Medicine explains that argyria develops when a person consumes large amounts of silver over an extended period, leading to the migration of silver particulates in their ionic form into the bloodstream. Eventually, the silver deposits in the muscles, organs, skin, and potentially even the brain.
While ingesting silver may not have immediate effects, exposure to ultraviolet light, a common occurrence due to sunlight, converts the metal ions into atomic silver, which then oxidizes into silver selenide and silver sulfide, resulting in the characteristic blue-gray tint seen in argyria patients. Additionally, silver’s ability to stimulate melanin production can further darken the skin.
Certain alternative medicine practitioners (and at least one cult) have advocated for the consumption of silver in various forms, such as capsules or colloidal silver suspended in liquid. In the past, doctors even prescribed silver before antibiotics were widely available. However, there is currently no substantial evidence supporting the use of silver ingestion for treating any medical condition. Excessive silver intake can lead to poisoning and severe damage to the liver, kidneys, and bone marrow, and in extreme cases, it can be fatal.
In the case of the elderly man in Hong Kong, the cause of his argyria remains unknown. He claimed to have only taken the finasteride prescribed for his prostate and denied intentionally ingesting silver. Furthermore, his occupation as a waiter made job-related exposure unlikely, and no other residents in his building displayed similar symptoms. The medical team discharged the silver-skinned man with a referral for further toxicological examinations.
Regardless of whether the root of his condition is ever discovered, his story serves as a cautionary tale against relying on silver home remedies.
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