The human body has a blood-brain barrier (BBB) that is designed to prevent toxins in the body from reaching the brain and doing damage. The BBB is a group of blood vessels that separate the blood running through your body from brain fluid.
Unfortunately, lead is one of the substances that can penetrate this barrier and do irreparable damage. In fact, lead can not only break through the barrier, but it can also make the barrier more permeable. That means the brain becomes more vulnerable to toxic substances in the future.
While there is no safe level of exposure, significant exposure can cause significant damage. Fluid may accumulate and cause extreme intracranial pressure. That may result in encephalopathy and brain damage that cannot be reversed.
Lead mimics calcium’s function in passing signals between neurons in the brain. Lead competes with calcium as it tries to move into another neuron. That means less calcium can enter the next neuron. This results in a weaker signal. This can have significant consequences for your memory and ability to learn new things.
Those who suffer brain damage from lead exposure may have impairment of their visual-motor reasoning skills. They may have attention deficit disorders and impaired cognitive ability.