Copper Deficiency and Excess

DEFINITIONS

Copper is a component of many enzymes needed to produce energy, anti-oxidation and synthesis of adrenal hormones as well as for the formation of connective tissue.

COPPER DEFICIENCY

Copper deficiency is rare in healthy people.
Most common in premature babies or babies who are recovering from severe malnutrition.

The people who receive food intravenously (parenteral) in a long time also have a risk of copper deficiency.

Menkes syndrome is an inherited condition that causes copper deficiency.
Symptoms include:
- Hair very tangled
- Mental retardation
- Low levels of copper in the blood
- Failure of synthesis of enzymes that require copper.

Copper deficiency resulted in exhaustion and low copper levels in the blood.

Often occur:
- Decrease the number of red blood cells (anemia)
- Decrease the number of white blood cells (leukopenia)
- Decrease the number of white blood cells called neutrophils (neutropenia)
- Decrease the amount of calcium in the bones (osteoporosis).

Bleeding also be a small dot on the skin and arterial aneurysm.

Provided additional copper for several weeks.
But people with Menkes syndrome does not respond well to the additional copper.

EXCESS COPPER

Copper does not bind to the protein is a toxic substance.
Consuming small amounts of copper which does not bind to proteins can cause nausea and vomiting.

Food or beverages acidified, which is in contact with the vessel, copper tube or valve in a long time, can be contaminated by small amounts of copper.
If a large amount of copper salt, which is not bound to proteins, accidentally ingested or if pembebatan copper salt solution is used to treat the burned area of skin area, a number of copper can be absorbed and damage the kidneys, inhibiting the formation of urine and cause anemia due to breakup of the cell - red blood cells (hemolysis).

Wilson disease is a hereditary disease where a number of copper accumulated in the network and menyebabakan extensive tissue damage.
This disease occurs in 1 in 30,000 people.

The liver can not remove the copper into the blood or into the bile. As a result, blood levels of copper in a low, but the copper accumulated in the brain, eyes and liver, causing cirrhosis.

The collection of copper in the cornea causes a gold ring or gold-green.

The initial symptoms are usually the result of brain damage in the form:
- Tremors (shaking)
- Headache
- Difficult to talk
- Loss of coordination
- Psychosis.

Copper poisoning treated with Penicillamine that can bind copper and facilitate expenditure / disposal.