Q: My son swallowed mercury from the thermometer at the age of 13 years. Now at the age of 21 years, symptoms like itching on the head and headache have started appearing. Could they be due to that? Kindly tell the side effects, how long do they last and how serious are these likely to be along with its remedy?

A:His symptoms are unlikely to be due to mercury poisoning given the small amount in one thermometer and the long time since he swallowed it. Are you sure it is definitely mercury poisoning? I expect there is another cause. Ask your doctor.