Meet the Blue Man!

Silver has been priced for millennia and even from the Middle Ages, royal and noble houses used silver dishes due to their disinfectant effect. Colloidal silver is still sold as an universal panacea, being advertised as a cold drug, decongestant, all-around germ fighter, a type of universal remedy. But is there any real reason to avoid colloidal silver ? YES, and it can induce some severe and weird side effects.

This is 57-year-old Paul Karason from Madera, CA. To cure his dermatitis (skin infection) he started drinking colloidal silver 14 years ago. And here is the result: Paul's skin gradually turned a dark grayish-blue. This condition is called argyria ('argentum' means silver in Latin), and it is determined by granules of silver stored in the body.

There are silver-containing chemicals entering in the composition of conventional medicine. Silver sulfadiazine is employed against severe burns. Fabric impregnated with silver is sometimes applied as dressing for wounds or skin infections. Silver nitrate is sometimes used against warts and corns. As silver is malleable and non-toxic, it is employed by stomatologists for dental alloys for fittings and fillings.

But there's no scientific proof that oral intake of colloidal silver induces any benefits. Silver rarely harms the brain and nerves, but the colloidal form can induce kidney damage, stomach distress, seizures and headaches.

In case of argyria not only the skin, but also the conjunctiva (the thick membrane covering the eyes) and internal organs may also turn bluish. And once silver is deposited, there's no way to eliminate it, so the discoloration could be permanent, like in a tattoo.

Paul says he just put colloidal silver directly on his face, but his whole body is now bluish. The disease turned him more withdrawn, as people stop and stare to him, making comments.

"It isn't easy living with blue skin. The only time now I really think about it or notice it is if we're out in public and people start staring," said Paul.

He said he reduced the consume of colloidal silver, but he still drinks it.

Earlier this year, a 59-year-old man arrived to the emergency room because he seemed to be cyanotic (the bluish hue skin signals you're not getting enough oxygen). It appeared he'd been taking a homemade potion of colloidal silver whenever he felt a cold coming on.

With so many alternatives, what's on the mind of these people?

On the other hand, argyria should not be confused with the Blue Skin Disorder, detected in a large family living in the hills around Troublesome Creek in Kentucky until the 1960s, called Fugates. They were over 80 years old when they died, without any severe disease, except for the fact they had blue skin, a genetic trait transmitted from generation to generation. Their skin color varied from blue to plum, indigo or almost purple.