Bizarre case of man who suffered horrific side-effect and turned himself permanently blue
Did you know there's a condition born from taking dietary supplements that can turn a person blue?
Known as argyria, WebMD explains that this permanent pigmental mutation occurs when silver builds up in the body over an extended period of time - giving the skin, eyes, nails, gums, and even internal organs a blue-gray tinge.
Depending on how much silver one is exposed to, symptoms typically start inside the mouth after just a few months or sometimes years, while the discoloration is most apparent in the areas that see the sun the most.
The late Paul Karason was a sufferer, and we're going to tell you his unique story.
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Referred to as 'Papa Smurf' by the internet, US citizen Paul was a fair-skinned bloke prior to spotting an advertisement for the supposed rejuvenating 'magic' behind colloidal silver.
Dealing with a bad case of dermatitis on his face, he produced the mixture himself via electrolysis, which dissolved in water.
It's believed that he ended up drinking around 10 ounces every single day for at least a decade.
Interviewed by ABC News back in 2008, Paul claimed he hadn't even noticed his skin's transformation until an old friend stopped by his Oregon home for a visit.
He recalled: "He looks at me and he says, 'What have you got on your face?' 'I don't have anything on my face!'
"He says, 'Well, it looks like you've got camouflage makeup on or something.' And by golly, he came in and he was very fair-skinned, as I used to be. And that's when it hit me."
What he had felt, though, were positive changes in his health.
"The acid reflux problem I'd been having just went away completely," said Paul. "I had arthritis in my shoulders so bad I couldn't pull a T-shirt off. And the next thing I knew, it was just gone."
Paul claimed 'there's not the slightest doubt in my mind' that this was all down to the colloidal silver product.
In September 2013, he sadly passed away at the age of 62.
Paul was admitted to a Washington hospital after having a heart attack. His wife, Jo Anna Karason, revealed he also had pneumonia and fell foul of a severe stroke.
Speaking to TODAY, the widow suggested her husband was never quite sold on his 'Papa Smurf' nickname.
"That was a nickname he didn’t appreciate, depending on who said it," Jo Anna said. "If it was a kid who ran up to him saying 'Papa Smurf,' it would put a smile on his face. But if it was an adult, well..."
In his final years, regular smoker Paul underwent a triple bypass and rarely left the house.
"He has been too ill to work for a while," noted Jo Anna, before explaining how he'd spent a great deal of time just reading historical books and watching the History Channel.
"He didn’t like to go out in public much - only when he thought he needed to, like to go to the bank or to pick up tobacco."
Dan Seddon