Radiation Sickness

Radiation sickness is a medical condition resulting from exposure to excessive amounts of radiation. The exposure can be accidental or a part of intentional irradiation therapy.

Radiation can be ionizing radiation or nonionizing radiation. Nonionizing radiation comes from sources like light, microwaves, radar and radio waves. This is safe radiation in most cases and does not cause radiation sickness.

The more dangerous radiation is ionizing radiation. It can affect human tissue when it is exposed to it. The types of ionizing radiation we're talking about is X-rays, gamma rays and bombardment by particles such as electron beam, proton bombardment, neutron beam, and mesons. These all give off ionizing radiation, which can harm the tissues. It is used in medical testing, medical treatment, manufacturing, weapons, industrial uses and other military uses.

Radiation sickness happens when animals or humans are exposed to large doses of ionizing radiation that can come as a single large dose or multiple doses given over a long period of time. This is what's caused acute and chronic radiation exposure.

Acute radiation sickness has a specific set of symptoms that appear one after another in an orderly fashion. Chronic radiation sickness usually occurs with delayed medical issues such as premature aging or cancer, that happen over time, even over decades.

There is no minimal threshold below which it is safe to be exposed to ionizing radiation. If you get a total body exposure of about 100 roentgens, you come down with radiation sickness. If you are exposed to 400 roentgens, you get radiation sickness and have a 50 percent chance of dying of the disease. If you get more than that and aren't treated, you will most likely die. If, by some chance, you are exposed to 100,000 roentgens of radiation, you lose consciousness immediately and death ensues within the hour.

The severity of your symptoms (of acute radiation system) depends on the amount of radiation you receive and on the type of radiation you receive. It depends on the length of exposure and on the part of the body exposed. Symptoms of radiation sickness might occur immediately following the exposure or over a longer period of time.

It is sometimes difficult to know how much radiation exposure you get from things like nuclear accidents. Therefore it is best to look at the length of time from exposure to symptom onset. The degree of white blood cell count changes and whether or not a person vomits in the first hour makes a difference in the prognosis. Death can be expected if vomiting occurs within the first hour post exposure.

The causes of radiation sickness include exposure to excessive radiation in medical treatments and accidental exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation such as from nuclear power plant accidents.

Symptoms of radiation sickness include bloody stool, blood from other orifices, bruising, diarrhea, dehydration, hair loss, fatigue, fainting, mouth ulcers, inflammation of the skin, open sores on the skin, nausea and vomiting, skin burns, sloughing off of the skin, vomiting blood, weakness and ulcers in the esophageal area.

There is treatment for radiation sickness. You can receive blood transfusions to make up for the anemia. Antibiotics fight off possible infections. Medications are used for pain, nausea and vomiting. If you are providing medical treatment, make sure you are free of contamination yourself. CPR may be necessary and clothing must be removed because it might contain radiation. The body should be washed with soap and water to remove radiation and call 911 right away following exposure.

When treating radiation exposure, don't remain in the same place where the exposure happened as you can be exposed. Don't keep contaminated clothing on and don't forget to call emergency services right away. Don't apply ointments to burned areas and leave that to the professionals, who have special creams and ointments they use.