Radiation sickness is illness and symptoms resulting from excessive exposure to radiation. Exposure may be accidental or intentional (as in radiation therapy).
Alternative NamesRadiation poisoning
ConsiderationsThere are two basic types of radiation: ionizing and nonionizing.
Nonionizing radiation comes in the form of light, radio waves, microwaves and radar. This kind of radiation usually does not cause tissue damage.
Ionizing radiation is radiation that produces immediate chemical effects on human tissue . X-rays, gamma rays, and particle bombardment (neutron beam, electron beam, protons, mesons, and others) give off ionizing radiation. This type of radiation can be used for medical testing and treatment, industrial and manufacturing purposes, weapons and weapons development, and more.
Radiation sickness results when humans (or other animals) are exposed to very large doses of ionizing radiation. Radiation exposure can occur as a single large exposure (acute), or a series of small exposures spread over time (chronic).
Radiation sickness is generally associated with acute exposure and has a characteristic set of symptoms that appear in an orderly fashion. Chronic exposure is usually associated with delayed medical problems such as cancer and premature aging, which may happen over a long period of time.
The risk of cancer depends on the dose and begins to build up even with very low doses. There is no "minimum threshhold."
Exposure from x-rays or gamma rays is measured in units of roentgens. For example:
The severity of symptoms and illness (acute radiation sickness) depends on the type and amount of radiation, how long you were exposed, and which part of the body was exposed. Symptoms of radiation sickness may occur immediately after exposure, or over the next few days, weeks, or months.
Because it is difficult to determine the amount of radiation exposure from nuclear accidents, the best signs of the severity of the exposure are: the length of time between the exposure and the onset of symptoms, the severity of symptoms, and severity of changes in white blood cells. If a person vomits less than an hour after being exposed, that usually means the radiation dose received is very high and death may be expected.
Children who receive radiation treatments or who are accidentally exposed to radiation will be treated based on their symptoms and their blood cell counts. Frequent blood studies are necessary and require a small puncture through the skin into a vein to obtain blood samples.
CausesThe causes include:
Your doctor will advise you how best to treat these symptoms. Medications may be prescribed to help reduce nausea, vomiting, and pain. Blood transfusions may be given for anemia . Antibiotics are used to prevent or fight infections.
First AidOnly provide medical care if you have the appropriate protective gear to prevent contaminating yourself:
If symptoms occur during or after medical radiation treatments:
Radiation sickness is illness and symptoms resulting from excessive exposure to ionizing radiation.
There are two basic types of radiation: ionizing and nonionizing.
Radiation poisoning; radiation injury
ConsiderationsRadiation sickness results when humans (or other animals) are exposed to very large doses of ionizing radiation.
Radiation exposure can occur as a single large exposure (acute), or a series of small exposures spread over time (chronic). Exposure may be accidental or intentional (as in radiation therapy).
Radiation sickness is generally associated with acute exposure and has a characteristic set of symptoms that appear in an orderly fashion. Chronic exposure is usually associated with delayed medical problems such as cancer and premature aging, which may happen over a long period of time.
The risk of cancer depends on the dose and begins to build up even with very low doses. There is no "minimum threshhold."
Exposure from x-rays or gamma rays is measured in units of roentgens. For example:
The severity of symptoms and illness (acute radiation sickness) depends on the type and amount of radiation, how long you were exposed, and which part of the body was exposed. Symptoms of radiation sickness may occur immediately after exposure, or over the next few days, weeks, or months. The bone marrow and gastrointestinal tract are especially sensitive to radiation injury. Children and babies still in the womb are more likely to be severely injured by radiation.
Because it is difficult to determine the amount of radiation exposure from nuclear accidents, the best signs of the severity of the exposure are: the length of time between the exposure and the onset of symptoms, the severity of symptoms, and severity of changes in white blood cells. If a person vomits less than an hour after being exposed, that usually means the radiation dose received is very high and death may be expected.
Children who receive radiation treatments or who are accidentally exposed to radiation will be treated based on their symptoms and their blood cell counts. Frequent blood studies are necessary and require a small puncture through the skin into a vein to obtain blood samples.
CausesThe causes include:
Your doctor will advise you how best to treat these symptoms. Medications may be prescribed to help reduce nausea, vomiting, and pain. Blood transfusions may be given for anemia. Antibiotics are used to prevent or fight infections.
First AidIf symptoms occur during or after medical radiation treatments:
Feldman R. Radiation injury. In: Schaider JJ, Hayden SR, Wolfe RE, Barkin RM, Rosen P, eds. Rosen and Barkin's 5-Minute Emergency Medicine Consult. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2007.
Reviewed ByReview Date: 01/12/2011
Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
Your best option is to seek out information about "Acute Radiation Sickness". This should help you understand this better.
Nausea, vomitting, loss of appetite, fatigue, fever, and headache
If it is a major overexposure, a few days or a week perhaps. Small overdoses may take years to produce any effect, then it may be argued these are just effects of ageing or exposure to chemicals etc. Radiation sickness is therefore reserved for sickness arising due to known massive overdoses.
100 milliSieverts is the smallest radiation dose clearly linked to cancer. 1 Sievert is the smallest radiation dose required to induce radiation sickness. The average person absorbs 250 millirems over a lifetime.
Heat radiation is infrared radiation, which is a relatively low frequency radiation, slightly lower than that of visible light. Nuclear radiation includes a variety of types, including X rays and gamma rays, which are very high frequency radiation, and which are consequently much more dangerous, and can cause radiation sickness. There are also other types of nuclear radiation such as alpha rays, beta rays, and neutrons, all of which are in the form of subatomic particles rather than electromagnetic radiation.
Radiation sickness varies depending upon duration of exposure, whether it was an internal or external exposure, and the dosage of radiation.
my niece has a brain tumour it is inoperable. I would like to know how long the sickness lasts after radiation
there will be radiation sickness
diarrhea
- diarrhea
The first indicators of radiation sickness are nausea and vomiting. Symptoms will begin within the first six hours after over exposure.
individual sensitivity radiation dose absorbed type of radiation
Diarrhea
990
Nausea, ...
Wearing a NBC or Hazmat suit
Radiation sickness and death.