Effects of Radiation

Sunlight radiation has enough energy to affect the atoms present in the living cells and therefore it can damage genetic material such as DNA. But the cells in our body are so powerful so that they can repair the damage done by the radiation. These cells may die or may cause cancer in the body if they can’t repair the damage done by the radiation. Very high level of sunlight radiation causes skin burns, radiation sickness, or other radiation syndromes. Effects of Radiation include long terms health issues such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

Radiations Syndrome from Large exposure to Radiation

Radiation can be very dangerous for living beings. Sometimes great exposure to radiation can cause vomiting and symptoms such as nausea. Sometimes it can also result in immediate death over the following days or weeks. The range of radiation should be seventy-five in a short period of time span to cause radiation sicknesses such as nausea and death. Acute radiation syndrome is very much rare thing. It can come from an only nuclear explosion or accidental handling of the radioactive source.

Exposure to the low level of radiation:

Exposure to the low level of radiation does not result in immediate effects such as nausea or immediate death but it can cause an increase in the risk of cancer. The international unit of radiation is millisieverts or rem. If the radiation doses are higher, the risk is greater to have cancer.

Exposure Pathways

Exposure can be determined by the type of radiation received, a person is exposed internally or externally and how long a person is exposed under radiation. These things are all important in estimating health issues.

The risk of exposure to radiation depends on the energy of radiation, the type of radiation, how often the source emits radiation, type of exposure, how the body metabolizes and eliminates the damage done by radiation. There are different types of radiation such as alpha, beta, gamma, x-rays. The type of exposure can be divided into two terms internally and externally. The type of exposure is externally when the radiation source is outside of the body. As x-rays, gamma rays can easily pass through the human body and damage the cells. Internal exposure is the type of exposure where the source of radiation gets inside by eating, drinking, breathing or taking some medical treatments.

Symptoms of Exposure to Radiation

Acute radiation syndrome is generally caused by the large exposure to radiation. The severity of symptoms depends on the amount of radiation a body absorbed. The amount of radiation a body absorbed depends on the source of radiation and type of exposure to the radiation. The initial signs are treatable symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. Mild exposure to radiation can cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headache, fever, dizziness, disorientation, fatigue and weakness, hair loss, blood vomiting and internal bleeding, low blood pressure.

Sources of High Dose Radiation

Sources of high dose radiation are nuclear explosion, the detonation of small radioactive device or detonation of a standard nuclear weapon. Symptoms of radiation occur when high exposure to radiation destroys the cells of the human body. It can cause damage in the intestinal tract, stomach, blood cell producing cells of bone marrow. High exposure to radiation also results in long term health problems such as grief, fear and anxiety.

Treatments for Acute Radiation Sickness

Treatments are mainly focused on reducing the level of radiation and also the treatment of infections. The main treatment of radiation is the prevention of dehydration and then treating the injuries and burns. Sometimes people affected by radiation need treatments that help the recovery of bone marrow.

FAQs about Effects of Radiation

Q.1 Describe the symptoms of radiation sickness.

Answer: The main symptoms are nausea, vomiting, headache and diarrhoea. These signs may start within minutes to days after depending upon the exposure and type of radiation.

Q.2 Describe the common side effects of radiation therapy.

Answer: The common side effects of radiation therapy are mainly skin changes, fatigue. There can be long term side effects such as the development of second cancer. Radiation therapy may cause other side effects such as dry mouth, mouth and gum sores, difficulty swallowing, stiffness in the hair loss, tooth decay, lymphedema etc. There are other side effects such as shortness of breath, breast or nipple soreness, shoulder stiffness, radiation fibrosis, bowel cramping, rectal bleeding etc.