How Does Radiation Poisoning Harm For The Human Body?
Living cells are susceptible to ionizing radiation due to their high energy, which damages their genetic material (DNA). Our bodies have highly effective cells that can repair the damage. Damaged cells, however, can die or become cancerous if they are not repaired correctly.
Being near an atomic explosion can lead to acute radiation syndrome (“radiation sickness”) when you are exposed to very high levels of radiation. A long-term effect of smoking is cancer, especially in people who are already at high risk. A low level of environmental radiation has no immediate health consequences for us, but it indirectly contributes to our cancer risk.
Symptoms
Depending on how much radiation you’ve absorbed, you can experience radiation sickness in varying degrees. Radiated energy strength, exposure time, and distance from the source influence how much you absorb.
The type of exposure—total or partial—and the radiation protection can also affect the signs and symptoms. The sensitivity of affected tissues can also influence the severity of radiation sickness. Radiation, in particular, can be very damaging to the gastrointestinal system and bone marrow.
Initial symptoms and signs
Radiation sickness is usually accompanied by nausea and vomiting as the first signs. Radiation exposure and the onset of symptoms are determined by the time between exposure and onset.
When radiation sickness is first diagnosed, a person may experience no symptoms for a short while and then suffer new, more serious symptoms.
After a mild exposure, you will likely experience no symptoms for hours to weeks. Symptoms can occur after a few minutes to days of severe exposure.
There are some possible symptoms, including:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Fever
- Dizziness and disorientation
- Weakness and fatigue
- Hair loss
- Bloody stools and vomit due to internal bleeding
- Infections
- Low blood pressure
Complications
In addition to mental health problems caused by radiation sickness, such issues include:
- Exposure to radiation in the workplace.
- Grief over the death of a loved one.
- Trying to cope with an illness that may be fatal.
- Afraid that radiation exposure might cause cancer in the future.
- Exposure Pathways.
- It is crucial to determine the health effects of radiation by knowing the type of radiation received, how it is received (external or internal), and the length of time a person is exposed.
When exposed to a particular radionuclide, the risk is determined by:
- Radiation energy.
- Radiation type (alpha, beta, gamma, x-rays).
- Radiation activity (frequency of emission).
- Whether external exposure is internal or external:
- External exposure is exposure to radiation outside the body. The energy transfer between X-rays and gamma rays is an important process.
- Internal exposure occurs when radioactive material is ingested, breathed, inhaled, or injected (from specific medical procedures). A significant quantity of radionuclides inhaled or consumed may cause serious health problems.
- After ingesting or inhaling a radionuclide, the body metabolizes and eliminates the radionuclide.
- Radionuclides concentrate on specific body parts and stay there for long periods.
