Short-Term Health Effects of Radiation Exposure
If you are injured after radiation exposure, seek medical attention right away. These injuries could be at high risk for infection and other long-lasting health effects.
Radioactive contamination and radiation exposure could occur if radioactive materials are released into the environment due to an accident, an event in nature, or an act of terrorism. Such a release could expose people and contaminate their surroundings and personal property.
Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS)
People exposed to radiation will get ARS only if:
- The radiation dose was high.
- The radiation was able to reach internal organs (penetrating).
- The person's entire body, or most of it, received the dose.
- The radiation was received in a short time, usually within minutes.
Symptoms of ARS
Acute symptoms of ARS may include nausea, vomiting, headache, and diarrhea. These symptoms start within minutes to days after the exposure, last for minutes up to several days, and may come and go.
If you have these symptoms after a radiation emergency, seek medical attention as soon as emergency officials determine it is safe to do so. After the initial symptoms, a person usually looks and feels healthy for a while. He or she will become sick again with variable symptoms and severity that vary depending on the radiation dose that he or she received. This seriously ill stage may last from a few hours up to several months.
Treatment of ARS
Treatment of ARS focuses on reducing and treating infections, maintaining hydration, and treating injuries and burns. Some patients may benefit from treatments that help the bone marrow recover its function. The lower the radiation dose, the more likely it is that the person will recover from ARS. In most cases, the cause of death is the destruction of the person's bone marrow, which results in infections and internal bleeding. For survivors of ARS, the recovery process may last from several weeks up to 2 years.
People with ARS typically also have some skin damage. There also can be hair loss. As with the other symptoms, the skin may heal for a short time, followed by the return of swelling, itching, and redness days or weeks later. Complete healing of the skin may take several weeks up to a few years, depending on the radiation dose the person's skin received.
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-9. What are the symptoms of acute radiation syndrome?
You forgot to answer the question!