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Radiation Sickness
Medical Questions » Radiation Sickness
| Name: Radiation Sickness |
| Also known as: |
| A high dose of irradiation will damage all body tissues, but bone marrow, which is responsible for producing cells that maintain the immune system, is particularly susceptible and will cease to function and allow the body to be overwhelmed by what would otherwise be minor infections. Other vulnerable organs include the liver, lungs, thyroid, testes, ovaries and breasts. |
Causes of Radiation Sickness
A nuclear reactor accident, the mishandling of radioactive material used in medicine or industry, or an atomic bomb. |
Symptoms of Radiation Sickness
Nausea, vomiting, weakness, delirium, blindness (the cornea of the eye being damaged to cause a cataract), mouth ulcers, bleeding gums, bleeding into the skin (bruises), and convulsions. |
Tests for Radiation Sickness
Tests are performed to assess the function of specific organs and the types of cells present in the blood. |
Treatment for Radiation Sickness
First aid involves removing the patient from the contaminated area, thorough washing, providing fresh uncontaminated clothing, and purging the gut. If evacuation is not immediately practical, place as many walls and objects (eg. upturned table) as possible between the source of radiation and any people. Further treatment involves blood transfusions, marrow transplants and drugs that will remove any inhaled or swallowed radioactive dust from the body. The thyroid gland can be protected by taking high doses of normal iodine in pill form, to prevent the thyroid from absorbing any radioactive iodine from the environment.
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Complications of Radiation Sickness of its treatment
The testes and ovaries may be affected to cause deformities or infertility. Unborn babies are at particular risk of irradiation, and miscarriages are common. Some body damage may be permanent (eg. skin scarring, thyroid destruction), and there are long-term risks of increased cancer rates. |
Likely Outcome of Radiation Sickness
With time, natural repair of radiation damage is possible, but the risk of death will depend upon the dosage of radiation received. |
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