Radiation Poisoning

Radiation therapy has been widely used for many years in the treatment of various types of cancer. The oldest radiation method consists of an external beam that carries either a low or high dose of radiation, which in turn will fight off cancerous cells. The radiation has to be measured precisely because if the dose is altered, the patient may suffer from radiation poisoning. Moreover, radiation poisoning can happen in massive attacks where nuclear power is used, or when nuclear reactors start to leak. If the level of radiation poisoning is too high, the person affected will die between two days to two weeks after exposure.

Causes of Radiation Poisoning

In reality, radiation poisoning is very rare, but when it happens it can be fatal because if the levels are over 6 Gy, there is no treatment that can save the person’s life. Gray (Gy) is the unit of measurement used to indicate how intense a certain source of radiation is and it helps understand the type of symptoms that are expected. In order to go through radiation poisoning, a person needs to be exposed to intense levels of radiation, which is something that doesn’t happen with x-rays. Some of the causes of radiation poisoning are:

Nuclear attack such as a war
Explosion and leakage of a nuclear facility
Explosion of a device containing high levels of radioactive material
Explosion of a dirty bomb
Explosion of a regular nuclear bomb

Complications Due to Radiation Poisoning

When the level of radiation exposure is between 1 Gy and 5 Gy, the person has a chance of being treated for radiation poisoning and eventually getting better. However, when the exposure level is 6 Gy or greater, the person will die within two days or up to two weeks. Those who survive should seek medical care immediately in order to be decontaminated, quarantined and treated right away. As time goes by, even if the person is treated properly and returns to a normal life, there are a few complications that may arise later in life; the majority of these complications are related to the emotional well-being of the individual. In the past, patients who hadsuffered radiation poisoning but recovered showed emotional instability due to the fear of witnessing a nuclear attack again. In addition, they pose a greater risk of developing cancer due to the radiation they were exposed to.

Radiation Treatment and Recovery

When radiation poisoning takes place, it’s critical to find a hospital or a doctor, in order to move forward with the treatment and recovery. However, in order to be exposed to high levels of radiation, you would have to be present at nuclear attack or war, where a large amount of radiation is being leaked. In a catastrophe of that magnitude, there would be a national emergency alert and doctors would be prepared to assist all of those who were exposed. There is a list of treatment that doctors follow in case of radiation poisoning, which are:

External decontamination
Bone marrow recovery
Internal decontamination
Additional treatment
End of life