Radiation poisoning, or acute radiation syndrome (ARS), is caused by excessive exposure to ionized radiation and can permanently affect cells in the body. Symptoms include severe nausea, vomiting, fever, fatigue, hair loss, and possible death. There is no cure for radiation sickness, and those with chronic exposure have a higher risk of developing cancers and tumors. The first experiments with radioactive materials were conducted in the late 19th century, and the true destructive possibilities of ARS were not exposed until the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
Radiation poisoning is the common name for what the US Center for Disease Control classifies as acute radiation syndrome (ARS). The condition is caused by excessive exposure to ionized radiation, which can permanently affect cells in the body. Most people are not exposed to sufficient levels of radiation in their daily lives to cause ARS, but those who work with radioactive materials or are subjected to a single high dose of radiation have a higher level of risk of contracting it. radiation poisoning.
Scientists who conducted the first experiments with radioactive materials in the late 19th century discovered radiation poisoning. Nikolai Tesla, a famous inventor and scientist, described the burns he received after exposing his hands to early X-ray technology. Renowned scientist Marie Curie dedicated her life to understanding radiation and its uses, and is died of cancer believed to be caused by constant radiation exposure.
Although the dangers of working with radioactive materials were clear in the 1940s, the world was not exposed to the true destructive possibilities of ARS until the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Some experts suggest that radiation poisoning accounts for almost the 20% of all people killed as a result of bombing. Continuing studies over the following decades showed an increase in cancers and other associated diseases attributed to radiation exposure.
Typical symptoms of radiation poisoning begin with severe nausea and vomiting. If a person is exposed to a single high dose of radiation, these symptoms can occur within hours. Fever and fatigue usually appear, followed by possible hair loss, diarrhea or blood in the stools and urine, dizziness, and a drop in blood pressure. In severe exposure, death occurs in about half of all cases.
People exposed to low doses of radiation over a long period of time, such as biochemical workers, may be more likely to develop other illnesses caused by chronic radiation sickness. Often, those with chronic exposure will have a significantly higher risk of cancers and tumors. Radiation sickness damages cells, tissues and organs as well as the immune system, so the entire body is at risk of possible future illnesses.
Unfortunately, there are still no treatments that can cure radiation sickness. While some drugs are currently undergoing government trials to combat its effects, the current treatment is simply easing the victims’ pain and trying to prevent infection or further problems. It is possible to recover from radiation sickness, but the likelihood of survival depends on the level of exposure and personal health, and offers no guarantee of safety from developing radiation-associated cancers due to cellular damage.
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