Radiation sickness: symptoms

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Acute radiation syndrome
A Japanese girl recovering from the effects of radiation sickness.

(I post this not because I expect we in the United States will develop these symptoms but so  we can pray for the Fukushima nuclear plant workers who will certainly develop them and for the Japanese people downwind of the nuclear plant, who may develop them.)

Acute radiation syndrome (ARS) also known as radiation poisoning, radiation sickness or radiation toxicity, is a constellation of health effects which occur within several months of exposure to high amounts of ionizing radiation.^[1][2] The term generally refers to acute problems rather than ones that develop after a prolonged period.^[3][4][5]
     The onset and type of symptoms that develop depends on the dose of radiation exposure. Relatively smaller doses result in gastrointestinal effects such as nausea and vomiting and symptoms related to falling blood counts such as infection and bleeding

     Chronic radiation syndrome has been reported among workers in the Soviet nuclear program due to long term exposures to radiation levels lower than what is required to induce acute sickness.^[6] It may manifest with low blood cell counts and neurological problems.^[6]
     Radiation exposure can also increase the probability of developing some other diseases, mainly cancer, tumours, and genetic damage. These are referred to as the stochastic effects of radiation, and are not included in the term radiation sickness.

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