The causes and symptoms of radiation poisoning

The World Health Organization said on Monday that Japan needs to act quickly and ban food sales from areas around the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant if the food there is found to contain excessive levels of radiation.

As the nuclear crisis in Japan deepens Global News explains the cause and symptoms of radiation sickness.

What is it?

Acute radiation syndrome (ARS) – also known as radiation poisoning and radiation sickness – refers to illness that is a result of excessive exposure to ionizing radiation.

There are two basic types of radiation: ionizing and nonionizing.

Examples of nonionizing radiation are light, radio waves, microwaves and radar, and generally do not cause tissue damage.

However, ionizing radiation, which comes from x-rays, gamma rays, and particle bombardment, can result in tissue damage when exposed to large amounts.

There are two types of radiation exposure: acute and chronic.

Acute radiation exposure refers to a single, large exposure of radiation. Chronic exposure refers to a series of small exposures over a period of time. Radiation sickness is generally a result of acute radiation exposure.

Early symptoms of acute radiation poisoning

The following is a list of symptoms that may result from acute radiation exposure. If a person is exposed to a large amount of radiation these symptoms can appear within a few hours.

The early signs of acute radiation poisoning are generally split into three groups: hematopoietic, gastrointestinal and neurovascular.

Hematopoietic symptoms include bleeding from the nose, mouth, gums, and rectum, having bloody stool, infections due to low white blood cell count, anaemia due to low red blood cell count.

Gastrointestinal symptoms include vomiting, nausea, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain.

Neurovascular symptoms include dizziness and headaches.

Long term exposure

People who are exposed to radiation in smaller amounts over a long period of time have a higher risk of cancer and immune system illnesses.

Treatment for radiation poisoning

Antibiotics can be used to treat infections, and blood transfusions to treat anaemia. Medication can be prescribed to treat nausea, vomiting, and pain.