What materials can block ionising radiation? Radiation is normally managed safely, but its use also entails a risk. Levels of radiation from an x-ray are not high, but they occur at one moment. Last medically reviewed on August 15, 2017. Thank you for signing up to Live Science. We can even find you a free ride to treatment or a free place to stay when treatment is far from home. Depending on the type of radiation, the shielding can range from something as thin as a plate of window glass or as thick as several feet of concrete. People also can come into contact with radiation through medical procedures, such as X-rays and some cancer treatments. If you or someone you know is showing symptoms of radiation exposure, call your health care provider or the Illinois Poison Center right away. However, there are some exceptions. Exposure to certain parts of the body is more dangerous than others, for example, the intestines. Radiation sickness can be acute, happening soon after exposure, or chronic, where symptoms appear over time or after some time, possibly years later. Go inside the nearest safe building or to an area to which you are directed by law enforcement or health officials. It’s normal to have questions about how to help someone getting radiation treatment. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? Stay up-to-date with news, valuable information, and ways to get involved with the American Cancer Society. Infographic: Where to go in a radiation emergency, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Radiation, Video: Radiological Contamination and Exposure, Video: Just-In-Time Training for Hospital Clinicians, National Center for Environmental Health (NCEH), Preventing and Treating Radiation Injuries and Illness, Food and Drinking Water Safety in a Radiation Emergency, Neupogen: General Information for the Public, Neupogen: General Information for Clinicians, Acute Radiation Syndrome: A Fact Sheet for Clinicians, Cutaneous Radiation Injury (CRI): A Fact Sheet for Clinicians, Radiation and Pregnancy: A Fact Sheet for Clinicians, Radiological Terrorism: Emergency Management Pocket Guide for Clinicians, Radiation Emergency Training, Education, and Tools, Q & A: Information about Public Health Issues Related to Polonium-210 Contamination in the United Kingdom, Guidance for Public Health Departments and Clinicians Caring for Individuals Who May Have Been Recently Exposed to Polonium-210, Uranium-235 (U-235) & Uranium-238 (U-238), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. However, a repeated or even a single, relatively low dose that produces few or no visible symptoms around the time of exposure may cause problems later on. The cancer care team may recommend changes in the patient’s diet depending on the type of radiation and area being treated. How Your Home Could Become Contaminated People who are externally contaminated can spread the contamination by touching surfaces, sitting in a chair, or even walking through a house. It also tends to do less damage to normal cells and tissues compared to chemotherapy and other treatments that travel throughout the body. People who are externally contaminated with radioactive material can contaminate other people or surfaces that they touch. Distance - Maximise the distance from the source of radiation. Radiation as a weapon: Attacks using radiation as a weapon may occur in three ways: A dirty bomb combines explosives, such as dynamite, with radioactive materials in powder or pellet form. Radiation cannot be spread from person to person. Hematopoietic stem cells, or bone marrow cells, are the cells that all other blood cells derive from. The American Cancer Society is a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. keeping out of the sun around midday and using a sunscreen or wearing clothes that cover the skin, making sure any CT scans and x-rays are necessary, especially for children, letting the doctor know if you are or may be pregnant before having an x-ray, PET, or CT scan. Health care providers will decide what course of treatment, if any, is needed. Imagine a world free from cancer. To glean that much iodine 131 from the Tokyo water supply on its worst day of contamination, a person would have to have downed 94 million gallons of water – an impossible amount. The technician, meanwhile, will leave the room when taking the image. The most common side effects are skin problems and fatigue. Nuclear medicine is used to target the thyroid in people with a thyroid disorder. Small quantities of radioactive materials occur naturally in the air, drinking water, food and our own bodies. GB 866 3499 73, © 2020 Ionactive Consulting Limited, all rights reserved, People often ask these radiation protection questions. We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers and donors. Examples of nuclear bombs/devices are the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, at the end of World War II.

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