Nuclear radiation is widely used medically to treat and diagnose disease. However, if a person is exposed to nuclear radiation too often, the impact can be dangerous. Various impacts that can be caused by exposure to radiation, ranging from poisoning, impaired growth and development, cancer, to death.
Radiation is energy that is emitted in the form of particles or waves. Radiation is divided into two types, namely ionizing radiation (large dose radiation) and non-ionizing radiation (low dose radiation).
The type of radiation that has a high risk of causing health problems is ionizing radiation, such as X-rays and gamma rays. A person can be exposed to this type of nuclear radiation from nuclear energy emitting machines, such as on CT scans and X-rays, or through nuclear bomb explosions and nuclear reactor leaks. In certain cases, radiation exposure can also occur through certain medical procedures, such as gamma ray surgery procedures.
The Bad Impact of Nuclear Radiation on Health
The human body exposed to large doses of nuclear radiation will experience acute radiation syndrome (ARS) or radiation poisoning which can lead to death.
The severity and symptoms that arise depend on how much nuclear radiation the body absorbs. The amount of radiation absorption depends on the strength of the radiation energy and the distance of the body from the radiation source.
Signs and symptoms of nuclear radiation poisoning may not appear immediately when the body is exposed to large amounts of nuclear radiation. Symptoms may appear within hours, to weeks after exposure to radiation.
The symptoms that can appear when a person experiences nuclear radiation poisoning are:
- Digestive disorders, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea.
- Headache.
- Fever.
- Dizzy.
- Fatigue.
- Hair loss.
- Vomiting blood.
- Sores, blisters, and inflammation in various parts of the body, such as the mouth, lips, intestines, esophagus, and skin.
Nuclear radiation sickness cases started boom since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Even more devastating was when the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine exploded and devastated the city.
A faulty nuclear reactor emits radioactive iodine and cesum. The material is believed to have caused hundreds of thousands of workers at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant to die, either during the incident or from nuclear radiation sickness that followed.
The bad effects of nuclear radiation on body health include:
1. The destruction of body cells
High doses of nuclear radiation energy can damage body cells, causing various complications. The areas of the body most susceptible to damage from exposure to high doses of nuclear radiation are the stomach, intestines, mouth, blood vessels, and the blood-producing cells in the bone marrow.
Damage that occurs in the bone marrow will result in the body being unable to fight infection or disease. When this happens, nuclear radiation has a high risk of taking lives.
2. Kanker
Many studies show that people who are frequently exposed to nuclear radiation, especially children and young adults, are at greater risk of developing cancer. Some of these cancers are blood cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer, bone cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, and brain cancer.
3. Gchild development disorder
The effects of nuclear radiation are also bad for the growth and development of children, especially the development of the brain and nerves. Nuclear radiation exposure to the fetus can cause the baby to be born with disabilities, both physically and mentally disabled.
4. Damage skin tissue
The adverse effects of nuclear radiation can also cause damage to skin tissue. People exposed to high doses of nuclear radiation will experience sunburn, blisters and sores, and even skin cancer.
Nuclear radiation can also damage skin cells on the head, causing hair loss and permanent baldness.
Nuclear Radiation Disease Treatment
The goal of nuclear radiation sickness treatment is to prevent further radioactive contamination and relieve the symptoms that appear, such as wounds, injuries, and pain in the body of people with nuclear radiation sickness.
After exposure to nuclear radiation, be sure to remove all clothing that is attached to the body to prevent additional contamination, and wash the irradiated body or skin immediately with soap and water.
To treat damaged bone marrow, doctors will give drugs that work by stimulating and increasing the number of white blood cells to counter the effects of radiation on the bone marrow.
In addition, the doctor may also give blood transfusions to replace lost blood cells, or even perform a bone marrow transplant.
The impact of exposure to nuclear radiation in high doses is indeed very deadly. However, this rarely happens in areas or countries that do not use nuclear power much as a source of electricity. If you think you have been exposed to large amounts of nuclear radiation, seek immediate medical attention at the nearest hospital.
