Radiation Exposure Summary Radiation is energy that travels in the form of waves or high-speed particles. It occurs naturally in sunlight. Man-made radiation is used in X-rays, nuclear weapons, nuclear power plants and cancer treatment. If you are exposed to small amounts of radiation over a long time, it raises your risk of cancer. It can also cause mutations in your genes, which you could pass on to any children you have after the exposure. A lot of radiation over a short period, such as from a radiation emergency, can cause burns or radiation sickness. Symptoms of radiation sickness include nausea, weakness, hair loss, skin burns and reduced organ function. If the exposure is large enough, it can cause premature aging or even death. You may be able to take medicine to reduce the radioactive material in your body. Environmental Protection Agency National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Specifics Accidents at Nuclear Power Plants and Cancer Risk National Cancer Institute Acute Radiation Syndrome Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Cell Phones and Cancer Risk National Cancer Institute Consumer Products Containing Radioactive Materials Health Physics Society FDA Response to the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Facility Incident Food and Drug Administration Frequently Asked Questions about Cell Phones and Your Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Radiation Exposure from Medical Exams and Procedures Health Physics Society Radiation Exposure in X-Ray and CT Examinations Array Radiation from Cardiac Imaging Tests American Heart Association Related Issues Airport Screening Health Physics Society Cancer in People Exposed to Nuclear Weapons Testing American Cancer Society Food Irradiation: What You Need to Know Food and Drug Administration Nuclear Radiation and the Thyroid American Thyroid Association Radiation Exposure and Cancer American Cancer Society Find an Expert Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Environmental Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Radiation Exposure National Institutes of Health Start Here Contamination vs. Exposure Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Examples of Radiation-Emitting Products Food and Drug Administration Get the Facts about Radiation National Institutes of Health Radiation Basics Environmental Protection Agency Treatments and Therapies DTPA (Diethylenetriamine pentaacetate) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Filgrastim (Neupogen) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Frequently Asked Questions on Potassium Iodide (KI) Food and Drug Administration Potassium Iodide (“KI”): Instructions to Make Potassium Iodide Solution for Use During a Nuclear Emergency (Liquid Form) Food and Drug Administration Potassium Iodide (KI) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Prussian Blue Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Encyclopedia Hyperbaric oxygen therapy Journal Articles Ionizing radiation Radiation pollution Prevention and Risk Factors Radiation Protection Environmental Protection Agency Array Radiation sickness Children What Parents Should Know about Medical Radiation Safety Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging What You Should Know About Pediatric Nuclear Medicine and Radiation Safety Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging Women X-Rays, Pregnancy and You Food and Drug Administration
