Radon is a radioactive gas found in soil that is prevalent in the United States. Since radon is naturally occurring, every household can experience radon problems. Everyone must be aware of this radioactive gas because its adverse effects include increasing one’s risks of lung cancer. The World Health Organization confirmed that radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer next to smoking. WHO also stated that smokers have higher risks of lung cancer if they are also exposed to high radon levels. If you want to keep yourself safe from this cancer-causing gas, it is vital to learn the radon mitigation techniques you can apply to prevent radon poisoning and other problems.
What is Radon Poisoning?
Aside from cancer, radon can also cause radon poisoning. But what is it, and what does it do to your body?
Radon is the end product of radium decay. When large amounts of this gas enter your body, radon poisoning could occur, causing harmful physical changes. Some people experience radon problems without actually knowing it. This is because radon is a colorless, odorless, tasteless gas; therefore, it is challenging to detect the gas using human senses. Although radon poisoning does not cause severe health problems compared to other radioactive substances, long-term radon exposure can lead to the development of lung cancer.
Radon Poisoning Symptoms
Unless you conduct radon testing, you cannot detect radon at home. So how can you tell if there is radon poisoning? What are its symptoms?
The problem with radon poisoning is it is symptomless. So it’s hard to tell whether you are exposed to radon because it gives no meaningful indication of exposure. Besides being undetectable by human senses, it also does not produce any effects on the body. You’ll only know you’ve got radon problems once it has caused cellular changes to your body and, worse, lead to lung cancer. Therefore, everyone must take all the necessary precautions against radon exposure, especially if you are living in Zone 1 area. In this place, there are higher radon levels compared to other sites.
Lung Cancer Symptoms
Lung cancer is not only caused by smoking because long-term exposure to high radon levels can also cause it. That’s why you also have to be familiar with lung cancer symptoms because if you are not a smoker or have never been exposed to smoking and you start to feel the lung cancer symptoms, you need to consult a doctor immediately. Some of the signs you need to remember include coughing up blood, feeling chest pain, and experiencing breathing difficulties.
Radon is very harmful to human health because it can cause radon poisoning and lung cancer. Therefore, it is a must for every home to conduct radon testing to find out the radon levels in the house. This way, homeowners can apply the best mitigation technique to create a radon-resistant home. Since radon mainly accumulates in places where the ventilation is inadequate, it would be best to use radon reduction techniques to improve the ventilation inside your home. You may consider some DIY radon mitigation or entrust the job to a licensed radon contractor.
