Photo by Nicolas Raymond (freestock.ca)
Imagine going to the doctor, being pulled into a private room and quietly told you have lung cancer. Before the true brevity of that statement and the internal pain can set in, the doctor tells you that you have only about a year to two years left with your loved ones. He gives you a long speech about what might have happened, or where the cancer might have come from. Then he briefly touches on forms of treatment including chemo and surgery. Finally, he closes out the conversation with “I’m very sorry,” and warnings like “it’s time to get your life in order.”
It’s a scary prospect indeed, but it’s one that many people will go through at some point in their lives. The scariest part is that lung cancer has one of the highest mortality rates out of all forms of cancer. About 32%, or 32 out of every 100 people diagnosed with lung cancer will live for a year after they are diagnosed. Around 10%, or 10 out of every 100 will be lucky enough to live for about five years after being diagnosed. An even smaller percentage (5%) will live for up to ten years.
In other words, you don’t want to be diagnosed with lung cancer.
Radon Gas is Truly the Silent Killer
As is true of most forms of cancer, the severity of the disease depends on how soon it’s detected. Unfortunately, lung cancer is extremely difficult to detect in its early stages. By the time most patients diagnosed with lung cancer begin showing symptoms, it’s already too late – the disease has progressed beyond an entirely curable state.
Taking all of that into account, what if I told you that you could easily prevent this from ever happening to you? Sure, there are no guarantees especially considering some forms of cancer are genetic in nature. That said, you can definitely decrease the risk of contracting the disease. That’s important, because quite frankly who the hell doesn’t want to live a long, healthy life?
Smoking is the number one cause of lung cancer, but that’s obvious. The second leading cause of lung cancer in the United States – and many countries over – is from exposure to the silent killer, radon gas. Secondhand smoke exposure takes third place, believe it or not.
More than 20,000 Americans die each year thanks to radon induced lung cancer, and most of them have no clue they were even exposed to the silent killer. This is because radon gas is odorless, colorless and tasteless. It’s virtually indetectable, unless you have an exclusive radon testing kit. Luckily, they are pretty cheap and can be found at your local hardware store or online.
For all intents and purposes, radon gas truly is the silent killer and it could be lurking in your home.
Where Does the Silent Killer Radon Come From?
Radon seeps into a home from underneath the foundation, floors and walls. Elements such as Uranium – commonly found in soil and rock under the surface – release radioactive radon daughters or particles. These particles collect, forming what we refer to as radon gas. Once inhaled, the radon gas particles can get stuck to the inner linings of the lungs where they continue to undergo radioactive decay. This affects the cells in the body, turning them cancerous – or at least into the deadly form of cancer.
Since the elements that give off radon are common everywhere, radon gas can be a problem everywhere. It doesn’t matter what part of the United States you live, or what type of home you have. Single family homes, trailers and manufactured homes, apartments, highrise buildings, industrial buildings they can all be affected. If you run a business, even your business can be contaminated by radon gas.
You Could Be Living with the Silent Killer in Your Home, Test for Radon Today
You could have levels in your residence so high, that exposure is equal to smoking three packs of cigarettes a day, and yet not have any clue it’s there. The only way to discover whether or not radon is a problem is to test for it. You can test for it yourself with a DIY kit, or you can hire an experienced professional to test and explore the results with you. All that matters if you test your home.
Of course, if elevated levels are discovered above 4.0 pCi/L which is the recommended action limit as set by the U.S. EPA then you’ll need to have a mitigation system installed. It sounds complicated, but really it’s nothing more than a makeshift ventilation system that removes the radon gas from inside the home and vents it into the open air where it’s no longer hazardous (it disperses evenly so it’s not as concentrated).
You can find more information about testing, radon professionals, or just general radon stuff here at Radon Resources. If you have any questions feel free to email us, or you can head on over to the dedicated radon gas U.S. EPA page.
