When discussing the dangers of radon, it’s easy to dismiss the problem as being relevant only to homeowners. The reality – or gravity of the situation if you want to be more specific – is that most people, including homeowners have absolutely no idea what radon is or what dangers its presence poses.
Breathing Easier, Eliminate Air Pollution in Your Home
Image by Iowa Cancer Consortium
Awareness is a big thing when it comes to preventing problems like this. Carbon monoxide is talked about often, so a lot of people know about it – but radon is actually an even bigger problem. When you go to a physician or various health based websites there are a lot of mentions of other dangers in the home, but somehow radon is often overlooked.
Believe it or not, if more physicians know about the problem and are aware of its dangers they can make recommendations to patients. Radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer, which has an extremely high mortality rate. This is because by the time patients show symptoms of lung cancer, its passed beyond a curable state.
The problem can be prevented easily and by using fairly expensive means like a mitigation system if a high levels are identified. That is the biggest issue, most people are unaware there’s even a problem in their home until its too late. There are so many stories about the families of patients researching radon after a loved one has already been diagnosed with lung cancer, or worse.
Breathing Easier, Informational Video About Radon for Physicians
This video from the Iowa Cancer Consortium aims to raise the awareness about radon and bring attention to the problem by educating any and all physicians across the country.
The official page for the video provides lots of detailed information about the dangers of radon including a whole slew of case studies about the problems associated with the deadly gas an its link to lung cancer.
Also, on the site there are several printable flyers that provide information about radon. It’s a good idea to hang them around your office if your a physician, or simply pass them out to doctors if you’re a patient. The more people that know about radon, the more lives will be saved from the terrible disease of lung cancer.
It goes without saying, if you haven’t already had your home or business tested for the presence of radon do it as soon as possible. It takes time to test, as the air sample must be collected over an extended period of time, and then it also takes time to send the test results to the lab and receive them back. Just think, you could be exposed to high levels of radon during that period, all the while increasing your risk of lung cancer.
