The effects of nuclear radiation on health will depend on the time and degree of exposure to which the individual was subjected. The longer you are exposed, the greater the risk of developing disease, although a short time of exposure to a large amount of radiation can be fatal.
Nuclear radiation can cause 2 types of injuries in the body:
- Serious burns from exposure to alpha radiation, leaving the individual's skin totally damaged, since the cells can not withstand the heat emitted by the radiation;
- Cellular alterations as genetic mutations that can cause diseases like cancer in the case of contact with beta and gamma rays.
Other consequences of radiation exposure are bleeding, digestive problems, infections or autoimmune diseases .
If pregnant women are exposed to large amounts of radiation, fetuses during pregnancy may be genetically mutated or born prematurely with major malformations.
Radiation therapy, a form of treatment for cancer, is beneficial by exposing a small region to an exact amount of radiation, which leads to the death of cancer cells.
Useful link:
- Diseases Caused by Nuclear Radiation
