Radiation Exposure. Learn More Related Issues Specifics. See, Play and Learn No links available. Research Clinical Trials Journal Articles. Resources Find an Expert. What is radiation? There are two types: Non-ionizing radiation, which includes radio waves, cell phones, microwaves, infrared radiation and visible light Ionizing radiation, which includes ultraviolet radiation, radon , x-rays , and gamma rays What are the sources of radiation exposure?
What are the health effects of radiation exposure? The amount of damage that exposure to radiation can cause depends on several factors, including The type of radiation The dose amount of radiation How you were exposed, such as through skin contact, swallowing or breathing it in, or having rays pass through your body Where the radiation concentrates in the body and how long it stays there How sensitive your body is to radiation.
A fetus is most vulnerable to the effects of radiation. Infants, children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems are more vulnerable to health effects than healthy adults. What are the treatments for acute radiation sickness? How can radiation exposure be prevented? There are steps you can take to prevent or reduce radiation exposure: If your health care provider recommends a test that uses radiation, ask about its risks and benefits.
In some cases, you may be able to have a different test that does not use radiation. But if you do need a test that uses radiation, do some research into the local imaging facilities. Find one that monitors and uses techniques to reduce the doses they are giving patients.
Reduce electromagnetic radiation exposure from your cell phone. At this time, scientific evidence has not found a link between cell phone use and health problems in humans. More research is needed to be sure.
But if you still have concerns, you can reduce how much time you spend on your phone. You can also use speaker mode or a headset to place more distance between your head and the cell phone. If you live in a house, test the radon levels, and if you need to, get a radon reduction system. Radiotherapy is generally considered the most effective cancer treatment after surgery, but how well it works varies from person to person.
Radiotherapy is usually given in hospital. You can usually go home soon after external radiotherapy, but you may need to stay in hospital for a few days if you have implants or radioisotope therapy. Most people have several treatment sessions, which are typically spread over the course of a few weeks. Read more about what happens during radiotherapy. Your doctor may suggest radiation therapy as an option at different times during your cancer treatment and for different reasons, including:.
Radiation therapy side effects depend on which part of your body is being exposed to radiation and how much radiation is used. You may experience no side effects, or you may experience several. Most side effects are temporary, can be controlled and generally disappear over time once treatment has ended. Some side effects may develop later. For example, in rare circumstances a new cancer second primary cancer that's different from the first one treated with radiation may develop years later.
Ask your doctor about potential side effects, both short and long term, that may occur after your treatment. Before you undergo external beam radiation therapy, your health care team guides you through a planning process to ensure that radiation reaches the precise spot in your body where it's needed. Planning typically includes:. After the planning process, your radiation therapy team decides what type of radiation and what dose you'll receive based on your type and stage of cancer, your general health, and the goals for your treatment.
The precise dose and focus of radiation beams used in your treatment is carefully planned to maximize the radiation to your cancer cells and minimize the harm to surrounding healthy tissue. During external beam radiation therapy, you're positioned on a table and a large machine moves around you sending beams of radiation into precise points in your body. External beam radiation therapy is usually conducted using a linear accelerator — a machine that directs high-energy beams of radiation into your body.
As you lie on a table, the linear accelerator moves around you to deliver radiation from several angles. The linear accelerator can be adjusted for your particular situation so that it delivers the precise dose of radiation your doctor has ordered. You typically receive external beam radiation on an outpatient basis five days a week over a certain period of time. In most instances, treatments are usually spread out over several weeks to allow your healthy cells to recover in between radiation therapy sessions.
Expect each treatment session to last approximately 10 to 30 minutes. In some cases, a single treatment may be used to help relieve pain or other symptoms associated with more-advanced cancers.
During a treatment session, you'll lie down in the position determined during your radiation simulation session. You might be positioned with molds to hold you in place. The linear accelerator machine may rotate around your body to reach the target from different directions.
The machine makes a buzzing sound.
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