Radiation sickness is illness and symptoms resulting from excessive exposure to ionizing radiation.

There are two basic types of radiation: ionizing and nonionizing.

• Nonionizing radiation comes in the form of light, radio waves, microwaves and radar. This kind of radiation usually does not cause tissue damage.
• Ionizing radiation is radiation that produces immediate chemical effects on human tissue . X-rays, gamma rays, and particle bombardment (neutron beam, electron beam, protons, mesons, and others) give off ionizing radiation. This type of radiation can be used for medical testing and treatment, industrial and manufacturing purposes, weapons and weapons development, and more.

Radiation poisoning; radiation injury

Radiation sickness results when humans (or other animals) are exposed to very large doses of ionizing radiation.

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Radiation therapy

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Radiation sickness Symptoms

Review Date: 01/12/2011
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)