Understanding Radiation Sickness: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around radiation sickness (R.S.), exploring its causes, symptoms, and treatment. Participants examine the differences in R.S. caused by various types of radiation, particularly gamma rays and alpha rays, and the implications of acute radiation syndrome (ARS).

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether death by radiation is painful and seeks to understand differences in R.S. caused by gamma rays versus alpha rays.
  • Another participant explains that death from radiation is typically due to organ failure resulting from tissue death, with symptoms including emphysema, dehydration, and other severe effects.
  • A participant reflects on a historical case of radiation death, suggesting it indicates a slow and painful demise rather than a quick one.
  • Discussion includes details about Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS), noting that it requires a large dose of penetrating radiation over a short period, with the majority of the body exposed.
  • It is mentioned that a dose of 4-5 Sv is generally lethal to 50% of the population without medical intervention, with ARS causing death primarily through damage to bone marrow.
  • Participants discuss the differences in exposure effects between gamma rays and alpha rays, highlighting that gamma rays typically result in whole-body doses while alpha rays primarily affect skin and internal organs when ingested or inhaled.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of pain associated with radiation sickness and the specifics of how different types of radiation affect the body. There is no consensus on the overall experience of death from radiation exposure.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference specific doses and effects related to ARS, but the discussion does not resolve the complexities of individual experiences or the nuances of radiation types and their impacts.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying radiation effects, medical professionals dealing with radiation exposure, or individuals curious about the historical context of radiation sickness.

EinsteinII
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Hi,

Does death by radiation painful? Is there any difference in R.S. caused by gamma rays and alpha rays?
 
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The short answer is: yes. They don't die from radiation directly, they die from organ failure which happens as a result of organ tissue death. The specific symptoms may be wide-ranging, but they'll probably include things like emphysema, as the lung tissue dies, dehydration from vomiting and diarrhea (which messes up your electrolytes, which messes up your muscles and eventually your heart).


Here's a report of a radiation death in 1945:
http://members.tripod.com/~Arnold_Dion/Daghlian/sickness.html
 
Last edited:
Thank you for this information... After reading the whole thing (withdrawing the idea after suspecting super criticality). Does this mean he escaped a quick death and died a painful death?
 
EinsteinII said:
Thank you for this information... After reading the whole thing (withdrawing the idea after suspecting super criticality). Does this mean he escaped a quick death and died a painful death?

26 days of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and sloughing skin. It sure reads like a slow, painful death...
 
A couple of things to note:

Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) requires the following:
-Large dose of penetrating radiation
-Over a short period
-All or majority of the body must be exposed

Typically, we think that an exposure of 4-5 Sv (1 Sv = 100 rem) with no medical intervention will result in a Lethal Dose to 50% of the population. Note the the Sievert (Sv) is a unit of Dose Equivalent which is supposed to represent, in some way, the more damaging effects of certain types of radiation.

Typically, ARS causes death by damaging the bone marrow (sometimes called blood forming organs) which results in the internal bleeding and infections which kills the person.

Here are some links to information about Acute Radiation Syndrome:
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/Hbase/nucene/radexp.html#c1
http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/ars.asp
http://emergency.cdc.gov/radiation/arsphysicianfactsheet.asp
 
EinsteinII said:
Hi,

Is there any difference in R.S. caused by gamma rays and alpha rays?

With gammas, you're typically going to get a whole-body dose. With external exposure to alphas, pretty much all it can do is burn your skin, corneas, etc. Internal exposure to alphas is different -- that's what happened in the recent assassination of the Russian guy in London.
 

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