Radon Problems At Home: The Signs And Health Risks
Radon, a cancer-causing radioactive gas, is colorless, odorless and tasteless, but can cause problems in your home. This gas, when inhaled into the lungs, can cause damage to your DNA, increasing the cancer risk. It is the second leading cause of cancer in the United States that has a death toll of 20,000 per year.
It has been found that at least one in three homes checked in seven states had very high levels of radon gas, way beyond the safe limit. Radon gas emits the same alpha radiation as plutonium. It has a death risk of approximately one in a hundred at a quantity of 4pCi/L. Scientists do note that there are no “safe levels” for Radon gas.
Radon gas is everywhere; the question is how much? If you are looking for premium services on radon measurements for your home, Radonova, one of the global leaders in radon measurement can ultimately help you out. Using technology to make your home safer and healthier is not just a trend nowadays, it has become a necessity. Measuring how much radon is present in your home is key to health risk prevention.
How Does Radon Gas Penetrate my Home?
There are many means that radon gas can infiltrate your home. This gas can seep through the cracks on your floor, through foundation cracks and other openings. There is also a risk of radon gas entering your home if your water source comes from the underground. Gas can enter your water pipes and go into your home through your everyday use of your faucet.
High levels of radon gas in your home can be deadly, here are a few signs and health risks that show radon levels in your home are already harmful to you and your family:
The Health Risks
Radon gas quickly decays into radioactive particles that you can inhale and get trapped in your lungs. As these particles rot, tiny energy blasts from them that can eventually damage lung tissues. However, not everyone who is exposed to high levels of radon gas will develop lung cancer, the length of time between the exposure and the development of the disease can be years.
Smokers and Radon Gas Exposure
Smoking, combined with Radon gas exposure is a severe health risk. The risk of getting lung cancer if you are a smoker and has been exposed to radon gas over your lifetime is double to that of non-smokers.
Common Symptoms of Radon Gas Exposure:
1. Cough, Shortness of Breath or Wheezing
Radon poisoning cannot be detected and no treatment has been developed to clear it out of your system. It will start as a cough that won’t go away, shortness of breath and wheezing. A lot of people will shrug it off as something normal but if it still does not go away after taking medication to consult your doctor immediately and have your home measured for gas levels.
2. Coughing Out blood and Lung infection and Early Signs of Lung Cancer
These symptoms come out after prolonged exposure to radon gas throughout years. If you are experiencing these severe signs or exposure, see to it that your house is fixed and seek medical help immediately.
Reducing Radon Levels in Your Home
If the radon levels in your home exceed the stated 4pCi/L level, you need to take quick action on how to reduce it on your home as soon as possible. This may disappear over time due to radioactive decay but having elevated levels in your home should be a call for you to get some work done. Spending the money and giving time is fairly better than suffering from the prolonged effects of the gas exposure.
There’s a lot of removal systems available in the market, and these have been proven effective in removing up to 99% of the radon from home. Contact a mitigation specialist to help you in making a concrete plan on reducing its levels in your home.
Radon is a common problem with serious health risks, but with proper and immediate action, these risks can be avoided rewarding you with peace of mind and good health knowing the air quality in your home.
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