Radiation Sickness

Radiation sickness, also known as acute radiation syndrome (ARS) or “radiation poisoning,” is a life-threatening condition that results from prolonged or significant exposure to ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is energy used to generate power in manufacturing, industrial and military settings. It’s used in small doses for some medical procedures.

Radiation sickness is generally associated with acute (sudden and severe) exposure, like from a nuclear power plant accident. Its severity depends on:

• The amount of radiation your body absorbs (measured in units called Gray, or Gy).
• How long you were exposed.
• If all or a certain part of your body was exposed.

Exposure to a high, single dose over minutes to hours is more damaging than several smaller doses given over weeks or months to a small area of your body (such as with radiation therapy for cancer). Large doses of ionizing radiation can lead to death within hours or several months after exposure.