Can i get radiation from another person

Iodine is one of the most common radioactive substances released in a nuclear accident like in Japan. Iodine is a radioactive form of iodine and is harmful since, if absorbed in the thyroid, it can cause thyroid cancer.

Taking potassium-iodide pills before exposure can saturate the body with regular, stable iodine, preventing the absorption of Iodine This protective effect lasts for about one day. Therefore, in case of risk of exposure of Iodine, one has to take potassium-iodide pills once per day. There are possible side effects of potassium-iodide, so people are not recommended to take it unless they are in a region where exposure to Iodine is suspected. Exposure to radiation can damage living cells, including possible damage to DNA.

In some circumstances, this can lead to the development of cancers, in which some cells start to reproduce themselves uncontrollably. Radiation is energy. It travels in the form of energy waves or high-speed particles. Radiation can occur naturally or be man-made. There are two types:. Background radiation is all around us all the time. Most of it forms naturally from minerals. These radioactive minerals are in the ground, soil, water, and even our bodies. Background radiation can also come from outer space and the sun.

Other sources are man-made, such as x-rays, radiation therapy to treat cancer, and electrical power lines. Radiation has been around us throughout our evolution. So our bodies are designed to deal with the low levels we're exposed to every day. But too much radiation can damage tissues by changing cell structure and damaging DNA. This can cause serious health problems, including cancer. Being exposed to a lot of radiation over a short period of time, such as from a radiation emergency , can cause skin burns.

It may also lead to acute radiation syndrome ARS, or "radiation sickness". The symptoms of ARS include headache and diarrhea. They usually start within hours. Those symptoms will go away and the person will seem healthy for a little while. But then they will get sick again.

How soon they get sick again, which symptoms they have, and how sick they get depends on the amount of radiation they received. In some cases, ARS causes death in the following days or weeks. Exposure to low levels of radiation in the environment does not cause immediate health effects. But it can slightly increase your overall risk of cancer. Radioactive contamination occurs when radioactive material is deposited on or in an object or a person. Radioactive materials released into the environment can cause air, water, surfaces, soil, plants, buildings, people, or animals to become contaminated.

A contaminated person has radioactive materials on or inside their body. People who are externally contaminated with radioactive material can contaminate other people or surfaces that they touch. For example, people who have radioactive dust on their clothing may spread the radioactive dust when they sit in chairs or hug other people.

People who are internally contaminated can expose people near them to radiation from the radioactive material inside their bodies. The body fluids blood, sweat, urine of an internally contaminated person can contain radioactive materials.

People who are externally contaminated can become internally contaminated if radioactive material gets into their bodies. Radioactive materials give off a form of energy that travels in waves or particles. This energy is called radiation. When a person is exposed to radiation, the energy penetrates the body. For example, when a person has an x-ray, he or she is exposed to radiation. People who are externally contaminated can spread the contamination by touching surfaces, sitting in a chair, or even walking through a house.