Did you know, we are all exposed to small amounts of radiation? When we fly, to when we get medical treatments, in fact whenever we leave our houses! Small levels of ionising radiation, which can come from both natural and artificial sources, are generally harmless as the body is able to respond to them. However, when higher doses of radiationexposure are involved, serious illnesses, diseases or injuries can occur. When we hear radiationpoisoning we may think of the terrible accidents such as Chernobyl or, more recently, Fukushima.
To put exposure levels in to some sort of context:
Over the course of one year, we are all naturally exposed to 2.00 millisievert (mSV) of radiation. Normal x-rays expose you to small percentages of that figure and some CT scans exposes you up to 16.00 mSV of radiation. An airline crew flying the New York to Tokyo polar route with endure exposure of radiation up to 9.00 mSv.
By contrast, Chernobyl (1986) and the Fukushima plant (2011) created exposures to radiation with readings of up to 400.00 mSv. A single dosage provided by radiation exposure which would cause radiation sickness, including nausea, lower white blood cell count but not likely to result in fatality would register at 1,000.00 mSV. Up to ten times that amount of radiationexposure would give you a matter of weeks to live.
SOURCES: WNA, REUTERS, RADIOLOGYINFO.ORG
The Guardian – accumulated information from the WNA, news agency reports and medical info site Radiologyinfo.org.
Radiation exposure can result in Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS) or Chronic Radiation Syndrome. ARS, also known as radiation sickness or radiationpoisoning, is a serious illness that can happen when a person is exposed to very high levels of radiation, usually over a short period of time. The symptoms can begin within one or two hours and may last for several months. Chronic RadiationSyndrome occurs when the exposure is long term, often over months or years. This may not produce serious radiation sickness, but it can cause long term illnesses like cancer and leukaemia.
Symptoms of mild radiation exposure may include:
Nausea
Fatigue
Vomiting
Loss of appetite
Abdominal pain
Dizziness and disorientation
For many people radiation sickness may never be a concern, but for workers in healthcare settings, in nuclear plants and in research institutions, the possibility of exposure to radiation causing illness can be very real.
As you would hope, there are strict regulations concerning the management of radiation, so few opportunities for radiationexposure exist. These regulations are enforced by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and set out in The Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999 and the associated Approved Code of Practice. However there are occupation specific devices and machines that emit radiation, so where machines are defective, or where improper protection is issued, employees run the risk of low level, chronic radiation exposure. Also, in rare events, nuclear explosions and the escape of radioactive waste can cause high intensity, acute radiation exposure, which is often fatal. In any of these cases if an employer has deviated from the recommended guidelines and legislation, and you’ve fallen ill as a result, then you may be entitled to make a radiationsickness claim for compensation.
What to do if you Believe you are Suffering from Radiation Exposure
It is important to seek medical advice as soon as possible; blood tests can be used to help determine how serious the exposure has been, and the doctor can also note how quickly symptoms have appeared after radiation exposure and the nature of those symptoms. If you have any evidence to support the radiation exposure it is important to keep this, along with receipts for any expenses you may have incurred as a result of your illness such as prescription or travel costs.
We Can Help
If you, a friend or a member of your family, have suffered due to exposure toradiation then you may be entitled to make a personal injury compensation claim. Our friendly specialist advisors can talk to you about your situation and see if you have a valid compensation claim. There is no charge for this service and you are under no obligation to claim with us.
If you have a Genuine Claim, Contact a Genuine Company.
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If you’ve had an accident that wasn’t your fault and suffered an injury - you can trust us to handle your claim professionally.
Call us now on 0800 756 7774 and talk to us to find out if you have a claim - or fill in our Quick Claim form (on the right of this page).
http://info.mayiclaim.co.uk/personal_injury_compensation_claim_news/bid/315455/How-much-radiation-exposure-do-you-encounter-everyday
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