Chronic radiation sickness is a disease caused by prolonged exposure to small doses of radioactive radiation. The main causes of radiation sickness can be both the external effects of ionizing radiation, and the result of the entry into the body of certain radioactive substances (uranium, radioactive cesium, iodine, etc.).
The main risk group is people whose professions are directly related to radiation. These are x-ray physicians, radio technicians, X-ray technicians, as well as people directly working with radioactive substances, etc.
Symptoms of chronic radiation sickness
The main characteristic of this disease, as already mentioned, is the long exposure to ion radiation to which various human organs are exposed. The development of radiation sickness has a prolonged undulating course. In the course of the development of the disease, four stages are set, each of which has its own symptoms:
- At the beginning of the disease, symptoms are mild. Most often they are manifested in increased fatigue, loss of appetite, a general decrease in vitality, increased sweating, pallor of the skin. Usually, after the source of radiation is eliminated, the symptoms disappear, and almost complete recovery of health occurs.
- In the second stage, there is an increase in the existing symptoms, especially those associated with the cardiovascular and nervous system. Headaches are aggravated, weight loss begins, problems with memory and sleep, decreased sexual desire. The blood composition also changes. Externally, the symptoms are manifested in dryness, itching and flaking of the skin, swelling of the mucous membranes, the appearance of allergic blepharoconjunctivitis.
- In this period of radiation sickness, the most profound organic changes occur. There are bleeding, sepsis , hemorrhagic syndrome, metabolic processes are disrupted.
- At the fourth stage, the work of most organs is disrupted, which leads to a fatal outcome. At present, this stage
is conditional; Chronic radiation sickness is diagnosed at earlier manifestations.
Treatment of chronic radiation sickness
Treatment of chronic radiation sickness begins in the complete exclusion of possible ionic effects, withdrawal of symptoms and maintenance therapy with the use of physiotherapeutic procedures. A person with this diagnosis can be referred to a sanatorium-resort treatment with a 15M or 11B dietary table (high content of protein and vitamins). With more severe manifestations, antibiotics and hormone-containing drugs may be used.