Recognizing the Symptoms of Radon Exposure

What Are the Symptoms of Radon Exposure? 

With so much news circulating in recent years about radon, most people are familiar that radon is a naturally occurring gas found in many homes and buildings. It is odorless, colorless, and tasteless and can be present in any environment. If exposed to it constantly and at high levels, it can cause a variety of symptoms including: 
 
•    Shortness of breath (difficulty in breathing) 
•    Constant or worsening cough 
•    Hoarseness or trouble swallowing 
•    Coughing up blood, Nosebleeds
•    Pain or tightness in the chest 
•    Frequency of bronchitis or pneumonia

Most individuals are exposed to radon in their homes, schools, and even commercial places. After making its way into a structure through fractures and other openings in the foundation, radon gas can spread throughout the interior.

There are no immediate signs but knowing these common symptoms of radon exposure is important for diagnosing the problem early and taking corrective action to reduce your risk of developing serious health issues such as cardiovascular diseases or even worse -- lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, there is an increase of radon-related deaths that involve non-smokers. It is highly suggested in recent studies that if you smoke, and you’ve been exposed to high levels of radon, it’s important to consider quitting smoking. 

  
Radon can be managed and controlled using strategies that have been demonstrated to be both cost-efficient and effective. The best-known first preventive solution is having your home tested to see what your radon levels are. If a community with known high levels of radon made deliberate efforts to reduce their radon levels to below 4 pCi/L, this could cut the number of radon-caused deaths down to between 2 to 4% and is an estimate of 5,000 deaths in a year. 
Let’s start protecting our homes and loved ones from high radon exposure. Give your local National Radon Defense dealer a call today.