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Radiation sickness is "a systemic condition caused by substantial whole-body irradiation, seen after nuclear explosions or accidents, rarely after radiotherapy.

Radiation sickness, also known as radiation poisoning or acute radiation syndrome ( ARS ) is a form of damage to organ tissue caused by excessive exposure to ionizing radiation. It is injury to the body caused by a very large dose of radiation often received over a short period of time (acute). The amount of radiation absorbed by the body determines how sick the person will be.

Exposure to radiation can cause devastating damage to the immune system and to the tissues of the body. Radiation exposure can also increase the probability of developing some other diseases, mainly cancer, tumors, and genetic damage.

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary:

Radiation sickness is "a systemic condition caused by substantial whole-body irradiation, seen after nuclear explosions or accidents, rarely after radiotherapy. Manifestations depend on dosage, ranging from anorexia, nausea, vomiting, and mild leukopenia, to thrombocytopenia with hemorrhage, severe leukopenia with infection, anemia, central nervous system damage, and death."

Common exposures to low-dose radiation, such as X-ray or CT examinations, do not cause radiation sickness.

Radiation sickness is serious and often fatal, however, it is rare. Since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, during World War II, most cases of radiation sickness have happened after nuclear industrial accidents, such as the 1986 nuclear reactor accident at a power station in Chernobyl, Ukraine.

Chronic radiation syndrome requires a prolonged high level of exposure. It does exist but is very uncommon; this has been observed among workers in early radium source production sites and in the early days of the Soviet nuclear program.

What are the signs and symptoms of radiation sickness?

A symptom is something the patient senses and describes, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor notice. For example, drowsiness may be a symptom while dilated pupils may be a sign.

The amount of time between exposure to radiation and the onset of the initial symptoms may indicate how much radiation was absorbed. Symptoms appear sooner with higher doses of exposure. The symptoms of radiation sickness become more serious and the chance of survival decreases as the dosage of radiation increases. The severity of signs and symptoms of radiation sickness depends on how much radiation has been absorbed. How much was absorbed depends on the strength of the radiated energy and the distance from the source of the radiation.

There are many symptoms of radiation sickness, and their severity varies greatly depending on the dosage.

Source: Medical News today