Radon is a silent but deadly gas that may enter your house via gaps and cracks in its foundation. While it can not be seen or smelled, inhaling this radioactive gas can put you at risk of developing lung cancer and other non-cancerous lung diseases. 

Therefore, it’s crucial to understand radon symptoms that may arise after prolonged exposure to this gas. This article explains it all in detail, along with its risk factors and some effective radon mitigation strategies.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that forms when uranium decays in soil, water, and rock. It is colorless, odorless, and tasteless, which makes it particularly dangerous as it can accumulate inside your home without any warning signs. Therefore, you may be exposed to it for years without realizing it. 

Radon primarily affects your major respiratory organ - the lungs. Being a gas, its particles get trapped inside your lungs as you inhale it, which may lead to many lung diseases, including:

• Lung Cancer: Radon exposure is considered the second leading cause of lung cancer, causing 21,000 deaths annually. This disease is characterized by uncontrolled cell division in your lungs, leading to the formation of tumors and masses.

• Emphysema: It is a progressive lung disease that causes over-inflation of alveoli (air sacs). Simultaneously, the lung tissue involved in the exchange of gases is also impaired, decreasing its surface area. This leads to difficulty in breathing - a common emphysema symptom. 

• Chronic Interstitial Pneumonia: It’s not a single disease but encompasses a group of lung conditions that affect the interstitium and the tissue and space around your lungs’ air sacs. Commonly, there is scarring of the lung tissue, which can lead to stiff lungs and reduced oxygen transfer. 

• Pulmonary Fibrosis: This disease also involves scarring of lung tissue, which makes the lungs stiff and thick. Due to this, its ability to transport oxygen into the bloodstream is highly affected. Pulmonary fibrosis is an irreversible and progressive disease.

However, it takes around two decades of inhaling radon to develop lung cancer. Similarly, other non-cancerous respiratory diseases are also caused as a result of long-term exposure to this radioactive gas. 

There are multiple environmental and lifestyle factors that might put you at higher risk of developing lung cancer and other chronic diseases due to radon exposure. These include: 

• People with Prolonged Radon Exposure: If you inhale radon for several years without knowing, you are most likely to develop respiratory diseases. For example, at a radon level of 4 pCi/L, about 7 out of 1,000 individuals can get lung cancer. While at 20 pCi/L, this figure increases to 36 people. This evaluation by the EPA is based on non-smokers.

• Children: Children have a faster breathing rate, while their lung size and shape are also different than that of adults. Due to this variation, they may inhale higher concentrations of radon. Therefore, the risk of lung cancer in children may be almost twice as high as for adults exposed to the same amount of this radioactive gas.

• Miners and Other Occupations: Miners who work around the uranium, tin, coal, and silver mines are also at higher risk of radon exposure. This extends to other occupations as well, such as workers in excavations, fish hatcheries, health mines and spas, hospitals, and natural caverns​.

• Smokers: Smoking itself is the leading cause of lung cancer. It, when combined with prolonged radon exposure, can double the chances of developing this life-threatening disease.

Radon exposure can lead to a number of health issues. However, its major target is your lungs since you inhale the gas. Let’s have a look at some of the symptoms that indicate you might have been exposed to radon for a long time: 

• Persistent cough

• Sore throat

• Hoarseness (raspy or strained voice) 

• Wheezing (whistling sound when breathing)

• Shortness of breath

• Coughing up blood

• Chest pain

• Frequent infections like bronchitis and pneumonia

• Loss of appetite

• Weight loss

• Fatigue

However, radon poisoning symptoms do not appear immediately upon inhaling it, and there are no warning signs as well. In fact, it can take around 20 years of radon exposure for lung cancer to develop. Oftentimes, there are no signs until the cancer has progressed to its last stage. 

There is no specific medical procedure to determine whether your lungs have been exposed to radon or not. However, you can schedule a radon test to monitor the concentration of this radioactive gas in your home. If high, it’s essential to implement radon mitigation strategies.

Besides that, you should also consult a doctor. They may recommend a lung function test or chest X-ray to detect any anomalies in your lungs. Lung cancers or related diseases are easier to treat when detected at an early stage. And since radon symptoms do not show up until the cancer progresses to its last stage, these tests can help a lot.  

Minimizing radon levels is crucial due to the health risks associated with its long-term exposure. To start with, you must implement continuous testing of this radioactive gas in your house, as it can fluctuate widely due to multiple factors. These precisely include local geology, building foundation type, weather conditions, etc. 

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, radon levels must be between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L, while anything above it is considered extremely dangerous. Here are some radon mitigation strategies you can implement if its higher levels are detected: 

Install Radon Reduction System: While there are multiple systems that can help with radon reduction, soil depressurization is the most common one. It involves a fan that pulls radon from your house and releases it into the atmosphere via a vent pipe. Not only is this system highly effective against radon, but it also does not require major changes to your home.  

Consult a Professional Service Provider: Sometimes, your home may require a different solution based on its design, foundation type, and tested radon levels. In this case, consulting a qualified radon mitigation contractor can help as they offer tailored services. 

Seal Cracks and Gaps: Radon can leak in your home through cracks and gaps in the building’s foundation. Therefore, sealing such spaces is crucial to eliminate the entry of this radioactive gas. You can use polyurethane caulk or epoxy for this purpose. 

Promote Natural Ventilation: Although a temporary solution, opening windows and using fans or vents can really help with bringing down high radon levels. This step dilutes the radon-containing indoor air with clean outdoor air.