§What are the side effects of over-exposure to radiation? Are the side effects long term or short term?
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Each tissue of the body is more/less sensitive to radiation.  Each has a threshold where it is severely damaged and/or dies.\nHigh acute dosages result in damage to the nervous system and death follows shortly.  Symptoms include vomiting.\nA lesser dose will damage the crypt cells in the intestines (cells that reproduce a lot and replace those lost on a daily basis).  Over a 2 week (or so) period, the intestines will begin to develop holes as old cells are lost and new ones are not forthcoming.  The patient dies when the contents of the intestines move into the body cavity and massive infection sets in.\nA lesser dose (or where the patient survives the above) will kill the bone marrow cells which produce red blood cells.  Normal attrition of red blood cells (life span roughly 30 days) and the lack of replacement will result in death in roughly a month.  \nLesser doses can lead to other short term complications and in the long term cancer.  The outcome varies greatly on what organs received the radiation, in what amounts, for how long, etc.  Not as clear cut as higher dosages.
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Radiation therapy tends to kill the stem cells in the bone marrow, which can result in a weakned immune system and aplastic anemia (basically, your body doesn't produce enough red blood cells) since both red blood cells and immune cells are produced from stem cells in the bone marrow.  In some cases, this requires a bone marrow transplant, which, when sucessful, typically has minimal long-term consequences.\n\nRadiation can also weaken the bone itself.
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Side effects at high intakes (50–200 mg per day) appear to be acne (in over 50% of people), increased facial hair (18%), and increased perspiration (8%). \nSignificant increases in testosterone levels in both men and women have been reported in some trials.caused cancer in animals.
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The longer you hold a cell-phone/mobile phone to your head, the more exposure to radiation you receive.\n\nIts best to use the phone with respect, and use it no more than you need to.\n\nNo, I am not kidding you. All you have to do is use a search engine for "Cell phone radiation exposure". The younger you are the more risk. Parents should ever be holding a cell phone to an infant's head for this reason.
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http://www.burtonreport.com/InfForensic/HumanExperPlutonium.htm\n\n\nhttp://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/radiation/dir/mstreet/commeet/meet10/brief10/tab_i/br10i2j.txt
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The greatest threat of radioactivity to life as we know it is damage to the gene pool, the genetic make-up of all living species. Genetic damage from radiation exposure is cumulative over lifetimes and generations.\n\n     Some biomedical effects of radiation are well known. If the exposure is great enough, as it was for 200,000 people in Japan in 1945 and for the clean-up crew in Chernobyl, death can occur immediately or within days.\n\n     Even low-dose exposures are carcinogenic after extended exposure (Gofman 1990). The current generation, the one in utero, and all that follow may suffer cancers, immune system damage, leukemias, miscarriages, stillbirths, deformities, and fertility problems. While many of these health problems are on the rise, individuals cannot prove either increase in "background" radiation or specific exposure as the cause. Only epidemiological evidence is scientifically acceptable to impute cause. Perhaps the most extreme outcome over time would be simply the wholesale cessation of the ability to reproduce. Radiation is a known cause of sterility (Gofman 1981).\n\n     The quality of life of vast numbers of us may be affected by the increased burden of radioactivity we all bear. Many victims of radiation sickness do not show up in the statistics because the kind of symptoms experienced, while disabling, are not as significant as childhood leukemia, or stillbirths, or cancer, or birth defects. Nevertheless, lives of countless people have been affected by radiation exposure.\n\n     Beyond the physiological effects, the mental and emotional consequences of the trauma of exposure to invisible environmental contaminants in general, and radioactivity in particular, has been documented (Vyner 1988). One can only speculate about the spiritual consequences (Schell 1982; Lynch 1995).\n\n     "Background radiation" is a measurement of the accumulated radioactivity in the atmosphere from all sources combined: the sun, the earth, and all man-made explosions, leaks, accidents, purposeful ventings, and dumpings. The term, however, implies naturally occurring radiation is of no real concern. But before the Atomic Age there were no comprehensive measurements of naturally occurring radiation, so the use of this term obscures the reality that we already live in a contaminated world, and that radiation's effects are cumulative and irreversible.
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In low single doses (200 to 400 mg) and daily doses of up to 1,200 mg the incidence of side effects is low. However, in patients treated on a long-term basis with more than 1,200 mg daily discontinuation rates are as high as 10 to 15%.This includes smoking, injecting or any form of absorption.\n\nCommon adverse effects include: nausea, dyspepsia, gastrointestinal ulceration/bleeding, raised liver enzymes, diarrhoea, headache, dizziness, salt and fluid retention, hypertension.\n\nInfrequent adverse effects include: oesophageal ulceration, heart failure, hyperkalaemia, renal impairment, confusion, bronchospasm, rash
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Generally, high energy radiation causes cell deaths.  With extremely high doses, enough of your bodies cells die that you die.  With sub-fatal doses, you can still have large numbers of cells die in  your body, or sometimes the radiation will knock atoms off of molecules in your cell's nucleus, specifically in the DNA.  If this happens, than any type of mutation is possible, since DNA is highly specific.  The most common mutation will be that the cell is unable to divide, and so it will not pass on the mutation.  The second most common mutation is that the cell overproduces, which we call cancer.
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(m)\n\nEnergy in the form of electromagnetic waves or particles capable of damaging cells by removing electrons from atoms or molecules. This damage can lead to cancer or other defects.
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There are risks associated with working in almost any field. It's all about managing risk.\n\nIn radiology, if you don't manage the risks of working with radiation, then there could conditions associated with radiation overexposure. But the effects depend upon the degree of exposure.\n\nBut if you manage the risks by following safety procedures as any trained professional would, the danger is almost nil! And don't worry...you will be able to have as many babies as nature will allow. \n\nIf you are thinking of working radiology, don't be afraid. There are many excellent safety protocols, and you'll do society a lot of good!
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If you are really interested in this topic, I recommend reading "The Plutonium Files," a recently published book. It reports on the negative health effects of uranium and plutonium, specifically the results of secret tests performed on civilian citizens and members of the military, by our government. (Almost all of whom were unaware they had unwittingly become guinea pigs.) Very interesting and informative.
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You should read the link provided below.  You are only "radioactive" for a short time after you take an iodine pill.  And, as always, you can ask your doctor or even the nuclear medicine technologist any questions you have.  There are no dumb questions.....\n\nWhat To Expect After Treatment \n\nA few days after treatment, the radioactive iodine will clear out of your body in your urine. Drinking plenty of fluids during this time will help your body get rid of the radioactivity. To avoid exposing other people to radioactivity, it is important to take the following precautions for the first 5 days after your treatment:\n\nAvoid spending a lot of time around others, especially children and pregnant women. \nDo not sit next to someone in a motor vehicle for more than 1 hour. \nAvoid kissing or sexual intercourse. \nSleep alone in a separate room. \nUse separate towels, washcloths, and sheets. Wash these and your personal clothing separately for 1 week. \nTo further reduce the chance of exposing other people to radioactivity:\n\nWash your hands with soap and lots of water each time you use the toilet. \nKeep the toilet very clean. Men should urinate sitting down to avoid splashing. Also, flush the toilet two or three times after each use. \nRinse the bathroom sink and tub thoroughly after you use them. \nUse separate (or disposable) eating utensils for the first few days, and wash them separately.  http://www.webmd.com/hw/thyroid_disorders/hw148148.asp
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- we receive gamma rays (from space) all the time\n- they easily go through matter (because they interact little with it) but the odd photon will interact with matter within our body\n- when the interaction takes place, an atom can for example be ionised, secondary radiation can be emitted, etc\n- the effects can vary between barely noticeable, to some chemical gets modified, to the DNA gets hit.  In the worst cases the affected cell would possibly die, and get eliminated.  Our bodies are used to this, because life evolved on Earth and gamma rays from space were always there\n- if there are too intense gamma rays, these effects will become important, to the point that visible regions of a body part can become affected. The body then attempts to heal (as in the case of any other wound) but when the damage is spread enough the body has difficulty to heal, and the damaged area can suffer anything ranging from infections, to permanent damage, to cancer\n- obviously exposure to very intense gamma rays would kill the person by destroying so much internal tissue, that too many organs would fail jointly
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Radiowaves do hardly anything. No harm\nMicrowaves and infrared heat your body\nVisible light makes you visible and psychological healthy.\nUltraviolet can make you blind.\nX- and gamma rays go throught your body and make damage.\nFrom up to down, the more dangerous.\n\nFor all EMW: the more intensity, the more dangerous.\nthe more time of radiation, the more dangerous.\nThe closer to the source of the radiation, the more dangerous.
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If it were not for concerns about the health effects of\nradiation, nuclear energy would have developed quite\ndifferently.\nRadiation is not new. Although it was discovered and\nnamed as recently as 1896, we and our ancestors have\nlived with it since the beginning of time. The earth is\nnaturally radioactive, so is the air we breathe, the\nfood we eat and the ground we stand on. It is only\nwhen we are subjected to relatively large doses of\nradiation that it becomes a danger to life or health.\nModern science has allowed us to develop safe ways\nof using radiation, and of exploiting its properties for\nthe benefit of mankind. Many valuable applications\nhave been developed:\n􀁺 nuclear medicine, especially the use of X-rays\n􀁺 use of radiation to develop drugs for people with\ndiabetes, arthritis or high blood pressure\ntreatment of car tyres with radioactive materials to\nmake them more durable and puncture-resistant\nradioactive sources in photocopiers to stop the\npaper sticking together.\nThese are just a few examples. We benefit from a\nlarge range of products and services made possible by\nradioactive materials, often without even realising it.\nEverything in the world, from the air we breathe to\nthe cars we drive, is made up of atoms\nSome atoms are ‘stable’ – an ordinary carbon atom,\nwith six protons and six neutrons, will stay that way\nuntil the end of the universe unless something\ndramatic happens to it, such as being absorbed by the\nsun. Others are unstable – for example, their nuclei\nmay be too big to hold together – so they shake off\nparticles and surplus energy from their nucleus until\nthey become stable. The process of shaking off these\nparticles and energy is called ‘radioactivity’, and the\nparticles and energy which are released are known as\n‘nuclear radiation’. The process is often called\n‘radioactive decay’, since over time the radioactive\nmaterial breaks up and changes into other more stable\natoms, sometimes through several radioactive\nintermediate stages. The process can take fractions of\na second or billions of years depending on the\nradioactive material involved, but in each case the\nradioactivity of the material falls steadily.\nThere are different types of radiation, and not all\ninvolve radioactive decay. The type of radiation we\nare looking at in this booklet is ‘ionising radiation’,\nand includes artificially made X-rays (which do not\narise from radioactive decay). When this type of\nradiation bumps into other matter, it produces\nelectrically charged particles, known as ‘ions’.\nIonisation causes chemical changes in materials, and\ncan affect our bodies as well as the things around us.\nIn high quantities, ionising radiation can damage\nliving tissue and even destroy human cells. This can\nbe beneficial in some circumstances – for example,\nradiotherapy is used in the treatment of cancer, the\nradiation being used to kill cancerous cells, leaving\nother cells nearby relatively unharmed. In this sense,\nradiation is rather like a surgeon’s scalpel. Usedcarefully it can provide many benefits and can enable\nus to live longer, healthier, more comfortable lives,\nalthough it can be dangerous if misused.\nWhen we refer elsewhere in this booklet to ‘radiation’\nwe mean ionising radiation. However, there are nonionising\nradiations, such as low energy\nelectromagnetic radiation (which includes light, infrared,\nradio waves and electrical and magnetic fields\nfrom power pylons), which are not normally\ndangerous.\nThere are several types of ionising radiation, of which\nthe most important are:\n􀁺 α (alpha): streams of atomic particles (helium\nnuclei) made up of two protons and two neutrons\nwith a positive charge (+2). By atomic standards\nthese are quite big chunks of matter, so they are\nvery easily stopped. They cannot pass through\npaper, for example, or through the dead outer layer\nof our skin. However, if materials emitting alpha
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I would talk to my oncologist about this, but here is some information I found:\n\nEach time radiation therapy is delivered, small amounts are absorbed by the skin over the area being treated. Over time, redness and irritation similar to a sunburn may occur. Because of this, it is necessary for all patients receiving radiation therapy to take special measures to protect their skin from any additional damage due to exposure to the sun. Although all exposed skin is at risk, of greatest concern is any skin in the area being treated. \nEven after treatment is completed, it will be necessary for you to follow some important steps to minimize exposure to the sun for a period of time.  http://www.oncolink.upenn.edu/experts/article.cfm?c=1&s=5&ss=6&id=1042  there are tips on how to avoid sun exposure here.
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IF YOU DON'T BLOW UP THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOU'LL BE A MILLIONAIRE \nSERIOUSLY HOW MUCH RADIATION WOULD HAPPEN