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The ADVANCE, January 10,2024/Page 13A
January is...
National Radon
Action Month
A brief rundown on radon
Radon is a naturally
occurring radioactive gas.
The United States Environ
mental Protection Agency
notes that radon disperses
rapidly outdoors, which
makes it a generally innoc
uous gas. However, radon
can become trapped in
doors, and it's in those in
stances when the gas poses
a potentially significant
threat.
How does radon get
inside?
The EPA notes that
radon can enter buildings
through cracks and other
holes in the foundation.
When that occurs, radon
can become trapped in
doors.
Why is radon a threat to
human health?
When exposed to ra
don over time, people's risk
for lung cancer increases.
In fact, the EPA reports
that radon exposure is the
second leading cause of
lung cancer in the United
States. According to the
Government of Canada,
radon gas breaks down
and forms radioactive ele
ments, which can then be
inhaled into the lungs. The
breakdown of radon con
tinues in the lungs, where
radioactive particles re
lease small bursts of ener
gy. That energy is absorbed
by lung tissue, contributing
to damage in the cells of
the lungs that can increase
cancer risk.
How do I know if I'm
being exposed to radon
inside?
Home radon test kits
can be very effective at
determining if radon is en
tering a home. These tests
are inexpensive, but indi
viduals who want a second
opinion also can hire a cer
tified radon measurement
firm to test their properties.
If levels are determined to
be high, contact a radon
Debunking some
myths about radon
Reality: Radon levels
vary from home to home.
A neighboring home that
is mere feet away from
your own may have low
radon levels, but that does
not mean the homes sur
rounding it do as well.
The EPA notes that testing
is the only way to deter
mine if a home has a radon
problem.
Myth: Homes with
radon problems cannot be
fixed.
Reality: House hunt
ers can breathe a sigh of
relief if a home they like
has been determined to
have high levels of radon.
The EPA notes that radon
issues cannot just be ad
dressed, but addressed in
a way that should not bust
homeowners' budgets.
Prospective home buy
ers might even be able to
negotiate radon remedia
tion into the terms of their
buying agreements.
Myth: Radon is geo-
graphically-specific.
Reality: High levels
of radon have been discov
ered in every state of the
United States, a country
so geographically diverse
that it's reasonable to con
clude that no place on
Earth is immune to radon.
Radon can be deadly,
but thankfully it's often
easily fixed and should not
necessarily deter home
buyers from making an of
fer on homes they like.
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remediation expert to ad
dress the issue.
Can radon reenter my
home?
Efforts at radon miti
gation are generally very
effective. However, miti
gation systems can fail or
stop working over time.
So individuals concerned
about recurrence can iden
tify what caused the initial
radon exposure, such as
cracked foundations,
and have those issues
addressed. In addi
tion, random testing
for radon, even after
mitigation efforts
have been complet
ed, can be a cost-
effective and simple
safety net.
Does radon
exposure produce
symptoms?
The American
Cancer Society re
ports that possible
symptoms of radon
exposure include
shortness of breath,
a new or worsening
cough, pain or tight
ness in the chest,
hoarseness, or trou
ble swallowing. The lack
of these symptoms should
not be mistaken for evi
dence that a home has no
radon problem, which is
why periodic testing is nec
essary and potentially life
saving.
Though radon is natu
rally occurring, it can pose
a significant threat when
it enters a home. More in
formation about radon is
available at epa.gov.
Radon is a naturally
occurring gas that forms
when certain radioac
tive metals break down
in rocks, soil and ground-
water. Though radon is
naturally occurring, when
people are exposed to it at
levels deemed to be exces
sive, the consequences can
be dire. In fact, the Cen
ters for Disease Control
and Prevention notes that
radon is the second lead
ing cause of lung cancer in
the United States.
Many people first
learn of radon when buy
ing a home. Home inspec
tors may ask prospective
homeowners if they want
radon tests conducted on
a home they've made an
offer on, leaving some to
wonder what radon is and
how, if it's naturally oc
curring, it can pose such
a potentially significant
threat? That unfamiliar
ity may lead some pro
spective home buyers to
begin researching radon,
which unfortunately is
not always so easy. That's
because there exists a host
of misinformation about
radon, so much so that the
Environmental Protection
Agency feels it necessary
to debunk a host of myths
regarding radon.
Myth: Scientists are
not sure radon is a legiti
mate problem.
Reality: All major
health organizations, in
cluding the CDC and the
American Medical As
sociation, agree that ra
don causes thousands of
preventable lung cancer
deaths every year.
Myth: Radon
only affects certain
types ofhomes.
Reality: No
home is immune to
excessive radon lev
els. The way a home
is constructed may
affect its radon lev
els, but even homes
constructed in ways
to prevent radon
levels from becom
ing excessive are not
immune to high lev
els of radon.
Myth: My
neighbor's home has
low radon levels so
mine must as well.
Did you know?
The World Health Organization estimates that
radon causes between 3 and 14 percent of
all lung cancers in a country. The final per
centage depends on two factors: the nation
al average radon level and the prevalence of
smoking within the country. Though individuals
may think only excessive levels of radon can
contribute to lung cancer, the WHO notes
that studies conducted in various parts of the
world, including Europe, North America and
China, have found that even low concentra
tions of radon like those found in residential
settings can contribute to the occurrence of
lung cancer.
GASTRO
INTESTINAL
ENDOSCOPY
The Endoscopy Center of
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Ronnie R. Smith, MD
Member of American Society
for Gastrointestinal
Endoscopy
James H. Barber, Jr., MD
A Certified Ambulatory
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"focused" on the prevention
of colorectal cancer and the
early diagnosis and
management of diseases of
the esophagus, stomach,
intestines and colon. 200
Maple Drive, Vidalia, GA.
912-538-TEST (8378).
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PODIATRY
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Certified: Office hours 8:30 -5:00
Mon. - Thurs. 205 Arlington
Drive, Vidalia, GA. 537-2559.
PREVENTIVE
MEDICINE
Ronnie R. Smith, MD and
James H. Barber, Jr., MD
Board certified in Internal
Medicine and "focused" on the
Prevention of Heart Attack ,
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altering, life-threatening
diseases. For "State-Of-The-
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early detection services, contact
us at 538-TEST (538-8378).