Potassium Iodide
What is radiation?
Radiation is energy. It travels in the form of energy waves or high-speed particles. Radiation can occur naturally or be man-made. There are two types:
- Non-ionizing radiation, which includes radio waves, cell phones, microwaves, infrared radiation and visible light
- Ionizing radiation, which includes ultraviolet radiation, radon, x-rays, and gamma rays
Background radiation is all around us all the time. Most of it forms naturally from minerals. These radioactive minerals are in the ground, soil, water, and even our bodies. Background radiation can also come from outer space and the sun. Other sources are man-made, such as x-rays, radiation therapy to treat cancer, and electrical power lines.
What are the health effects of radiation exposure?Radiation has been around us throughout our evolution. So our bodies are designed to deal with the low levels we're exposed to every day. But too much radiation can damage tissues by changing cell structure and damaging DNA. This can cause serious health problems, including cancer.
The amount of damage that exposure to radiation can cause depends on several factors, including:
- The type of radiation
- The dose (amount) of radiation
- How you were exposed, such as through skin contact, swallowing or breathing it in, or having rays pass through your body
- Where the radiation concentrates in the body and how long it stays there
- How sensitive your body is to radiation. A fetus is most vulnerable to the effects of radiation. Infants, children, older adults, pregnant women, and people with compromised immune systems are more vulnerable to health effects than healthy adults.
Being exposed to a lot of radiation over a short period of time, such as from a radiation emergency, can cause skin burns. It may also lead to acute radiation syndrome (ARS, or "radiation sickness"). The symptoms of ARS include headache and diarrhea. They usually start within hours. Those symptoms will go away and the person will seem healthy for a little while. But then they will get sick again. How soon they get sick again, which symptoms they have, and how sick they get depends on the amount of radiation they received. In some cases, ARS causes death in the following days or weeks.
Exposure to low levels of radiation in the environment does not cause immediate health effects. But it can slightly increase your overall risk of cancer.
What are the treatments for acute radiation sickness?Before they start treatment, health care professionals need to figure out how much radiation your body absorbed. They will ask about your symptoms, do blood tests, and may use a device that measures radiation. They also try get more information about the exposure, such as what type of radiation it was, how far away you were from the source of the radiation, and how long you were exposed.
Treatment focuses on reducing and treating infections, preventing dehydration, and treating injuries and burns. Some people may need treatments that help the bone marrow recover its function. If you were exposed to certain types of radiation, your provider may give you a treatment that limits or removes the contamination that is inside your body. You may also get treatments for your symptoms.
How can radiation exposure be prevented?There are steps you can take to prevent or reduce radiation exposure:
- If your health care provider recommends a test that uses radiation, ask about its risks and benefits. In some cases, you may be able to have a different test that does not use radiation. But if you do need a test that uses radiation, do some research into the local imaging facilities. Find one that monitors and uses techniques to reduce the doses they are giving patients.
- Reduce electromagnetic radiation exposure from your cell phone. At this time, scientific evidence has not found a link between cell phone use and health problems in humans. More research is needed to be sure. But if you still have concerns, you can reduce how much time you spend on your phone. You can also use speaker mode or a headset to place more distance between your head and the cell phone.
- If you live in a house, test the radon levels, and if you need to, get a radon reduction system.
- During a radiation emergency, get inside a building to take shelter. Stay inside, with all of the windows and doors shut. Stay tuned to and follow the advice of emergency responders and officials.
Environmental Protection Agency
Potassium Iodide FDA Approved Drugs
Physician's Materia Medica on Potassium Iodide
A combination of vegetable alteratives with Potassium Iodide. Not inferior as an antisyphilitic to Bamboo Brier Compound. q. v. Fluid Bed Clover Compound. Each pint represents; Red Clover, 4 1/2 ozs.; Stillingia, Burdock root, Poke root, Berberis Aquifolium. Cascara Amarga, of each 2 1/4 oz.; Prickly Ash bark, 1/2 oz.; Potassium Iodide, 512 grs. (approx.). Used mostly in the form of the syrup, made by mixing one volume of the Fluid with three of Syrup . Dose, 1 to 2 c. c. (15 to 30 M). Syrup Re1
The root of SMILAX OFFICINALIS, Kunth. SMILAX MEDICA. Schlecht. and other species of SMILAX. Alterative; prescribed in con stitutional diseases such as syphilis, usually in conjunction with potassium iodide and other alteratives.1
Physician's Therapeutics Memoranda on Potassium Iodide
Ascertain the cause. If due to constitutional taint, use altera tives. notably potassium iodide. If from extreme debility,... / Ascertain the cause. If due to constitutional taint, use altera tives. notably potassium iodide. If from extreme debility, appropri ate tonils, especially strychnine; if from uremia, Tonic Pilocarpine Compound; if from auto-intox...1
When accessible, treat by... / ...essure and other surgical procedures. Rest in bed and freedom from excitement are essential in any case. The diet must be simple and not stimulating. Potassium iodide is commonly useful. Use veratrum viride or possibly aconite, but not digitalis to control heart action. For pain, opiates, morphine c...1
Blood pressure must be reduced by ve-nesection, if the case ad mits it, by action of a rapid... / ...se nerve sedatives and keep the patient on a low diet, strictly prohibiting stimulants. To cause absorption of clot (a week or more after the stroke) potassium iodide in full doses. The paralysis is to be treated on general principles by massage, pas sive exercise, electricity, strychnine, the last ...1
Exclude sugar and starch as far as possible from the diet, but do not starve the patient. The... / ... Tablets of Codeine without sugar); in gouty cases, colchicine, iodides, lithium salts, and arsenic; in rheumatic cases, salicylic acid, salicylates, potassium iodide. Other remedies are methylene blue (2 to 5 grs. three times a day), uranium nitrate (2 grs. increased gradually to 10 or more, after ...1
See also Cholera Infantum, Cholera Morbus and Dysentery. Simple Atonic Diarrhea is best treated... / ...tor oil, give at first perhaps opium combined with lead acetate, or simple mineral acids, particularly the nitromuriatic; later ammonium chloride and potassium iodide. Chronic Diarrhea calls for general roborant treatment, carefully regulated diet, quiet with use of counter-irritants over abdomen. b...1
During the seizure, amyl nitrite is the remedy most likely to be of service; chloroform must be... / ...tage ously combined with the potassium salt. In the more chronic cases, acetanilid may be a better remedy than potassium bromide. In syphilitic cases potassium iodide in full doses must be used instead of the bromide. Other remedies of im portance are belladonna (combined with bromides), cannabis in...1
The most eflicient local remedy is an ointment containing bella donna and camphor. Internally, potassium iodide, belladonna, anti pyrin and chloral hydrate are of service.1
In simple Goitre (Bronchocele), ointment of mercuric iodide or tincture iodine externally; creosotide or potassium iodide and extract of thymus gland internally. In Exophthalmic Goitre, belladonna, strophanthus. ergot and sparteine are among the remedies that have been found serviceable. Extract of suprarenal capsules promises good results.1
...ttacks prescribe colchicum, pushing the remedy to its full effect; morphine hypodermatically for pain; abundance of water, particularly lithia water; potassium iodide; local application of alka line lotions, tincture iodine or oil peppermint. Indigestible and stimu lating food and alcoholic drinks m......otions, tincture iodine or oil peppermint. Indigestible and stimu lating food and alcoholic drinks must be prohibited. In Sub-acute and Chronic Gout, potassium iodide, arsenic and free use of lithia wa ter or of Effervescent Tablets Lithium Citrate, N., B. & Co., dis solved in plenty of water.1
If due to syphilitic infection antisyphilitic remedies such as potassium iodide and Donovan’s solution. If resulting from metal lic poisoning, iodides to promote elimination. Systematic exercises toregain faculty of coordinating movements. For relief of “lightning” pains, acetanilid, antipyrin, phenacetin, lactophenin, chang ing often from one to another of these and combining them with caffeine; cannabis indica. Solution Gold and Arsenic Bromide, N., B. & Co. may do good.1
Acute attacks call for aconite as a cardiac sedative with one of the following antiarthritic agents; salicylic acid... / ...thyol or salicyl ic acid; later, tincture iodine, stimulating liniments, fly blisters. In Chronic Rheumatism, the most useful remedies internally are potassium iodide, colchicum and cod liver oil. Locally, stimulating liniments are to be applied with friction.1
The usual treatment is by mercurials (mercurous iodide, blue mass. mercury and chalk or corrosive sublimate. the first being generally given preference) continued up to the point of tolerance as much as eighteen months. followed by a course of potassium iodide, sometimes combined still with mercury. Vegetable alteratives are generally prescribed also, and the mercury is sometimes reinforced by combination with gold, as in the Solution Gold and Arsenic Bro mide with Mercury, N., B. & Co.1