Radon Exposure Symptoms and Health Risks

Radon exposure has no immediate symptoms. It does not cause headaches, coughing, rashes or fatigue. The main health risk, according to EPA and CDC, is lung cancer that can develop after years of breathing high levels. Because lung cancer often shows no signs until it is advanced, testing your home is the only way to know. You can see how common high radon is in York County before you test.

This article shares public health information from EPA and CDC. It is not medical advice. If you have health concerns, talk with your doctor.

Are there symptoms of radon exposure?

No. This is the most important fact about radon, and it surprises many people. Radon does not make you feel sick when you breathe it. There is no smell, no irritation and no warning sign.

Some websites list symptoms like shortness of breath, a lasting cough or chest pain. Those can be signs of lung disease, including lung cancer. But they are not signs that you are being exposed to radon right now. By the time symptoms like these appear, the exposure happened years before.

CDC puts it plainly: most people don't have symptoms until lung cancer is advanced, and the only way to know your radon level is to test (CDC: Radon and Your Health).

How radon affects the body

Radon is a radioactive gas. When you breathe it in, most of it is breathed back out. The concern is radon's decay products. These are tiny radioactive particles that form as radon breaks down.

Those particles can get trapped in the lining of your lungs. As they break down further, they give off small bursts of radiation. Over many years, that radiation can damage the DNA in lung cells. Damaged cells can sometimes grow into cancer.

The key words are "over many years." Radon risk is about long-term, repeated exposure in the place where you spend the most time, which for most people is home.

How big is the risk?

EPA estimates that radon causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. every year. About 2,900 of those are among people who have never smoked (EPA health risk of radon).

That makes radon:

• The leading cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked
• The second leading cause of lung cancer overall, after smoking

The risk depends on three things:

1. The radon level. Higher levels mean higher risk.
2. How long you're exposed. Years and decades matter more than days.
3. Whether you smoke. Smoking and radon together raise risk far more than either alone.

Radon and smoking

EPA's risk estimates show how much smoking changes the picture. At 4 pCi/L over a lifetime, EPA estimates about 7 out of 1,000 people who never smoked could get lung cancer. For smokers at the same level, the estimate is about 62 out of 1,000.

If anyone in your home smokes, lowering radon has an even bigger payoff. Quitting smoking lowers risk too. Both together give the most protection.

Children and radon

Families often ask whether kids are at higher risk. Children breathe faster and have smaller lungs, and some research suggests they may be more sensitive to radiation. But the main effect of radon is lung cancer that develops later in life.

EPA says there are currently no conclusive data on whether children are at greater risk than adults from radon. The practical takeaway is still simple. If you have kids, testing and fixing high radon now lowers their total lifetime exposure.

What radon does not cause

Clear facts help you avoid worry about the wrong things. Based on EPA and CDC information:

• Radon is not known to cause headaches, allergies, asthma attacks or skin problems.
• Radon is not a poison that makes you sick right away.
• Radon exposure does not make your home, clothes or belongings radioactive.

Lung cancer is the health effect radon is known for.

Keeping the risk in perspective

Radon is a real risk, and it is also one of the most fixable home health risks there is. A test is easy and inexpensive. A mitigation system can lower levels in most homes, and EPA notes most homes can be brought to 2 pCi/L or below.

Some people wonder whether radon is a real threat or a sales pitch. We look at the evidence in is radon dangerous or overblown.

Why this matters in York County

York County is in EPA Radon Zone 1, the highest-potential group. PA DEP's test data for the county shows about half of reported tests at or above EPA's 4.0 pCi/L action level.

That doesn't mean every York home is high. It does mean testing is worth doing in every York home, whether it's a stone farmhouse, a city row home or a new build.

What to do if you're worried

• Test your home. Test the lowest lived-in level. A professional continuous monitor gives an hour-by-hour picture.
• Compare to EPA guidance. Fix at 4.0 pCi/L or higher, and consider fixing from 2 to 4.
• Talk to your doctor about your health. If you have long-term exposure to high radon, are a smoker or have symptoms, your doctor can advise you. We can't give medical advice.
• Fix high levels with a proven method. Active soil depressurization by a PA DEP-certified mitigator, followed by a clearance test.

Key takeaways

• Radon causes no immediate symptoms.
• The known health risk is lung cancer after long-term exposure.
• EPA estimates about 21,000 U.S. lung cancer deaths a year from radon.
• It is the top cause of lung cancer among people who have never smoked.
• Smoking greatly increases radon risk.
• Testing finds radon, and mitigation lowers it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a radon test show if I've already been harmed?

No. A home test measures radon in the air, not its effect on your body. Health questions are for your doctor.

If my home was high for years, is it too late to fix?

No. Lowering radon now reduces your exposure going forward. That benefits everyone in the home.

Can pets be affected by radon?

Pets breathe the same air, so they are exposed too. Fixing radon in the home lowers exposure for everyone living there, pets included.

Check your area's radon data

See how common high radon is near you on our York County radon levels page, built from PA DEP test data. To test or fix your home, call (717) 356-3035 any time for a same-day callback and a free written quote.