Radon Symptoms to Watch For

This entry in our January is Radon Action Month series discusses the symptoms of radon poisoning and how to know whether to suspect a radon leak in your home. This was a bit of a trick headline because, in actuality, radon has no early warning signs. Unlike other chemical leaks in the home, radon doesn’t offer its sufferers any noticeable symptoms that would help alert them to get a radon home test kit or see a doctor. It is completely odorless, colorless, and flavorless. This makes it particularly dangerous and important to test your home for radon to ensure that you and your family are not at risk. This entry will help you find ways to get help for your home and your health.

Even if you haven’t been suspecting a problem with your home’s indoor air quality, it’s a good idea for everyone to test their homes for radon, just as you would go to your doctor for a check up or your dentist for a routine cleaning. You might not be sick when you go, but they’re there to help make sure that nothing is going on that you might not have noticed. In this same way, radon test kits are there to help identify underlying problems in the home that you would never know otherwise. 

If you suspect that your health is being seriously impacted from something in your home, be sure to talk to your doctor. While hopefully it would not escalate to this point by the time you were able to find help, lung cancer can result from an overexposure to radon gas over a period of time. Radon poisoning symptoms include:

• coughing up blood

• chest pain
  

• shortness of breath

• wheezing or hoarseness

• repeated respiratory infections such as bronchitis or pneumonia

Shockingly, 15% of lung cancer victims have no symptoms at the time they are diagnosed, according to Indoor Air Health Advisor. These symptoms could indicate a number of different health problems, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your health and the health of your home.

Hopefully this post has inspired you to take action and test your home for radon. Our HomeAire store has several home radon test kits for you to choose from, as well as radon mitigation fans. As we continue throughout the month providing you with information on more radon facts and ways to get the word out, we encourage you to leave any comments or questions you might have. You’re also welcome to contact a professional with any specific questions. We’re happy to answer them and we’re excited to get more people talking about radon awareness!