Duration Prognosis
The duration of the side effects of irradiation often depends on the intensity and duration of the irradiation. Acute radiation reactions often last for several days and can quickly reoccur if the patient is irradiated again. Chronic radiation reactions, on the other hand, are often not noticeable at all for several months or several years. However, they can then break out and cause serious limitations in the quality and expectation of life (for example, new tumors caused by radiation).
Course of disease
The side effects of irradiation behave differently depending on the tissue affected. Acute inflammation of the tissue often occurs very quickly after irradiation, lasts for a few days, recurs more and more quickly with renewed irradiation, but also permanently subsides after the end of the radiation therapy. Chronic radiation damage, on the other hand, only develops over time and then tends to increase in severity. If necessary, a new therapy of these long-term side effects may be necessary.
How contagious is this?
The side effects of irradiation are usually not contagious. The trigger of the disease lies in the radiation. This only affects the person treated with radiation and is not transferable to other people.
Even infectious diseases are often due to a pronounced immune deficiency, which is why healthy persons often cannot be easily infected with it. Rather, it is important that the irradiated persons are well protected, as they run the risk of being infected by other persons with a wide variety of supposedly harmless pathogens.
