Radon symptoms

None that you can see, smell or feel. EPA's Citizen's Guide puts it plainly: you can't see radon, and you can't smell it or taste it, but it may be a problem in your home. A house with a high level looks, smells and feels the same as a house with a low one.

So a musty basement or a damp wall says nothing about radon either way. The table sets the signs people look for against what is known about radon.

Symptoms of high radon in home: why even very high levels go unnoticed

A very high level gives no more warning than a low one. WHO reports that radon levels in buildings such as homes, schools and offices can vary from 10 Bq/m3 to more than 10 000 Bq/m3, and notes that occupants could unknowingly be living or working in very high radon levels. EPA estimates that nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in the U.S. has an elevated radon level, and nothing about those homes marks them out until someone tests.

Radon in basement symptoms: a basement gives no sign either

Basements draw the most concern, and with reason: WHO says radon levels are usually higher in basements, cellars and living spaces in contact with the ground, and CDC notes that levels are often higher in basements and lower levels. But a basement gives no more of a sign than the rest of the house. WHO also notes that considerable radon concentration can be found above the ground floor, so an upstairs room is not automatically low.

EPA's advice is to test the lowest lived-in level of the home: the basement if it is used frequently, otherwise the first floor. If you start living in a lower level you did not use before, EPA advises retesting on that level. See where to place a radon test.

To see why radon exposure has no symptoms of its own, follow what happens after the gas is breathed in. It is a chain that runs over years, not hours.

1. 1

   Radon collects indoors

   Radon comes from the natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and moves up through the ground into the home through cracks and other holes in the foundation. Outdoors it quickly dilutes to very low concentrations; a home can trap it inside.

2. 2

   It decays into radioactive particles

   WHO: radon escapes from the ground into the air, where it decays and produces further radioactive particles.

3. 3

   The particles lodge in the airways

   As we breathe, WHO explains, these particles are deposited on the cells lining the airways. CDC describes the same particles getting trapped in the lungs.

4. 4

   They release energy into lung tissue

   EPA: as the particles break down further, they release small bursts of energy that can damage lung tissue. WHO says they can damage DNA.

5. 5

   Over a lifetime, the chance of lung cancer rises

   EPA: this can lead to lung cancer over the course of your lifetime. Not everyone exposed to elevated levels of radon will develop lung cancer, and the time between exposure and the onset of the disease may be many years.

None of these steps is something a person feels, which is why the agencies talk about exposure measured in the air, not symptoms.

Radon exposure

Breathing air that contains radon and the radioactive particles it decays into. EPA says your chance of getting lung cancer from radon depends mostly on how much radon is in your home, the amount of time you spend there, and whether you smoke or have ever smoked.

Short term effects of radon

Radon has no known short term effects. CDC says it takes many years for lung cancer to develop, and WHO states that no other cancer risks or other health effects have been established to date. Nothing in EPA's, CDC's or WHO's material describes an illness that follows a few days or weeks in a home with a high level.

Long-term effects: a higher chance of lung cancer

The long-term effect is the one the agencies agree on. EPA calls radon the second leading cause of lung cancer and, by EPA's estimates, the number one cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. EPA estimates radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year, and that about 2,900 of those deaths occur among people who have never smoked. WHO estimates radon causes between 3% and 14% of all lung cancers in a country, depending on the national average radon level and smoking prevalence. For the full picture, see radon and lung cancer.

There is no set time, because radon does not cause an illness that follows a fixed dose. The risk builds over years. CDC says it takes many years for lung cancer to develop, and CDC's radon feature adds that it may take years before health problems appear. EPA's Citizen's Guide says the amount of time between exposure and the onset of the disease may be many years.

Radon exposure time: what makes the risk bigger

Three things drive it. EPA says your chances of getting lung cancer from radon depend mostly on how much radon is in your home, the amount of time you spend in your home, and whether you are a smoker or have ever smoked. ATSDR states the general rule for any hazardous substance: the effects of exposure depend on the dose, the duration, how you are exposed, personal traits and habits, and whether other chemicals are present.

Radon exposure in a lifetime, not in a week

EPA's risk estimates are lifetime figures, so they describe years of living with a level, not a short stay in a building. The number that matters for a household is the long-term level where it lives. That is also why the advice stresses acting rather than worrying: EPA's Citizen's Guide says it's never too late to reduce your risk of lung cancer. For the full risk figures, see radon and lung cancer.

Because lung cancer is the disease radon is linked to, people also ask what its symptoms look like. CDC's lung cancer pages answer that, and they open with the same point as its radon pages: most people with lung cancer don't have symptoms until the cancer is advanced. Some people have symptoms related to the lungs, and some just have general symptoms of not feeling well.

• Coughing that gets worse or doesn't go away.
• Chest pain.
• Shortness of breath.
• Wheezing.
• Coughing up blood.
• Feeling very tired all the time.
• Weight loss with no known cause.

CDC adds that other changes can sometimes occur with lung cancer, including repeated bouts of pneumonia and swollen or enlarged lymph nodes (glands) inside the chest in the area between the lungs.

Radon lung cancer symptoms are lung cancer symptoms

CDC's list is for lung cancer from any cause, and CDC notes that cigarette smoking is the most common cause of lung cancer. No known sign marks out a lung cancer caused by radon from one caused by something else, so the list says nothing about whether radon played a part. For symptoms, the route is a doctor; for the house, the route is a radon test.

Searches for radon gas symptoms name specific complaints. Here is what is known about each.

Radon allergy symptoms

Sneezing, a runny nose, itchy eyes and similar reactions are not described by EPA, CDC or WHO as effects of radon. Radon's harm is radiation delivered to the lungs; radon is not a known irritant or allergen. If you have allergy-type symptoms at home, there is no known reason to connect them to radon, and a doctor can help find the cause. A radon test is still worth doing, because it answers a different question.

Headaches, tiredness and feeling unwell

Headaches, fatigue, dizziness and a general sense of feeling unwell do not appear in EPA's, CDC's or WHO's descriptions of radon's health effects. There is no known basis for linking them to radon. Symptoms that persist deserve a conversation with a doctor in their own right.

Coughing, wheezing and asthma

Breathing symptoms are where the question matters most, because lung cancer is the disease radon is linked to. A cough is not a known sign of radon exposure. CDC's point runs the other way: most people don't have symptoms until lung cancer is advanced, which is why EPA and CDC put their weight on testing and lowering exposure early rather than on watching for symptoms. Radon is not a known cause of asthma. Any new or lasting cough, breathlessness or chest symptom is for a doctor to assess, whatever your radon result.

Radon symptoms in dogs and cats

There are no known radon symptoms in pets. The animal evidence is laboratory work: NCI says the miner studies have been confirmed by experimental animal studies, which show higher rates of lung tumors among rodents exposed to high radon levels. A veterinarian is the person to ask about a pet's health; for the house, the answer is the same radon test.

Not in a way that tells you your exposure. ATSDR, whose fact sheets summarize hazardous substances and their health effects, says radon in human tissues is not detectable by routine medical testing. Some radon progeny can be detected in urine and in lung and bone tissue, but these tests cannot tell how much radon you were exposed to, nor can they be used to predict whether you will develop harmful health effects.

What to bring to an appointment

Bring the facts EPA names as the main drivers of radon risk: your test result and its date, how long you have lived in the home, and whether you smoke or have smoked. CDC encourages healthcare providers to raise radon themselves: it says they can have a significant impact on reducing radon-associated lung cancer, and suggests asking patients about whether their home or residence has been tested for radon. EPA's Health Risk of Radon page points to Iowa material prepared to help educate physicians on the dangers of radon and the link between the radioactive gas and lung cancer.

For worries about exposure to a hazardous substance more broadly, ATSDR says it can also tell you the location of occupational and environmental health clinics, which specialize in recognizing, evaluating, and treating illnesses resulting from exposure to hazardous substances.

With no symptoms to go on, the useful question is who carries more of the risk. CDC lists the factors that increase your risk of getting lung cancer from radon:

Smoking changes the size of the risk more than anything else on that list. WHO says radon is much more likely to cause lung cancer in people who smoke, and estimates that smokers are 25 times more at risk from radon than non-smokers. EPA's Citizen's Guide calls smoking combined with radon an especially serious health risk and gives two actions: stop smoking and lower your radon level. CDC adds that not smoking and not allowing others to smoke in your house also helps prevent lung cancer, and points smokers to its free support line, 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

On children, the evidence is limited. CDC says there is not enough data to show whether children have a higher risk of developing lung cancer from radon exposure than adults, but that children may receive higher doses than adults at the same level and for the same time, because they have faster breathing rates and different lung shapes and sizes. EPA's Citizen's Guide says there are currently no conclusive data on whether children are at greater risk than adults from radon.

There is no known level at which radon starts to be harmful, and none below which it is known to be harmless. CDC says there is no known safe level of radon and that you should always aim to have the lowest level. EPA's action level page says that because there is no known safe level of exposure to radon, EPA also recommends that Americans consider fixing their home for radon levels between 2 pCi/L and 4 pCi/L. EPA recommends fixing a home when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher. EPA recommends considering a fix when the level is between 2 and 4 pCi/L.

The chart shows risk rising with the level, and a risk even at ordinary levels. EPA puts the average indoor radon concentration for America's homes at about 1.3 pCi/L and the average in outdoor air at 0.4 pCi/L. NCI notes that radon is present in nearly all air and everyone breathes in radon every day, usually at very low levels; people who inhale high levels of radon are at an increased risk of developing lung cancer. For the numbers in depth, see high radon levels and radon limits.

Is it safe to live in a house with radon?

CDC says all outdoor and indoor air has some radon in it, so the question is the level and what you do about it. Radon is a long-term risk with a fix, not an emergency: EPA says to fix the home at 4 pCi/L or more, and the Surgeon General's advisory says that at a radon level of 4 pCi/L or more, take steps to remedy the problem as soon as possible. See is it safe to live in a house with radon.

EPA's Citizen's Guide says testing is the only way to know if you and your family are at risk from radon, and EPA and the Surgeon General recommend testing all homes below the third floor. Testing is the only way to know the radon level in a specific building. WHO adds that radon concentration indoors can easily be measured with a small passive detector.

Area data does not replace a test. The radon map and the location reports show what is predicted or reported for a county, but EPA says its Map of Radon Zones should not be used to determine if individual homes need to be tested, and EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide says you cannot predict radon levels based on state, local and neighborhood radon measurements.

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Test	How long it runs	What it is for
Short-term test	Stays in the home from 2 to 90 days, depending on the device, and for a minimum of 48 hours.	A faster screening result. Because radon levels vary from day to day and season to season, it is less likely than a long-term test to tell you the year-round average.
Long-term test	Stays in the home for more than 90 days.	It is more likely than a short-term test to tell you the home's year-round average radon level.
Continuous monitor	Logs readings for the whole test, run as a short-term or a long-term test under the same durations in EPA guidance.	Logs a graph over time, so you can see trends and spot anomalies rather than a single number.

1. 1

   Pick the level

   Test the lowest lived-in level: the basement if it is used frequently, otherwise the first floor. Use a room that is used regularly, not a kitchen or bathroom.

2. 2

   Close the house

   Keep windows and outside doors closed, apart from normal entry and exit, starting at least 12 hours before a short-term test of less than four days and for the whole test.

3. 3

   Run it long enough

   Short-term tests run 2 to 90 days, and EPA says all radon tests should be taken for a minimum of 48 hours; some devices need longer. A long-term test runs more than 90 days and is more likely to tell you your year-round average.

4. 4

   Place it properly

   At least 20 inches above the floor, where it won't be disturbed, away from drafts, high heat, high humidity and exterior walls.

5. 5

   Read the result

   EPA recommends fixing a home when the radon level is 4 pCi/L or higher. EPA recommends considering a fix when the level is between 2 and 4 pCi/L. The result interpreter explains what your number means.

EPA notes that do-it-yourself test kits are available through the mail and in some hardware stores, and that you can hire a qualified tester instead. The directory lists measurement professionals, and how to test for radon covers the full method.

Finding a high result after years in a home is a common experience, and acting still helps. EPA's Home Buyer's and Seller's Guide answers the thought that it is too late directly:

Confirm a first high short-term result with a follow-up test, as EPA's testing steps describe (the chart below), then have a contractor trained to fix radon problems bring it down. EPA says radon reduction systems work, that some can reduce radon levels by up to 99%, and that even very high levels can be reduced to acceptable levels. Test again after the work to be sure it worked. High radon levels walks through the decision, and radon mitigation explains the fix.

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1. 1Step 1: Take a short-term test.

   • Below 4 pCi/LEven if your test result is below 4 pCi/L, you may want to test again sometime in the future.
   • At or above 4 pCi/LIf your result is at or above 4 pCi/L, take a followup test to be sure.

2. 2Step 2: Follow up with either a long-term test or a second short-term test.

   • Long-term testFor a better understanding of your year-round average radon level, take a long-term test.
   • Second short-term testIf you need results quickly, take a second short-term test. If your first short-term test result is more than twice EPA's 4 pCi/L action level, you should take a second short-term test immediately.

3. 3Step 3: Decide whether to fix your home.

   • After a long-term testFix your home if your long-term test result is 4 pCi/L or more.
   • After a second short-term testConsider fixing your home if the average of your first and second test is at or above 4 pCi/L.

For health questions, including whether any check-up makes sense for you, talk to a doctor. Your result, how long you lived with it and your smoking history are the facts worth bringing.