Parkinson’s and Radon

[robclem]

Has anyone done any research into how high radon levels might cause and or affect Parkinson’s symptoms? I recently found out that the levels in my house are way higher than they should be(12 pCI/L) and am currently tracking to see if there is a correlation between the daily radon levels and my symptoms on off days.

[park_bear]

Radon is a chemically inert noble gas. It's ultimate decay product is lead, which is not a good thing, but its effect would be long-term, rather than short-term fluctuations.

The big concern about radon is it is an extremely potent carcinogen, because when it decays it rapidly goes through about half dozen decay steps, merrily emitting alpha particles all along the way. If this occurs in inside a lung it causes a lot of damage at the molecular level.

If you have a crawl space or basement that is capable of being ventilated it is well worth doing so.

It is also well worth investing in a home radon measurement device if you have not already done so.

[bassofspades]

Radon is absolutely harmless. Don't sweat it. The only radiation you should worry about is ultraviolet rays, which can cause sunburn or erythema (redness of the skin)

source

youtu.be/KIuNAbxa7OA?si=K7W...(Not working as expected?)

[park_bear in reply to bassofspades]

Bass - this guy is wrong. DEAD wrong -

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon

"radon is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer, after cigarette smoking, causing 21,000 lung cancer deaths per year in the United States. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked. While radon is the second most frequent cause of lung cancer, it is the number one cause among non-smokers" [emphases added]

A family member who never smoked and was an office worker died of lung cancer.

[bassofspades in reply to park_bear]

Sorry for your loss.

[Daisies22]

You might find this (UK) website useful:

ukradon.org/

[robclem]

I am getting a radon mitigation system installed next week and have a digital radon air quality meter in place now. I discussed the potential link between radon exposure and Parkinson’s with the inspector and he said that the new training that he has recently done includes a whole section on how radon can cause AD and PD as well as lung cancer. We discussed how radon levels rise with the lower atmosphere pressure that occurs in winter.

I recently had DBS and it was initially very successful but a few weeks ago the effectiveness of the stimulation stopped working and I’m trying figure why. I’m sure that my symptoms started when the weather changed where I live. I know that I’m clutching at straws but I was so happy when my symptoms all but vanished for the first 8 weeks after DBS surgery that when they returned overnight I started to look for answers which took me down the radon rabbit hole.

Either way reducing the level in my home will be good for our health given that it is currently 4x the recommended levels!

[park_bear in reply to robclem]

Is there a non-invasive way for the MDs to confirm it is continuing to operate as intended?

[nsehar in reply to robclem]

you likely had the DBS honeymoon period. Same happened to my mom. Initial stimulation is a big trigger but then body habituates slowly. But make sure your device is turned on and battery is working appropriately. It can accidentally get turned off around travel lasers etc.

[robclem]

I have an appointment with my MD next week to find out

[LAJ12345]

“What are the units of measuring radon levels? The concentration of radon in the air is measured in units of picocuries per litre (pCi/L) or becquerels per cubic meter (Bq/m3). One Bq corresponds to one disintegration per second. One pCi/L is equivalent to 37 Bq/m3.”

so 12 pCi/L = 444 Bq/m3.

In NZ

“The national 2016 survey focussing on Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin found that the national median radon concentration is 23 Bq/m3. This is broadly consistent with that reported in the 1988 national survey which was reported as approximately 18 Bq/m3. Note, radon levels were similar in both surveys and found to be comparable to those found in most places overseas.”

[gomelgo]

I just lost a beautiful lake house rental to a radon test. And my friend tried to tell me it was no big deal, and I was making it into more a problem than it was. I will have a hard time talking to her now because apparently she doesn't see that having PD makes us more susceptible to pretty much any stressor. Maybe radon is no big deal to a healthy body ... but not likely so for us.