It explains what you should think about before you or a family member takes KI. Radiation is a form of energy that is present all around us.
Different types of radiation exist, some of which have more energy than others. Radioactive contamination occurs when radioactive material is deposited on or in an object or a person. Radioactive materials released into the environment can cause air, water, surfaces, soil, plants, buildings, people, or animals to become contaminated.
A contaminated person has radioactive materials on or inside their body. Potassium iodide also called KI is a salt of stable not radioactive iodine. Stable iodine is an important chemical needed by the body to make thyroid hormones.
Most of the stable iodine in our bodies comes from the food we eat. KI is stable iodine in a medicine form. If radioactive iodine is released into the air after a radiological or nuclear event it can be breathed into the lungs. In most cases, once radioactive iodine has entered the body, the thyroid gland quickly absorbs it.
After it has been absorbed into the thyroid gland, radioactive iodine can then cause thyroid gland injury. Because KI acts to block radioactive iodine from being taken into the thyroid gland, it can help protect this gland from injury. It is also important to know what KI cannot do. KI cannot protect parts of the body other than the thyroid from radioactive iodine. In the HBO miniseries " Chernobyl ," the Soviet nuclear physicist Ulana Khomyuk a composite character played by Emily Watson realizes that there's been a massive release of radioactive material somewhere nearby and immediately pops an iodine pill.
She then encourages others she encounters to do the same. So, why that pill? How does a simple element like iodine protect against radiation? The short answer is that it doesn't have any direct anti-radiation effects, but might offer some indirect protection. Iodine doesn't ward off free-flying neutrons or remove radioactive dust from drinking water. It does however change how your body behaves, in ways that can reduce the risk radioactive materials pose.
Here's how:. Under normal circumstances, your body is fairly iodine-greedy. Your thyroid needs the chemical , and without iodine, the thyroid can't produce the hormones it usually does.
People with severe iodine deficiencies develop enlarged thyroid glands, or goiters. Very young children with iodine deficiencies can even develop intellectual disabilities, according to the American Thyroid Association. In the U. But iodine, like all basic elements, comes in different "isotopes," or versions of the element.
Farrow agrees. She explains that this is because the thyroid cannot distinguish between "good" iodine and radioactive iodine. How Iodine Affects The Body. Iodine deficiency can also lead to a condition called Goiter, which is an enlargement of the thyroid, and possibly to intellectual disabilities in infants and children whose mothers were iodine deficient during pregnancy the ATA notes.
So, despite the fact that you can consume iodine through foods too, you might want to ask your doctor at your next appointment if you should be taking a supplement. So, while the Chernobyl miniseries depicted iodine as a pill to take in dyer emergencies, the supplement can be relevant and helpful in your everyday life too.
Iodine is also found in seaweed, cheese, yogurt , and yay ice cream, according to the American Thyroid Association. Big crowd, open bar, good music and art! I had asked for an update on the event she was heading to a. I met my most recent ex while I was in drama school. He was auditioning for a play in which I had already been cast.
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