What is atomic bomb disease?
The damage done to the human body by an A-bomb’s heat rays, blast and radiation has been referred to generally as atomic bomb disease. Atomic bomb disease is divided into two categories; acute damage and aftereffect, depending on whether the symptoms appear before or after four months since exposure to the atomic bomb.
Acute damage ⇒ Develop within four months after the bombing
| Symptoms caused by heat rays and fire | Burns |
|---|---|
| Symptoms caused by blast | External injuries, bone fractures etc |
| Symptoms caused by radiation | Nausea, lassitude, loss of hair etc |
Aftereffect ⇒ Developed more than four month after the bombing
| Keloids | Irregular, abnormally protruding scar tissue that forms during the healing process in burned skin |
|---|---|
| A-bomb cataract | Cataract caused by A-bomb radiation. Opacity develops in the crystalline lens of the eye, causing visual disturbance. |
| Microcephaly | A condition in which the head is of smaller than normal circumference. Microcephaly occurred among persons exposed to radiation while in the uterus |
| Leukemia Cancers | Blood cancer |