• Your home may have radon.House image by Gon?¡ìalo Carreira from Fotolia.com
  
  Radon is an inert radioactive gas that comes from decaying uranium in the soil. It cannot be detected by human senses, as it has no color, odor or taste, meaning there are no early warning signs. Breathing it causes serious problems including lung cancer. Due to its seriousness, it is important to understand some symptoms of radon toxicity. If you suspect radon poisoning, call a radon specialist to discover its source and consult your doctor immediately.
  
  

Persistent Cough

• One of the earliest warning symptoms of radon toxin in your house is a persistent and worsening cough. This cough will occur for seemingly no reason and won't be connected to any disease like a cold or pneumonia. It gets worse as you breathe more radon and will become increasingly persistent and severe. Strange coughs don't always indicate radon toxins in your house. Your cough must resist conventional cold treatments and stick around a long time. Some persistent coughs are due to illnesses unrelated to radon poisoning and should be treated to avoid any further complications. Your cough could become serious enough to cause you to cough up blood. If you do, see your doctor immediately.
  
  

Shortness of Breath

• Another warning sign of radon toxin is a shortness of breath. Shortness of breath is not the same thing as a persistent cough. A cough is caused by irritation in part of your respiratory system. This can be because of phlegm from a cold or an inhaled irritant such as dust or sand. It can also be caused by lung damage from smoking or radon poisoning. Shortness of breath is caused by your lungs operating poorly. Damage from radon poison could cause your lungs to lose muscle mass, decreasing their strength. This would cause a persistent and lingering shortness of breath.
  
  

Respiratory Infections

• Bronchitis and pneumonia are two serious infections of the respiratory system. They are fairly common and treatable but they can also be deadly if left untreated. Radon toxin can cause damage to your lungs which can be severe enough to cause persistent respiratory infections. If you find yourself developing these infections several times back to back with little warning you may have radon in your home. For example, if you have two or more cases of pneumonia in a single year, you may have radon poison in your home. If you have other warning signs of radon in your home and you are developing these infections, or if other people in the house are having respiratory infections, leave the house and call your doctor immediately.