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Ideally, no one will live in a house with elevated radon levels, as prolonged exposure increases the risk of serious health issues like lung cancer. However, homes with radon can be made safe through mitigation systems, such as active soil depressurization. Testing for radon regularly and addressing high levels helps ensure a safe living environment.

The only way to determine if you have a radon problem in your home is to have professional testing done. You can buy DIY radon test kits, but these are sometimes inaccurate in certain temperatures and humidity levels, and they don’t paint the entire picture in terms of your radon exposure. Scheduling testing once every two to five years is best. You can also look out for the following symptoms, which, according to the American Cancer Society, are symptoms of radon exposure:

• Shortness of breath

• Cough

• Tightness in the chest

• Difficulty swallowing

• Hoarseness

It is worthwhile to get radon testing done, especially if you haven’t in the past and don’t have active radon monitoring set up in your home. According to the American Lung Association, radon is a potential issue in all states, and testing is the best way to determine if it’s a current problem in your home. Radon testing includes professional tests that determine ongoing radon levels in your property, and it usually includes a mitigation protocol to help you decide what measures to take to protect your home and household members.

Radon is present almost everywhere but, like sunlight, the concentration levels and how often you are exposed to it have a large part to play in just how dangerous it is. There are levels of radon that are acceptable inside a house, but above a certain limit, radon becomes a serious radioactive hazard that is a known cause of lung cancer. In fact, radon exposure is the number two leading cause of lung cancer (after smoking).