Physical Effects of War on People
Written by: Rayna Payne
War affects everyone, it has existed forever and will exist forever. The definition of war is a state of armed conflict
between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state. Some examples of war in the past are
World WarⅠ, World War Ⅱ, American Revolution, War of 1812, the Vietnam War and the list goes on. This article will be
focusing on the effects of war, but more specifically, the physical effects. It will cover the effects of radiation, wounds,
amputation and infection on soldiers and civilians.
between different nations or states or different groups within a nation or state. Some examples of war in the past are
World WarⅠ, World War Ⅱ, American Revolution, War of 1812, the Vietnam War and the list goes on. This article will be
focusing on the effects of war, but more specifically, the physical effects. It will cover the effects of radiation, wounds,
amputation and infection on soldiers and civilians.
In war and in a military setting, nuclear weapon testing and other military related activities can cause radiation exposure. There are two types of radiation; ionizing and non-ionizing. Non-ionizing radiation is not harmful, however, ionizing it. These dangerous rays of radiation can come from radioactive material, x-rays, and atomic bombs. Military weaponry that is tested and used in war give off radiation that when detonated can pose great health risks to those in its surroundings. Prolonged exposure to radiation can cause cancers, some being leukemia, lymphomas, Multiple myelomas, etc.. Radiation does so by causing a chemical imbalance in the cells. A person who is exposed to radiation can also experience changes in their skin and spontaneous bleeding internally and from the nose, mouth, and rectum. In the most extreme case, acute exposure to very high levels of radiation can cause death. All these side effects can happen in war and have an effect on civilians and soldiers equally.
With war comes the guarantee of injury and the severity of each wound varies with different factors. The largest factor that is to be thought about when considering the severity of wounds is what weaponry that is used. Nowadays, guns and weapons similar have become the main weapon used in war. With the increasing development of weapons and more specifically guns, the danger to soldiers health and the severity of the wounds they will experience will increase as well. The greatest invention when it comes to weaponry was the rifle musket, it was more accurate and faster to reload and shoot again in comparison to a canon. Along with that, the bullets they shot flew at unbelievable speeds which made it possible for it to tear through bone, flesh and clothing, into the wound which brings on other complications. The rifle musket was only the beginning of the development of guns and now in the present time, we have created more projectile weapons that only increase the dangers of war and severity of potential wounds. These developments have effects on both soldiers and civilians, but the effects on soldiers are more obvious.
While on the topic of wounds, infection was also one of the greatest physical effects of war. When going into war, soldiers expected to die due to infection, it was highly common during war in the past. One reason why many soldiers developed infections in their wounds was because of the lack of knowledge in the medical field. Many doctors didn’t know very much about sterilization, the risk of infection, and had little to no experience with large wounds like ones made by guns. Another reason why soldiers were so susceptible to infections during war was because they had to wait very long periods of time before being able to seek medical help. It would often take more than a day to even see a doctor let alone get help, and because of the long wait period, bacteria and other harmful particles were able to enter the wound, thus infecting it before the soldier even had a chance to see a doctor. This physical effect of war also affects soldiers and civilians, however, it is more common in soldiers.
Amputation, like infection, was a very common thing in war and still is. The truth about amputation is that it saved lives. If people with major injuries had not had the affected limb amputated, their life would be filled with infection, pain, and most likely end very soon. In the past, some wars that have been so large that they ended up overwhelming hospitals with all the injured soldiers. Because of this, many doctors would resort to amputating the injured limb and sending the soldier on their way rather than taking the time to make splints and perform tedious surgeries. They simply did not have enough time to personally help each soldier. The result of the many amputations and the overwhelming number of hurt soldiers was that amputations were often performed quickly and incorrectly because of that which in some cases caused infection and life long pain. It is said that soldiers often tried to treat themselves rather than seeing a doctor because they knew that their limb would be amputated incorrectly and painfully. Just like wounds and infections, amputation also affects soldiers and civilians but it is more common in soldiers because of their vicinity to the active conflict.
In conclusion, war has affected almost everyone in the world, whether it be directly or through someone else, we have all been affected. And though the physical effects are mainly seen in soldiers, many many civilians are also physically affected everyday. Thank you for reading my article, if you are interesting in learning more and helping support our organization, you can read the articles on mental, emotional, and economical effects and visit the contact tab to give donations.