Keep Potassium Iodide on Hand

A supplement available over-the-counter is potassium iodide (KI). It might be a good idea to put it in your family's emergency kit.

In the unlikely event of a nuclear accident or an attack on a nuclear facility, it may be useful. However, KI is useless if you are not near a radioactive plume. Iodine is necessary for the thyroid to work. This is often taken from your bloodstream. However, it is unable to distinguish between natural sources and radioactive iodine. The type of iodine that is emitted from nuclear plants or from radioactive material after nuclear explosions is known as radioactive iodine. Thyroid cancer risk can be reduced by taking KI within the first few hours of exposure to radioactive iodine. But keep in mind that, you should only take KI during a nuclear emergency when local health authorities instruct you to.