Environmental Radiation
On a daily basis, I treat people who have become sick due to voluntarily making poor lifestyle choices. They are overweight, smoke and/or drink in excess, have a poor diet, do not exercise, and are exposed to avoidable environmental toxins as well as toxins in many of their medications. However, there are also those patients who do not have any of the above risk factors, who make good lifestyle choices, exercise, read the most recent health articles, and are aware of the latest nutritional and supplement news, yet they suffer from panic attacks or anxiety, memory problems, ADD, dizziness, loss of balance, heating or tingling sensations in the face, nausea, headaches, insomnia, and even chest pain. After doctors run a battery of tests including blood work, urinalysis, toxicology studies, brain MRI scans, etc., and all these studies are negative, we are left without an answer.
With this column, I would like you to consider an often-overlooked potential environmental hazard-microwave radiation. The human body is made of cells, and cells communicate with one another by transmitting and receiving energy. These signals, accurately communicated, are what allow them to carry out all the cellular functions in the body.
As we know from our daily lives, electricity, when utilized in a positive way, is very beneficial to our lives. However, electricity, when misapplied, can be catastrophic. In 2008, the Journal of Epidemiology stated that out of 13,000 children studied, over 10,000 had learning disabilities, behavior problems, ADD, autism, etc. One of the theories put forth as the cause of this alarming news was the increasing number of new mothers using cell phones, wireless baby monitors, cordless phones, and laptops, and the virtually inescapable exposure to pulsating WiFi and microwave radiation from cell phone towers in our environment. If you live near one or several cell phone towers (they are often disguised), please see the December 2009 documentary "Full Signal." Cell phone radiation is limited to the duration of the call. However, if we live close to cell phone towers, we are exposed to constant microwave radiation. The use of a cordless baby monitor is comparable to bringing a cell phone tower into the home and placing it next to the baby's crib. It receives and also emits radiation. WiFi base stations, iPads, and cordless phones, when plugged in, also emit radiation and they communicate via microwave radiation. A WiFi station in the home sends out pulsating radio frequencies continuously, 24/7.
While surfing TV channels one night, I found a Larry King program regarding cell phone use. He reported that Dr. Ronald Herberman, Director of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, sent a memo to all of the faculty and staff stating that they should use caution with cell phones, as there is not enough information regarding cell phone safety. Three physicians who studied this topic all weighed in and basically agreed that microwave radiation does damage cells. However, they noted that there have been conflicting studies regarding the connection between cell phones and brain cancers. The main point of those doctors was that when tobacco was considered harmless, many suspected that it did cause harm. However, cause and effect are difficult to link when symptoms develop over many years. The example that the doctors used was that if we studied a 14-year-old who began using cell phones at that age, we would not know the full effects until 10 or 20 years down the road.
I am very interested in sports, as I used to coach sports and participate myself. The American Hospital Association estimates that from 300 to 600 student-athletes have died of sudden cardiac arrest in the United States. It occurs during games and practice sessions in students who otherwise appear to be fit and healthy. There is now anecdotal evidence of grammar school children suffering from heart attacks, and this was practically unheard of before the time of cell phones. What is the evidence? In 2010, Nagda Havas, et.al. studied 25 participants who were exposed to the emissions from cordless phones. The study showed that 40% of the participants exhibited an increase in heart rate of 10 to 30 beats per minute after brief exposure to a cordless phone base. They also had an increase in sympathetic function in the central nervous system (increased fight or flight response) and a decrease in parasympathetic function (the calming response).
In the International Journal of Oncology, 2003, Volume 22, No. 2, pages 399-407, it is stated that a phone charger two meters away from the bed emits radiation as high as 2.5 volts per meter, which is 50 times what scientists regard as a safe level. One hundred meters away, the radiation level drops to a safe 0.05 volts per meter. It is no wonder that more and more of us have difficulty sleeping or staying asleep. As with some of the other topics I discuss, there are certainly differing opinions. According to Michael Clark of the UK's Health Protection Agency, "All of the expert views done here and abroad indicate that there is unlikely to be a health risk to wireless networks." He also states, "The few studies on mobile phone masts [cell towers] that have appeared in peer-reviewed journals claiming to observe health effects are not at all conclusive. The real problem is deciding what level of precaution is appropriate." According to Dr. Clark's measurements, one year sitting in a classroom for a child near a wireless network (WiFi) is roughly equivalent to 20 minutes on a mobile phone. Dr. Clark states, "All of the expert reviews" indicate a health risk is unlikely.
However, not every individual may be equally susceptible to such radiation, and conflicting studies are the result. The World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland recognizes "electro-sensitivity as a medical condition. In Sweden, electro-sensitivity is accepted as a disability, and one of the major internet cafés in Sweden has replaced WiFi with Ethernet.
So, what do I recommend that you do with this information? First, you should certainly do research and come up with your own conclusions. Second, you should get cordless phones, cell phones, cell phone chargers, and WiFi out of the bedroom. When you are not using WiFi, simply turn it off. One can certainly replace WiFi with Ethernet. You can also use corded rather than cordless phones. You can also limit cell phone use. Bluetooth also emits microwaves; however, the earpiece that attaches to the cell phone or the car speaker allows you to keep the cell phone a certain distance from your body. We all need to live our lives optimally. If you or a loved one suffers from any of the above conditions, it would be prudent to try what I've suggested for several months, and if they are not getting better, sleeping, feeling calmer, etc., then it may not be caused by microwave radiation.