Cell Phones and Your Health

Cells phones are “the norm” these days.  Almost everyone has one, and most people use them every day.

In the past, there have been rumors about cell phones causing health problems like cancer.  But there was never any proof that this was true…until now.

A new research study from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) shows that many of the new cell phones assault your skull and brain with harmful electromagnetic waves.

They found that the electromagnetic waves penetrate your skull and can double your risk of getting a brain tumor.

They also found that if you use a cell phone for more than 10 years, which most of us will do, the risk of having a health problem goes up.  Researchers have discovered that people who use a cell phone for more than a decade have a significantly higher chance of developing a brain tumor.

What’s even scarier is what happens to kids that use cell phones on a regular basis.

Because young skulls have much less thickness than adult skulls, it is much easier for electromagnetic waves to pass through the skull and harm the brain.  Numerous studies confirm that young children absorb more radiation than adults do.

They’ve found that a 2 minute phone call on a cell phone can alter the natural electrical activity in your child’s brain for one hour.  So if your child uses their cell phone for just 20 minutes a day (600 minutes a month), that’s 5 hours of unnatural brain activity every month.

You may be thinking, “But I use a wireless ear piece.”  The problem is, the earpiece relies on radio waves for transmission, so it still negatively affects you.

So what should you do?  I’m not suggesting that you give up your cell phone.  That’s just not practical in today’s day and age.  But here’s what you can do:

* Get a cell phone that emits as little radiation as possible.  You can see a list of the best and worst phones at this link here:

http://www.ewg.org/cellphoneradiation/Get-a-Safer-Phone

* If you put your phone in your pants pocket, your coat, or your purse, TURN IT OFF if you don’t plan on using it for awhile.  If someone is trying to call you and your phone is off, you can call them back.  You don’t need to be “connected” 24/7, unless your job requires it.

* Use a wired headset instead of a wireless headset.  Make sure the wire is at least 12 inches long.

* Send text messages instead of calling.

* Keep your calls short.  If you plan on having a long conversation and you have access to a land line, then use the land line.

* Limit your child’s use of cell phones.  They won’t like it, but explain to them why this is important.  If you have a teenager, tell them to text more often than calling.  This will limit their electromagnetic exposure.

Hope you found this information informative.  Email me with your thoughts, comments, or questions.  I’d love to hear from you!

Sincerely,

Dr. Jason Gerard

Here are the references for the research studies that confirm this information:

Cell Phone Radiation – Science Review on Cancer Risks and Children’s Health – Environmental Working Group http://www.ewg.org/cellphone-radiation  

Khurana VG, Teo C, Kundi M, Hardell L, Carlberg M. “Cell phones and brain tumors: a review including the long-term epidemiologic data.” Surg Neurol. 2009 Sep;72(3):205-14

International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) 2008; Lahkola 2007.

deSalles 2006; Gandhi 1996; Kang 2002; Martinez-Burdalo 2004; Wang 2003; Wiart 2008