FYI: No, You Are Not Supposed to Hold Your Phone to Your Face

Bad news:  Don't hold that smartphone next to your face.
(Source:  ThinkStock Images)

FYI: No, you are not supposed to hold your phone to your face
indianexpress.com, 27 July 2015

4G phones might mean more exposure to radiation

India is waiting with bated breath for the nationwide coverage of 4G, just like we waited for 3G to change our lives a few years ago. I have been on a 4G SIM for the past couple of weeks, and wherever I can get the signal in Delhi-NCR, the internet speeds are faster and pages do open up a tad faster.

But there will be something about the new 4G phones that no one will discuss, and that is how these phones with a better signal strength will emit more radiation. Technically, anything that can send out or receive signals emits a certain amount of radiation. Most of it is within limits of human endurance though, we are not built to adapt to systemic waves — every thing has radiation, but natural radiation is not systemic. This is why sustained exposure to cell phone radiation over long periods of time — like when you carry your smartphone in your pocket the whole day, or leave it under the pillow overnight — could have serious health implications. According to the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) all phones sold within the US come within the recommended levels of RF energy, still it suggests that it is better to keep the phone a safe distance away if you “must conduct extended conversations”. The safe distance suggested is between 5mm and 25mm. So keeping the phone next to your ear is certainly not recommended.

ECO DECT Cordless Phones

We are posting this article because most people do not know that cordless DECT phones emit very high levels of electromagnetic radiation.  ECO DECT cordless phones, which emit less radiation, are available in Europe, but are rare in the United States.  I am electrosensitive and for a long time, my neighbor's DECT phone was emitting very strong radiation which affected my health.  This seems to have changed, however, in my small building (with only 3 apartments on each of the 7 floors) we have picked up over 10 different Wi-Fi signals, some very strong.  

The author advises that the best option is to USE A CORDED PHONE. "Think twice about deploying your own WiFi network, which will add to the radiation. At least turn it off when you are sleeping," advises this article, [and I would add, when not in use.]

Siemens ECO DECT green cordless phones – Panasonic ECO DECT cordless phones
Posted by Norman F., easyecoblog.com, 11 July 2012

Did you know that (DECT) 1.9Ghz digital cordless phones emit the same type of pulsed microwave radiation (about 1.8 GHz) as ordinary (GSM) cell phones. Emissions can be about 6 V/m within a metre of the base unit, for as long as it is plugged in. Companies push these phones because they do not interfere with Wifi networks. Many base stations emit their radiation even when the phone is not in use! Microwaves are continuously emitted 24 hours a day as long as they are plugged in. Not good. Details – More Warnings. – “DECT cordless phones work at a fixed power. Mobiles turn their power down to the lowest level possible, so when you are near a base station this can be much lower than a DECT cordless. DECT pulses are far more aggressive than for mobiles.”

Switzerland: Testimonies of Electrophypersensitive Persons: Godeliève, Léonard, and Sosthène

Godeliève and Léonard Richard, siblings, are both
electrohypersensitive and shield themselves against waves
from Wi-Fi and smartphones, mainly by using wired
phones and protective cards on their cell phones.
(Christian Galley)

"[Electrohypersensitive people] do not know where and how to live.  I believe that society has a duty to assist them.  They have a right to life, health, and respect, like everybody."

Electrosensitive, they shield themselves

by Sylvia Freda, L'Impartial, 27 July 2015

(translated by the Editor of this blog)

Godeliève and Léonard Richard have a difficult time.

Even if wireless devices are extremely practical and tied to the notion of liberty, as soon as they are near Wi-Fi and cell phones, Léonard and Godeliève Richard, siblings living in Ponts-de-Martel, suffer from them.  And not just a little.  They don't experience insignificant dizziness or ordinary complaints. "It's much worse, at times!  I reached a stage where I believed I was going crazy because I could no longer think", says Godeliève.  "I was constantly dizzy, as on a boat, I had tingling in my fingers and toes, difficulty moving my limbs, headaches, concentration problems.  Always tired and agitated, I could not sleep."

Switzerland: Electrosensitivity: "Electrosmog Makes Me Sick"

"The underestimated risk"

Electrosensitivity :  "Electrosmog makes me sick"
Beobachter 15/2015, 24 July 2015 (translated by the Editor of this blog with the help of Google.)

Around 5 percent of the Swiss population consider themselves electrosensitive - Lucja Stankiewicz is one of them.

Electrosensitive persons suffer not only from their ailments, but also from the stigma of being a hypochondriac.

Lucja Stankiewicz has had a successful career as a psychiatrist.  She was also a municipal councillor in Muri, well-traveled, and much involved socially.

When she bought a new cellular phone, the complaints began. Suddenly she felt dizzy when making calls. She returned the phone and switched the old one back on. The symptoms disappeared.  Months later,  technicians laid an ISDN line. Stankiewicz suddenly began to suffer from severe insomnia, which disappeared after switching off the line.

"I live like a cave dweller because electrosmog makes me sick" : Lucja Stankiewicz

Expert Forum on Cell Phone and Wireless Risks, 22 June 2015: Dr. Devra Davis

Smart phone addiction rate:  South Korea

Dr. Devra Davis, Expert Forum on Cell Phone and Wireless Risks, 22 June 2015:

View video here:  https://vimeo.com/132867948

Devra Davis, PhD, MPH is founder of The Environmental Health Trust, a leading national & international scientific and policy research group. Dr. Davis was Founding Director of the world’s first Center for Environmental Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. She is author of the award winning books,“The Secret History of the War on Cancer” and “Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation, What the Industry Is Doing to Hide It, and How to Protect Your Family”. An advisor to many governments on cell phone safety and former Presidential Appointee, Dr. Davis was part of the group awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 with Al Gore. She has convened several major international scientific meetings on cell phone science and testified before the U.S. Senate hearing on this topic in 2009. Dr. Davis has authored more than 190 publications in books and journals ranging from the Lancet and Journal of the American Medical Association to Scientific American and the New York Times and has been featured on CNN, CSPAN, Fox News, BBC, and National Public Radio discussing various public health matters. Dr. Davis will present the latest research modeling microwave radiation exposure into brains of children and adults.

All the videos may be viewed here:

http://electromagnetichealth.org/electromagnetic-health-blog/video-commonwealth-club-emf-forum/

by Camilla : Electromagnetic Health Blog, 19 July 2015

Expert Forum on Cell Phone and Wireless Risks, 22 June 2015: Presentation by Karl Maret, MD

Video: Karl Maret, MD, Expert Forum on Cell Phone and Wireless Risks, 22 June 2015
View video here:  https://vimeo.com/132039697

Karl Maret, M.D., M.Eng. is President of Dove Health Alliance, a non-profit foundation in Aptos, CA. He holds an M.D., Masters in Biomedical Engineering and B.S. in Electrical Engineering. As such, he is uniquely qualified to address present day concerns about the biological effects of electromagnetic fields. He has presented at many international conferences, including annual presentations at the German Society for Energy and Informational Medicine for the last 10 years, and he educates physician groups on the biological impacts of communication technologies, such as cell phones, wireless technologies and infrastructure and ‘smart meters’. In this presentation, Dr. Maret addresses risks to children in WiFi classrooms, presenting case studies involving real-time, continuous dossimetry measurements, including cumulative exposures and the percentage of each school day unacceptable exposure levels occurred.

All the videos may be viewed here:

http://electromagnetichealth.org/electromagnetic-health-blog/video-commonwealth-club-emf-forum/

by Camilla : Electromagnetic Health Blog, 19 July 2015

Expert Forum on Cell Phone and Wireless Risks, 22 June 2015: Presentation by Erica Mallery-Blythe, MD

Dr. Mallery-Blythe dedicated her presentation to Jennifer Wiktoria Elizabeth Fry.  "Jenny took her life by hanging one week ago.  This followed a long, lengthy set of correspondence from her parents to the school, to the local educational authorities, and to the local MP who happened to be David Cameron, Prime Minister of the UK.  They have been campaigning for two years to try and have Wi-Fi removed from Jenny's environment because they were utterly convinced it was damaging her health, both physically and psychologically."

Video: Erica Mallery-Blythe, Expert Forum on Cell Phone and Wireless Risks, June 22, 2015

View video here:  https://vimeo.com/131798243

(Being unable to reproduce slides from Dr.
Mallery-Blythe's presentation, the Editor of this
blog has selected images from other sources.)

Erica Mallery-Blythe, MD is Founder of Physicians’ Health Initiative for Radiation and Environment (PHIRE) in the U.K. where she is also Trustee of the Radiation Research Trust, Medical Advisor to Electrosensitivity UK and Member of the British Society of Ecological Medicine. She has worked in emergency medicine, led trauma teams and taught trauma medicine throughout the UK and abroad. She has a broad base of medical experience, including surgery, anesthesiology and intensive care (both neonatal and adult). For many years, Dr. Mallery-Blythe has worked intensively with adults and children suffering from the little-understood biological and health effects of wireless technologies, working closely with their doctors. She is author of a resource for parents, teachers, schools and policymakers called “Electromagnetic Health for Children”. 

All the videos may be viewed here:

http://electromagnetichealth.org/electromagnetic-health-blog/video-commonwealth-club-emf-forum/

by Camilla : Electromagnetic Health Blog, 19 July 2015

Expert Forum on Cell Phone and Wireless Risks, 22 June 2015: Presentation by Victoria L. Dunckley, MD

In the next series of posts, we are presenting videos of the presentations made at the Forum on Cell Phone and Wireless Risks to Children, held at the Commonwealth Club of California on 22 June 2015.  These should be viewed by every parent who cares about their children.  Children will be exposed more and more to wireless technology, and parents - and everyone who assists children:  teachers, physicians, psychologists - should be made aware of the impact of this technology on children's mental and physical health and the ways in which exposure can be reduced.

Victoria L. Dunckley, MD, Expert Forum on Cell Phone and Wireless Risks, 22 June 2015: 

View video here:  https://vimeo.com/132159417

Victoria L. Dunckley, MD is an integrative child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist who specializes in working with children who have failed previous treatments by addressing environmental influences on mental health. A frequent consultant to schools, interdisciplinary teams, and the courts, she is a sought-after expert regarding problematic electronics’ use and the physiological effects of interactive screen-time, and has served as a forensic expert for criminal cases involving tech addiction. She is the author of “Reset Your Child’s Brain: A Four-Week Plan to End Meltdowns, Raise Grades, and Boost Social Skills by Reversing the Effects of Electronic Screen-Time” (2015). 

Dr. Dunckley says overstimulation and dysregulation produced by electronics use mimics or exacerbates numerous psychiatric conditions, that electromagnetic radiation from wireless communications magnifies these effects, and that the growing use of mobile devices in the classroom is a major contributor to the epidemic of mental health issues, learning difficulties, and overuse of psychotropic medication in children. 

Powerful Ads Show What Your Child Sees When You're Addicted To Your Phone

Powerful Ads Show What Your Child Sees When You're Addicted To Your Phone
by Caroline Bologna, Associate Editor, The Huffington Post,
10 July 2015

A new Chinese ad campaign illustrates the way smartphones can affect family life and relationships.

Titled "Phone Wall," the campaign by Ogilvy & Mather China is a literal representation of the barriers to human relationships that screen addiction creates.

"Pulling out a phone during a conversation is like erecting a brick wall between two people," Juggi Ramakrishnan, Executive Creative Director (ECD) of Ogilvy & Mather Shanghai, told The Huffington Post. "We want people to see this and rethink their relationships with others and their phone in a different light."

The campaign is for the Center for Psychological Research, Shenyang, a government body focused on raising awareness around social issues and causes. Ramakrishnan says screen addiction is a growing issue in China. "This is a definite pressure point that Chinese society is facing on its path of rapid development," he said, noting that smartphones and social media seem to permeate "all aspects of everyday life" -- from shopping to business to social interactions.

Comments on Wireless Technology and Electrosensitivity

We are updating this newspaper comment by adding one from Nancy Miller in Canada, replying to a CBC radio program on the subject of "How are employers accommodating your disability?" (Federal public servants with visual impairments say their employer is failing to get them the tools they need to do their jobs. How well are employers accommodating you?):

Nancy Miller

I resigned from my teaching position due to lack of accommodation for an invisible illness - environmental sensitivity. I did get accommodation for chemicals/scented products, but NOT for electrohypersensitivity (EHS), which is a biological reaction to radiation frequencies from wireless networks (and is recognized as a disability by the Ontario Human rights Commission).

There is an increasing number of teachers (and students) who can no longer tolerate being in a wireless environment for extended periods of time. We experience chronic head and muscle aches, extreme fatigue, rashes, foggy thinking and irregular/rapid heart rates. These health effects are not conducive to effective teaching! The accommodations we are requesting are easy to implement: a wired connection for our personal computer, on/off switches for the access point (router) in the classroom and in common areas, and requesting that those working within 15 meters put their cell phones in "airplane" mode.

Teachers with this disability are being denied accommodation, as I believe it is becoming a hot-button issue, just as cigarettes were a few decades ago.

If someone had told me 10 years ago that I would be too ill from wifi technology to continue in my job, I would not have believed them. Yet this is my reality; it's been a financial struggle as well as a social one, and one that has a very reasonable solution.

http://www.cbc.ca/ontariotoday/2015/07/09/how-are-employers-accommodating-your-disability/#vf-10123300001665