EMF-Induced Health Problems: Health Risks of Prolonged EMF Radiation Exposure, and How to Defend Yourself
The concept that EMF exposure has adverse effects on human health is not new. Scientists have been studying EMF-induced health effects since the 1940s. And they’ve found that prolonged EMF exposure can cause the human body to develop health problems ranging from minor sleep disorders to chronic diseases like cancer.
In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the major health effects that prolonged EMF exposure can cause.
You’ll also learn how you can protect yourself and your loved ones from these health problems.
EMF Sources Around Us
Before diving into EMF-induced health problems, let’s understand EMF and the sources around us that are responsible for this problem.
EMF is a form of energy, created by electricity and magnetism, that can carry data through the space around us. Electronic gadgets use EMF to connect with networks and provide services like calling, texting, and the internet.
If you want to know more about EMF, you can visit my post, “EMF in Simple Words.”
EMF is invisible and odorless — you can’t touch, taste or feel it. Yet it’s powerful enough to make you extremely sick. Even so, its sources are so common that you can’t go anywhere without tens of them showering you with their EMF emissions.
Actually, the main problem isn’t even what you face when you go outside. It’s what surrounds you when you’re at home because that’s where you spend the most time.
According to Statista, American homes contain an average of 10 connected devices. These devices include cell phones, tablets, laptops, WiFi routers and smart meters, all of which emit a massive amount of EMF. Besides these, you’ve also got electrical appliances which emit a different type of EMF called ELF, which is also something that you’d want to avoid.
Prolonged exposure to EMF from these sources can cause many health problems to develop in your body, with some of them being chronic in nature.
Let’s look at what those health effects are.
Effects on the Immune System
Your immune system works as a guard for your body, defending you from foreign microbes such as bacteria, viruses, parasites, and fungi. It launches an attack and neutralizes objects that it doesn’t recognize.
Were it not for the fact that your immune system protects your body 24/7, your body wouldn’t be able to fight off deadly diseases, heal wounds, and repair cuts and bruises.
Researchers have found that when you expose your body to a high volume of EMF for an extended time, it disturbs your immunity pattern and causes it to respond in different ways than it should.
See, a properly functioning immune system works in a balance. It neither overreacts to threats nor underreacts and ignores threats to your health.
When EMF disturbs this balance, your immune system loses its ability to judge between safe cells and harmful microbes. This causes your immune system to attack your healthy cells, and as a result, your cells die by necrosis.
EMF exposure sometimes also causes immunosuppression, in which your immune system can’t respond to threats with appropriate force. This can lead to, for example, more frequent and severe colds and illnesses, as well as an increased recovery time.
Effects on Your Brain
There are around 120 billion neurons inside a human body, and the brain sends electrical signals through them to control each part of the body. EMF also uses electrical signals similar to what your brain produces. So, when you expose your brain to heavy EMF from devices like cell phones and Bluetooth headsets, it interferes with your brain’s signaling process.
This interference can result in many problems, including Albumin leakage through the blood-brain barrier, nerve cell damage, damage in your myelin sheath, and effects on neurophysiology.
Research studies have also found that EMF interferes with your process of learning and memorizing.
EMF-induced Infertility in Men
Billions of men expose themselves to EMF from cell phones, laptops, tablets, and other electronic gadgets on a daily basis. Multiple research studies say that heavy EMF exposure like this can increase the risk of infertility in men. Let’s have a look at how it happens.
Lowered Sperm Count
The UK’s National Health Service says that “problems with sperm, including a low sperm count and problems with sperm quality, are quite common. They’re a factor in around 1 in 3 couples who are struggling to get pregnant.”
Emotional stress, depression, obesity, drug use, smoking, and alcohol intake are known to cause low sperm count in men. Scientists have also found that heavy EMF exposure contributes heavily to this problem.
Decreased Testosterone Levels
Testosterone is a much-needed hormone in men. It’s responsible for regulating male libido, sexual response, sexual performance, and semen production.
Several research studies have found that men who regularly use cell phones suffer from lower testosterone levels. This results in problems like erectile dysfunction, decreased sexual performance, as well as lowered sperm count and quality.
Affected Sperm DNA
EMF is genotoxic, and it can damage your sperm DNA beyond repair.
Most human DNA exists in pairs, which means that if one strand of DNA is damaged, your cells can repair it based on the other copy in the cell. But it’s different with sperm, as it only contains one strand of DNA.
This is by design because the sperm’s DNA must be paired and mixed with the DNA in a woman’s egg.
Researchers say that when you keep EMF-emitting devices such as cell phones and laptops near your reproductive organs, it can cause significant DNA damage and fragmentation.
EMF-Induced Infertility in Women
When it comes to EMF-induced infertility, women are generally on the safer side. This is because women’s eggs live deep inside their bodies, unlike men’s sperms which reside in testicles, outside the body.
But, there’s a downside. Women are born with their eggs, and they aren’t replaceable. And if they’re damaged, it can induce permanent infertility.
A 2009 study found that people living close to cell phone base stations had a higher marker of cellular stress in their bodies. And cellular stress has been linked to an increased risk of infertility in women.
Besides this, prolonged EMF exposure has also been known to cause ovarian oxidative DNA damage, leading to impaired ovarian function.
Electro Hypersensitivity
Electrohypersensitivity (EHS), also known as WiFi allergy, is a condition in which an individual experiences allergy-like symptoms when exposed to EMF from sources like cell phones, tablets, laptops, WiFi routers, and smart meters.
Contrary to what some people believe, EHS is not a new problem. In 1970, the Soviet Union published a report which mentioned the term “microwave syndrome.” This report came shortly after the rollout of RADAR during the second world war. It said that the troops had been experiencing unusual health symptoms when working on the then-new RADAR technology.
When the Soviets realized that RADAR radiation could cause individuals to develop temporary health problems, they weaponized this technology.
In fact, the weaponization of non-lethal EMF has continued to this day, with some being highly classified and some being openly used, like the Active Denial System (ADS).
EHS reduces an individual’s quality of life significantly. On top of that, it’s extremely hard for an EHS patient to find medical treatment. Luckily, it’s not impossible.
The Women’s College Hospital in Toronto, for example, now provides electrohypersensitivity diagnoses to patients with this condition.
Besides the Women’s College Hospital, here are some other facilities that have the capacity to treat patients suffering from EHS.
· The Environmental Health Center in Dallas, Texas.
· The Capital Health Integrative Chronic Care Service in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
· Breakspear Medical in Hemel Hempstead, UK.
· The Association for Research and Treatments against Cancer (ARTAC) in France.
· In Central Sensitization Syndromes (SSC), Support Unit at the University Hospital of Santa Maria de Lleida, in Catalonia, Spain.
· The Paracelsus Clinic in Lustmühle, Switzerland.
Other Health Problems
The list of EMF-induced health problems is way longer than those mentioned above, and scientists are still uncovering new information. You can learn more about them on our “EMF Health Effects” page.
But my intention with this post is not to scare you but to help you take necessary actions to mitigate your EMF exposure, so you can enjoy technology without putting your health at risk.
Here are some tips that will help you reduce your EMF exposure exponentially and live a safer, healthier life.
1) Start With Your Bedroom
A good night’s sleep is crucial for a healthy life. When you sleep:
· Your brain stores new information in the long-term memory and gets rid of toxic waste
· Your nerve cells communicate and reorganize themselves, which is crucial for a healthy brain function.
· Your body repairs your cells, restores energy, and releases molecules like hormones and proteins.
These processes are what prepares you to face the next day. And all of these happen in your bedroom.
Research studies say that when you have EMF present in your bedroom, it interferes with your sleep. This results in your body not being able to repair fully, which leads to numerous health problems.
So, try to keep EMF away from your bedroom. Here are some tips on how you can do that.
For starters, keep your electronic gadgets away from your bed. When people bring their gadgets to bed, it causes them to stay up till late at night. If you’re doing this, you probably aren’t getting the recommended 7–9 hours of sleep. And on top of that, you’re unnecessarily exposing yourself to a massive amount of EMF.
Another tip is to build a sleep sanctuary. Read my “Sleep Sanctuary” post to learn how you can build one for yourself.
2) Stay Away from Gadgets You Don’t Need
You need to upgrade your tech gadgets at a certain point in time. But you also need to understand that your gadgets don’t become outdated as soon as the company releases a new version.
Tech companies have to keep adding new products to their list so they can stabilize their sales. Most of the time, a newer version only has a minor upgrade from last year. And when you buy these upgrades, you don’t get as much value from these gadgets as it increases your EMF exposure.
If you see a new gadget that looks amazing, and you feel inclined to buy it, I suggest you hold that thought and sleep on it. Ask yourself if you really have the need for its new feature or function.
You already have tons of EMF sources in your home — from electronics like your cell phones, laptops, WiFi routers, and smart meters to electrical appliances like refrigerators and microwaves. Because of them, the EMF pollution in your home is already dense, and you certainly don’t want to add to that.
So, be smart about it. Buy gadgets that you actually need, and stay away from those that you don’t.
3) Spend More Time in Nature
A 2016 Nielsen Company audience report revealed that American adults spend an average of 10 hours and 39 minutes each day on tablets, smartphones, personal computers, multimedia devices, video games, radios, DVDs, DVRs, and TVs.
As the virtual world keeps getting more exciting, it’s making us forget how amazing it is to spend time in nature.
Did you know that the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health says that if you spend more time in nature, you’re less likely to be depressed?
The benefits of nature are absolutely free. You don’t need expensive equipment, special apparel, or a subscription fee. You just have to get out of your house and be in nature for a while. That’s it.
Here are some of the other benefits that come with spending more time outside.
· Vitamin D from the sun
· Better mental health
· Improved memory and cognitive function
And finally, less EMF exposure from your devices. So, close your devices, go to the local park, and enjoy the beauty of nature.
Final Thoughts
EMF does have adverse effects on your health. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have any option but to face the consequences. You can live a safer, healthier life without losing technology. You just have to be smart about how you use it.
Tune in to “The Healthier Tech Podcast,” produced by my company ShieldYourBody.com, to learn more about building a better relationship with technology.
