Are cell phones a risk for brain cancer?
Q. I am on my cell phone A LOT. Recently I've been noticing dizziness, fatigue, blurry vision, and have had headaches. I'm TERRIFIED of having a brain tumor. What are the risks for a 21 year old to have brain cancer? Can cell phones cause it? Or could my symptoms be because of something else?
turns out I have a concussion. who knew?
turns out I have a concussion. who knew?
A. Could be due to a number of things including some form of viral infection. If it persists, it would be best to go and see your doctor. But it is unlikely to be a brain tumour resulting from your mobile phone use, as the liklihood of any adverse effects occuring isn't likely to manifest for 10 or more years of heavy phone use.
The thing to remember is that mobile phones have only started being used extensively in the last 8 or so years. It will take time for any definitive effects to become apparent. (typically 10 - 20 years), therefore anyone who says that they are not harmfull is doing so without any real knowledge or understanding!
The fact is that radio frequency (RF) transmissions are DANGEROUS. As to how dangerous, well that all depends on the intensity and duration of exposure. No one really knows and those that say it is not a problem, have no evidence to substantiate that it is not, infact there is more evidence coming to light to say that it is a potentially real serious problem! Any possible adverse effects that these devices have on human tissue, should not be taken lightly! It is still early days and time will tell as it did for smoking, asbestos related products and countless of chemicals and herbacides, in the past.
The simple fact is that everyone should be aware that the longer you use the phone the greater the adverse affects are likely to be. There is no doubt whatsoever, and it is well documented that high levels of RF are DANGEROUS! Cell phones transmit at much lower energy levels, but their consistant and prolonged use may well have a cumalitive effect.
Although there is no proof to indicate that mobile phones can cause cancer, there is sufficient debate and more studies happening to cause doubt as to the relative safety. As a telecommunications engineer I am aware of the power density levels produced by mobile phones and the effect they can have on different people.
Mobile phones transmit using radio frequency radiation (RFR). Dependant on the network this can range between 800MHz and 2GHz. These are radio waves located within the electromagnetic spectrum. X-rays which are known to cause cancer through ionizing radiation are also within the electromagnetic spectrum, however, RFRs cannot cause cancer in the same way as x-rays because RFRs are non-ionizing.
However, high levels of RFRs can cause health effects through heating the human body (thermal effects), resulting in headaches and possibly other symptoms.
Whilst it cannot be shown at this point in time that the thermal effects from mobile phones are a health hazard there is a considerable body of scientific literature which describes the effects of RFR in biological systems that cannot be directly attributed to heating. These effects are referred to as non-thermal and have been demonstrated to cause alteration in animal behaviour, or changes in the functioning of cell membranes.
To limit the possible adverse effects mobile phones may have I would suggest that anyone concerned about their use should;
- Limit the prolonged use of mobiles to under a couple of minutes at a time.
- Use the phone in handsfree speaker mode.
- Avoid using the phone in a confined space (such as in the car or building) as this causes the phone to radiate at the higher power levels to get a signal out.
Personnaly I avoid using the phone as much as possible and if I need to use it I keep it under a few minutes or use it in hands free speaker phone mode.
If you want to read some more detailed neurological studies and reports then checkout the following links;
The thing to remember is that mobile phones have only started being used extensively in the last 8 or so years. It will take time for any definitive effects to become apparent. (typically 10 - 20 years), therefore anyone who says that they are not harmfull is doing so without any real knowledge or understanding!
The fact is that radio frequency (RF) transmissions are DANGEROUS. As to how dangerous, well that all depends on the intensity and duration of exposure. No one really knows and those that say it is not a problem, have no evidence to substantiate that it is not, infact there is more evidence coming to light to say that it is a potentially real serious problem! Any possible adverse effects that these devices have on human tissue, should not be taken lightly! It is still early days and time will tell as it did for smoking, asbestos related products and countless of chemicals and herbacides, in the past.
The simple fact is that everyone should be aware that the longer you use the phone the greater the adverse affects are likely to be. There is no doubt whatsoever, and it is well documented that high levels of RF are DANGEROUS! Cell phones transmit at much lower energy levels, but their consistant and prolonged use may well have a cumalitive effect.
Although there is no proof to indicate that mobile phones can cause cancer, there is sufficient debate and more studies happening to cause doubt as to the relative safety. As a telecommunications engineer I am aware of the power density levels produced by mobile phones and the effect they can have on different people.
Mobile phones transmit using radio frequency radiation (RFR). Dependant on the network this can range between 800MHz and 2GHz. These are radio waves located within the electromagnetic spectrum. X-rays which are known to cause cancer through ionizing radiation are also within the electromagnetic spectrum, however, RFRs cannot cause cancer in the same way as x-rays because RFRs are non-ionizing.
However, high levels of RFRs can cause health effects through heating the human body (thermal effects), resulting in headaches and possibly other symptoms.
Whilst it cannot be shown at this point in time that the thermal effects from mobile phones are a health hazard there is a considerable body of scientific literature which describes the effects of RFR in biological systems that cannot be directly attributed to heating. These effects are referred to as non-thermal and have been demonstrated to cause alteration in animal behaviour, or changes in the functioning of cell membranes.
To limit the possible adverse effects mobile phones may have I would suggest that anyone concerned about their use should;
- Limit the prolonged use of mobiles to under a couple of minutes at a time.
- Use the phone in handsfree speaker mode.
- Avoid using the phone in a confined space (such as in the car or building) as this causes the phone to radiate at the higher power levels to get a signal out.
Personnaly I avoid using the phone as much as possible and if I need to use it I keep it under a few minutes or use it in hands free speaker phone mode.
If you want to read some more detailed neurological studies and reports then checkout the following links;
Does a Digital SLR camera produce enough radiation to give you brain cancer?
Q. I've heard that cell phone emit radiation and can cause brain cancer, since a DSLR is a small electronic device can it do the same?
A. While Digital SLR camera's haven't been shown to specifically cause brain cancer, your concerns are not entirely unfounded. I've been researching the effects of personal electronic devices at the University of Alberta for the past 4 years, specifically examining how prolonged or close proximity exposure to such devices can affect a persons overall health and well being.
Brain cancer has never come up in my research however, long term exposure to DSLR camera's (specifically Nikon products as they seem to be the worst) has been shown to cause cataracts, temporary blindness and in rare cases a variety of sinus conditions.
Our research has shown that an easy, albeit not so elegant method of blocking the radiation (and preventing continued exposure), is to wrap the body of your camera in a layer of aluminum foil, being sure to leave lenses, view finders, and buttons accessible (obviously) this simple step should help reduce your chances of exposure.
Brain cancer has never come up in my research however, long term exposure to DSLR camera's (specifically Nikon products as they seem to be the worst) has been shown to cause cataracts, temporary blindness and in rare cases a variety of sinus conditions.
Our research has shown that an easy, albeit not so elegant method of blocking the radiation (and preventing continued exposure), is to wrap the body of your camera in a layer of aluminum foil, being sure to leave lenses, view finders, and buttons accessible (obviously) this simple step should help reduce your chances of exposure.
Has there been a real increase in the amount of brain cancer?
Q. I can think of 4 people I've known who either have it, or have already died of it, plus several famous people seem to have had it as well. Is there an actual statistical uptick in the amount of brain cancer? Part B--some people say that IF there is an uptick, it might be due to cell phone use. While I accept that as a possible explanation, could it also be possible that dental X rays might have caused some brain cancers, too?
A. Well, i am 80 years old, and in my time i have heard every mortal thing given as the cause of cancers, but very very few are ever proved to be right.After the atom bomb tests that was to blame,so was SPUTNIK then luminous watches, the list goes on, and still we have no definitive reason.Lung cancer is put down to smoking,OK but what about the rest,...breast, testicular,liver, bowel and so on. My personal view is we must be ingesting some thing that our body does not like.I do hope its not chocolate cause i love it.
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