WARNING!
This is an older article that may not reflect Dr. Mercola’s current view on this topic. Use our search engine to find Dr. Mercola’s latest position on any health topic.
Periodically during the past few decades a story about the adverse health effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) or electricity has made a small splash in the public media. These stores are quickly discounted as being untrue or hypochondriac in nature. And yet, these stories and case studies continue to emerge As reported in one publication, "In one pooled study that combined nine well-conducted studies from several countries, including a study from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), a twofold excess risk of childhood leukemia was associated with exposure to magnetic fields above 0.4 µT. In another pooled study that combined 15 studies, a similar increased risk was seen above 0.3 µT."i
In yet another study, "A questionnaire survey of 2,072 people in California found that the prevalence of ES [electro¬sensitive] within the sample group was 3.24% with ES being defined as "Being allergic or very sensitive to getting near electrical appliances, computers, or power lines" (Levallois 2002, response rate 58.3%). A similar questionnaire survey from the same year in Stockholm County (Sweden), found a 15% prevalence of ES amongst the sample group, with ES being defined as "Hypersensitivity or allergy to electric or magnetic fields" (Hillert 2002, response rate 73%)."ii
In addition, there is now a plethora of products that are making claims of "protection," "shielding," or "reduction" of exposure to EMF. There is no magic pill or product that can protect us, and though it is true that some of the products are effective, none of them address all of the issues. And in fact, if misused, they can exacerbate the situation.
The general public is often overwhelmed with the technical terms and the complexity, so the tendency has been to simply ignore the issue Though the majority of the general public believes there is some risk in using a cell phone, people continue to use it because it is convenient. Just as people know that "fast food" is not healthy, the convenience trumps the risk. What the general public does now know is that the largest risk to EMF may not be the cell phone (though it is bad there as well), but within their bedroom. At night our bodies recuperate from the daily onslaught of stress, our cells and organs detoxify and replace themselves. If this process is interrupted because our cell membranes are in constant stress, then healthy cells can be damaged iii, iv, while unhealthy cells (infections, mutations, neural disorders)v,vi can proliferate. For example, several individuals link Lyme disease to electromagnetic exposure as follows: