The popularity of cellular phones has grown exponentially in recent years. Wherever you travel in the world you’ll see the streets full of people on their phones. The bizarre thing is that some of these countries are poor and even basic services are restricted but still people spend their limited income on cellphones. Have you ever wondered whether your cellphone might be causing you illness? I would guess probably not.
The advantages of these phones is plain because they make interpersonal communication easy and fast. It’s hard to imagine that until the 1990s if you wanted to make a phone call while out and about you probably had to search for a phone box in the street.
First Cellphone Produced
The first commercial mobile phone was released by Motorola in 1983. It was the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X. The handset offered 30 minutes of talk-time, six hours standby, and could store 30 phone numbers. It also cost $3995. In these early days of mobile usage, handsets weren’t designed with consumers in mind. They were hardly convenient to carry around as they were about a foot in length and resembled house-bricks in weight.
Just 6 years later the world’s first flip phone was released. In 1989 The Motorola Microtac was released at a cost of almost $250. The advances in mobile technology have continued up to the present date and their popularity shows no sign of stopping.
However, there have always been some people who believe cellphones pose health risks. So should you be worried? The cellphone manufacturers and suppliers will sell you on the great benefits and are not likely to raise any concerns. If you want to know of any potential safety issues you need to do your own research and consider the benefits and drawbacks of owning a cellular phone.
What Are The Chances Of A Cellphone Causing Illness?
You may have heard or seen reports that cellphones may cause illness. Possible health risks have appeared on the TV news, in newspapers and online about the health risks of using cellular phones. However so far there is no definitive evidence that cellphones cause health problems. But there is also no proof that they don’t.
Cellular phones emit a radio frequency (RF) when the cell phone is in use. Admittedly these RF waves are at very low levels. Even in standby mode cellphones emit even smaller levels of RF. So the critical question is, do these low levels of RF waves that are emitted pose a significant health hazard.
Currently, the general consensus is that they do not. However there is no dispute that high levels of RF waves do cause health problems due to heating up the body’s tissues. As low level RF emissions are not enough to cause heating of the tissues they are not considered to be a health risk. This is generally held to be true but doctors and researchers continue to study the subject. Most of us have an interest into whether or not cell phones pose any health risk.
So presently the advice is that you can use your cell phone without worrying that you are putting your health at risk. The people who think that cellphones might cause illness are generally those who have suffered themselves. If you suffer from headaches or develop brain cancer after using your phone then you may well be skeptical about the advice.
How Will You Know if there is a Health Risk?
In the USA, the FDA is responsible for reviewing drugs and health-related products for safety. They aim to ensure that all products are suitable for public consumption and use and will not cause health problems. At the moment the FDA does not review the safety of cellular phones. If cellular phones were found to emit RF waves at levels that affected health, the FDA would have to get involved.
So you can take some comfort from the fact that this has not occurred yet. However the FDA has suggested that cellphone manufacturers develop phones that reduce and minimize RF to the user. The FDA also asks cellphone manufacturers to continue studying any possible health effects that might result from the use of cellular telephones. We can only hope that if they discover any possible risks that they will inform their users.
Personally I always worry when we are asking interested parties to investigate their own products. We need independent research also.
What Does Current Research Say About Cellphone Causing Illness?
There have been a variety of studies completed to determine how RF emissions from cellular phones might affect our health. There have been animal studies and epidemiological studies but the results have been inconclusive. Some studies on animals did show that exposure to low-level RF emissions did give an increased chance of developing cancer in the brain or mouth.
However the research was flawed as the animals used were already predisposed to developing these types of cancers. Therefore it couldn’t be proved that the RF exposure had caused the effect. Some of the results couldn’t be reproduced in other studies.
The epidemiology studies did not show a cause and effect relationship between cancer and low level RF emissions from cell phones in the short term. However, there was no proof that long term use of cellphones was safe or not, because long term studies had not been concluded.
Now that many people have been using these devices for 20-30 years we can have slightly more confidence. There hasn’t been a great increase in brain and mouth cancers.
Cellphone Usage – Research Continues
Studies continue into whether there is any relationship between RF emissions and health risks. Time will be one of the biggest factors in to what health hazards, if any, might be associated with cellular phone usage. Also, the FDA are now working to determine if there are any hazards and if so how to deal with them.
This topic is likely to be debated for some time. As with much in life we need to decide on our own tolerance to risk. I’m always looking for natural ways to improve health so what can you do?
If you are worried about RF emissions then consider using the loudspeaker rather than holding the phone to your ear. The farther the cell phone is from your head the fewer RF emissions your body will absorb.
Also you can obviously reduce the amount of RF emissions that you are exposed to by limiting the time you spend talking on your cellphone. These are two ways you can reduce any risk from the RF emissions.
Our cellphones are now a part of everyday life so, if there is a health risk, we can only hope it is small. If you are thinking your cellphone might be causing you illness then there is no way to disprove it. When we are suffering a health problem it is tempting and natural to look for something to blame. There are many more common health risks and you should discuss your health concerns with your doctor.
