Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Cell phones: a wake up call

Mobile phones are a modern day convenience in our society. But, does this advance in technology come at a price to human health? Humanity engages various forms of radiation in our everyday life. From microwaves to X-rays, we are surrounded by EMF waves (electromagnetic radiation).

Modern medicine thanks Madame Currie for her discovery of the X-ray, but recognizes radiation poisoning eroded her health and eventually claimed her life.

Almost two billion people worldwide use cell phones, many of whom are children. This usage represents an unprecedented exposure to electromagnetic radiation in the population. Estimates put EMF radiation exposure at 100 times what it was only a few decades ago.

Is this safe? Today, 30 to 50,000 new cases of brain and eye cancers are attributable to cell phone usage. Projections indicate this number will rise to 500,00 by 2010.

These energy waves carry information invisibly over great distances and can penetrate solid objects, humans included. As these are human-made forms of radiation, they are seen as foreign. Our bodies, well designed as they may be, do not have a built in protective mechanism for this kind of radiation, unlike solar radiation. Some fear humans put their health at risk bathing in a sea of EMF radiation.

Founder of the Safe Wireless Initiative, Dr. George Carlo, a world public health authority on cell phones, cautions harm from wireless technology may be even more tragic than global warming. His research suggests cell phone radiation can cause genetic damage. He found exposure allowed for leakage of the blood brain barrier. Normally, the blood brain barrier is a tightly controlled border. His research suggests even moderate use of wireless communication technology dramatically increases the risk of brain tumors.

Dr. Carlo explains when people are under stress, their nervous system goes into a sympathetic state, otherwise known as the fight or flight response. At a cellular level, stress causes cells to close down, as if they are in a sympathetic lock position. In such a state, nutrients have difficulty getting into cells and waste has trouble getting out. This leads to energy deficiency and an inability to communicate with other cells. From a health stand point, this is bad news. Essentially, the whole biological system is not functioning well and the immune system will follow suit.

People who are sensitive to cell phone radiation describe symptoms such as anxiety, insomnia, concentration difficulties, poor digestion, memory problems, immune dysfunction and reproductive trouble.

If electromagnetic pollution is responsible for such a collection of health dysfunction, people will waste a lot of time taking prescriptions that miss the mark. Making a lifestyle change may be the better solution. Because the health of you and your loved ones is so very valuable, consider using wireless tools sparingly. For more details, see www.safewireless.org.

Dr. Tara Macart owns

Opti-Balance Naturopathic Medicine in Qualicum Beach with her husband Jonathan.