Cell Phones and Cancer Risk

(BeWellBuzz) Since the 1990s, there have been a lot of advancements in the cell phone technology and today, the use of cell phones has increased dramatically. Last year, there were over 5.9 billion mobile subscribers worldwide (that’s about 87% of the world population) and the number continues to grow. Unfortunately, millions of people are not yet aware of the damaging effects of using cell phones.

In a recent study, it was revealed that keeping cell phones on the same side of the head as the phone’s antenna for as long as 50 minutes caused brain tissues on that side of the head to mobilize more glucose than the opposite side. This exposure to electromagnetic radiation due to use of heavy use of cell phones is known to increase the risk of cancer. Many scientific results have confirmed that heavy use of mobile phones causes cancer and
malignant brain tumor.

According to International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health, “heavy use” of mobile phones is defined as a total of 2,000 hours of mobile phone use in the course of a decade. So, even when you use mobile phones for just 1 hour per day at your work place or home, after 10 years, you would risk cancer.

Recently, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is a member of the World Health Organization (WHO), classified RF fields as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. This has made many cell phone users nervous and anxious about cell phone technology.

Today giving up cell phones is unrealistic, which is why many scientists and medical experts recommend taking pragmatic measures to avoid excessive use of cell phones.

The exposure to harmful electromagnetic radiations from cell phones depends on a variety of factors including the technology of the phone, the distance between the phone’s antenna and the user’s ears, the extent and usage, and the user’s distance from cell phone towers.

Taking care of a few things and with some lifestyle changes, we can avoid cancer risks due
to cell phones.

• Keep it away: Holding the phone as far away from the head can significantly lower the chance of radiation permeating through your skull and entering your brain.

• Avoid call when low connectivity: Avoid making phone calls in case the cell phone signal is too weak or when you are in confined areas like elevators, buses, subways or other underground vehicles.

• Shorten your conversation: Keep your cellular phone calls brief and avoid using cell phones for an extended period of time. Whenever possible, break your conversation into multiple short calls. Use a cell phone only if a wired phone is not available for use.

• Choose the right model: Different models of cell phones can give off different levels of RF waves. Choose a phone with a low SAR value. This information will appear as FCC ID number on the cell phone you choose to purchase.

• Reduce the duration of calls per day: The longer the cell phone is in use, the more exposure time waves have to damage your brain tissues. Try to minimize the daily hours of use of your cell phones.

• Switch to cordless: Switching to hands-free device like a Bluetooth headset or a wired ear clip can help in cutting down the harmful rays. Using a cordless earpiece moves the antenna away from the user’s head, which decreases the amount of RF waves that reach the head.

• Use SMS instead of Voice: Whenever possible, try to send a text message and minimize outgoing calls so at least you can limit the use of cell phone for outgoing purposes. When receiving incoming calls, use cordless headsets and keep your mobile phone away from your head.

• Mobile Web Calling Apps: Free Web to Phone calling applications have forced people to use cell phones more often. Try to minimize use of cell phones for your web based calls. For example, instead of making Skype calls from your mobile phones, you could use your computer and still call for free.

Apart from cancer, there are a few other health concerns that have been raised about cell phone use. Scientists have found that RF waves from cell phones could interfere with medical devices such as heart pacemakers. So, people with pacemakers may want to take some basic precautions to help ensure that their cell phones don’t cause a problem.

Many people, especially teenagers, are found to be less careful when using their mobile phones. With these life threatening findings, it has become essential that everyone takes steps towards protecting oneself by minimizing the use of cell phones.