I get it. EMF is complicated. And there are a lot of other things in this world that you’re told you should care about. Climate change. Microplastics. Deforestation. So why should you care about EMF?
Well, I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to explain. Because EMF is an important topic for your health.
Tens of thousands of research studies worldwide have shown that prolonged EMF exposure causes many biological effects in humans. And those effects range from minor sleep disorders to chronic diseases like cancer.
Luckily, there are things you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones from these effects.
And to do those things, it’s vital that you know what you’re dealing with, which is what this post is all about. We’ll look at EMF, its health effects, and things you can do to live a safer, healthier life.
So, let’s begin.
Want to Slash Your EMF Health Risks?
Want to Slash Your EMF Health Risks?
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What is EMF Radiation?
EMF stands for electromagnetic fields, and it’s a form of energy"Energy" is a fundamental concept in physics, often described as the ability to do work or cause change. In everyday terms, it's what is needed to move things, heat them... More.
Now, a little bit of EMF is natural. Like what we get from sunlight, or from lightning, or the earth’s very own magnetic field.
Human-made EMFs, on the other hand, come from modern technology. That includes power"Power" in a scientific context refers to the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred. In simpler terms, it's how fast something is using energy. For example,... More lines, anything that runs on electricity, and any device that sends and receives a wireless signal.
Over the past 140 years— since the invention of the light bulb– the amount of human-made EMF in our environments has exploded. By some estimates, in today’s cities, the level of EMF pollution is more than 1 trillion times higher than the levels found in nature.
Now, our bodies have evolved alongside natural EMF sources. This means they can handle being exposed to EMFs from the sun, lightning, and the earth’s magnetic fieldIn the context of electromagnetic fields (EMF), the term "field" refers to a region in space where electric and magnetic forces are exerted. An electromagnetic field is generated by electrically... More to some degree. But, even though modern technology has been around for quite some time, it’s not enough time on the evolutionary scale to change us at a cellular level.
So, when we expose ourselves to massive amounts of human-made EMFs, we can develop a number of health problems.
How Does EMF Impact our Health?
Certain forms of EMF have a tremendous amount of energy. These are called ionizing EMFs and include radiations like x-rays, gamma rays, and nuclear radiation"Radiation" in the context of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) refers to the process by which energy is emitted and transmitted through space or a material medium in the form of electromagnetic... More.
These have so much energy that they knock electrons free from the atoms in your body. And because of that, everyone knows ionizing radiations are extremely harmful, even in very low doses. That’s why X-ray technicians wear a lead jacket before taking an X-ray.
The type of EMF that your electronic gadgets and electrical appliances produce is weaker in energy. That’s why EMFs from these sources are called non-ionizing. They don’t have enough energy to knock electrons loose from your atoms. Because it has less energy, for years, we believed that non-ionizing EMF was completely safe.
It turns out that belief was wrong.
Over the past few decades, science has demonstrated that prolonged EMF exposure causes us to develop a wide range of adverse health effects– even at levels that you’d get just by making a call on a cell phone.
We’re talking about thousands of different scientific studies demonstrating adverse health effects from EMF radiation.
Let’s have a look at some of those effects.
Sleep Disorders
Research says that prolonged exposure to these EMFs, especially at night, heavily disrupts your sleep and even causes you to develop sleep disorders like insomnia.
A 1999 study from Iran demonstrated that prolonged exposure to magnetic fieldsDefinition and Nature of Magnetic Fields Magnetic fields are a fundamental aspect of electromagnetic fields, produced by moving electric charges (electric currents). The strength of a magnetic field is measured... More disrupts sleep, “decreasing total sleep time, decreasing sleep efficiency, increasing time in the second stage of sleep, reducing rapid eye movement (REM), and lengthening the delay to rapid eye movement (R.E.M.) sleep.”
Similarly, another research study from The University of Melbourne says that “the pineal gland is likely to sense EMFs as light but, as a consequence, may decrease the melatonin production.”
Melatonin is a hormone that triggers the rest mode in your body in the evening, allowing you to fall asleep and get a good night’s rest. When your body doesn’t produce enough of this hormone, you’ll have difficulty falling asleep. And even if you manage to shut down, the quality of sleep you’ll get won’t be optimal.
Infertility
Statistics say that today male infertility affects one in 25 men. And researchers think that the growing EMF pollution has a lot to do with this problem.
A 2007 study by the Cleveland Clinic revealed that the more their male subjects used a cell phone, the lower their quality of semen was.
For this study, Dr. Agarwal’s gathered 361 men and divided them into four groups.
- Men who did not use cell phones at all
- Those who did use a cell phone, but not for more than 2 hours a day
- Then men who used their cell phones for 2-4 hours every day
- And finally, those who used cell phones for more than 4 hours a day
Upon analysis, it showed significant differences in sperm quality and fertility between these four groups. And it’s not just men’s fertility that prolonged EMF exposure damages. Women are equally at risk. Read my post “EMF Radiation Health Dangers for Women” for more information.
Inadequate Immune System
Your immune system carries out some of the most important functions in your body. It helps your body fight off diseases, heal, and rejuvenate. Research now shows that EMF exposure has a tremendous impact on your immune function.
I’ve written a separate post that talks about EMF’s effects on the immune system in depth. So, give it a read.
Imbalanced Hormone Production
Your endocrine system is responsible for secreting all the hormones your body requires. And your brain controls and commands the endocrine system to release hormones as per your body’s requirements.
But, since EMF is similar to the signals that your brain uses to communicate with the bodily systems, researchers say it interferes with those signals. And one of the primary functions affected by this interference is hormone production.
Read my post “How EMF Affects Your Hormone Production” for more information.
Certain Types of Cancer
The IARC (International Agency for Research on Cancer), under the WHO (World Health Organization), classifies EMF as a class 2B carcinogen, which translates to “possibly carcinogenic.”
Read my post “What the Science Says About EMF Radiation and Cancer” for complete information on how EMF causes exposed people to develop certain types of cancer.
Mental Health Issues
Prolonged EMF exposure doesn’t just affect you physically but also mentally.
A 1996 research study from Latvia found that exposing yourself to EMF for a long time can cause you to develop problems like slower reaction times, decreased focus and attention, and a decreased neuromuscular apparatus endurance.
Another similar study from Egypt found that people living nearby mobile phone station antennas are at a huge risk of developing neuropsychiatric problems.
That’s not all. Several other studies have linked EMF exposure to problems like chronic stress, anxiety, and depression as well.
Featured Infographic
Isn’t This Technology Regulated to Protect our Health?
A lot of people believe that when companies are allowed to sell products, that means they’re safe. But that’s just not the case.
In the case of EMF, a lot of these products aren’t tested or regulated at all. That includes things like power lines, which surround us everywhere we go.
EMF emissions from power lines are totally unregulated.
And then certain EMF sources are actually regulated, like cell phones. But the problem is that they are self-regulated. This means that the companies are allowed to perform the SAR tests themselves and report the results to the government.
And that leads to situations like we recently saw in France, with Phonegate. The French government tested hundreds of different cell phones and found that 89% of them exceeded their reported radiation levels. Indeed, many exceeded legally permissible levels and were recalled.
So, we know for a fact that the regulations are set up in a way that allows the companies to lie and deceive consumers and release dangerous products.
Does 5G Increase Health Risks?
Yes, 5G"5G" refers to the fifth generation of wireless communication technology, a step up from the previous 4G, 3G, and 2G networks. It's designed to provide faster internet speeds, more reliable... More does increase health risks.
Of course, we don’t know for sure what those risks are because 5G is being deployed without any testing into the long-term health effects. Which is a big part of why this 5G rollout is so irresponsible and dangerous.
But, it’s clear 5G will increase health risks because:
- First, we’re talking about whole new frequencies being used for 5G than for earlier generations of tech like 4G and WiFi. And these frequencies have never before been used in consumer applications.
- Second, we’re talking about an explosion in the number of sources. A lot of people think that 5G is being developed for cell phones and general internet use. And indeed, that’s a part of it. But, 5G was designed from the groundIn the context of electricity, "ground" or "earthing" refers to a reference point in an electrical circuit from which voltages are measured, a common return path for electric current, or... More up to power the Internet of Things. That includes smart cars, smart homes, and smart meters. So, with 5G, we’re talking about a multiple order of magnitude explosion in the number of sources of EMF in our environment.
With 5G, we’re talking about a massive leap in human exposure to EMF and new types of EMF radiation.
And this is why it’s so important to learn some of the things you can do now to protect yourself by reducing your exposure to EMF radiation.
What Can I Do to Protect Myself and My Family?
Here’s where I have some really good news. There are things that you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones from EMF without sacrificing the enjoyment and benefit of modern technology. Have a look.
Minimize Use
The first step to reducing your exposure to EMF is minimizing your wireless technology use.
Simply put, use less tech, less often.
This can be as simple as turning off your WiFi at night when you go to sleep (let’s face it, you’re not even using it anyway!). Or, switching your phone into airplane mode when you don’t need to send or receive calls and texts. Even skipping the wireless headset makes a difference, so try using the speakerphone feature or a wired headset instead.
When you use less tech, less often, you’re going to be exposed to a lot less EMF.
So, that’s the first step—to minimize use.
Maximize Distance
The second step is to maximize distance. That means creating more space between your EMF tech and your body. You can do that, for example, by not carrying your phone in your pocket (which even the iPhone manual says not to do) and not using your laptop on your lap.
The power of EMF radiation diminishes exponentially with distance, so every millimeter of separation you can create between your devices and your body can make a really big difference in your exposure.
EMF Shielding Products
EMF shieldingEMF shielding refers to the practice of reducing the electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in a particular area by blocking or altering the electromagnetic waves with barriers made of conductive or... More products, like the ones my company SYB makes and sells, can help you greatly in your EMF mitigation journey.
If you want to learn more about how EMF shielding products work, visit my post “EMF Shielding Materials,” which has everything you need to know about using EMF shielding products.
One thing I want to say first: let me clarify that EMF shielding products are an addition to your EMF shielding efforts (namely, minimizing use and maximizing distance). In other words, they’re the second line of defense. Read my post “What is the Best EMF Protection? Hint: It’s Free” for more information.
Educate Yourself and Others
This is probably the most important part of ensuring that your EMF mitigation journey turns out to be a success. See, EMF is a complex subject. And a minor error in handling EMF can completely invert the result.
When you educate yourself on the subject, you’ll be able to properly manage your EMF without being at risk of making an error.
SYB’s primary mission is to educate the masses on EMF health risks, EMF protection, and living alongside technology in a safer, healthier way. We have a ton of resources that you can start reading today, for free, to learn about EMF, its health effects, and protection in-depth.
Besides that, we also have a free training guide on how to talk to people about EMF in a way that actually convinces them to make changes in their life. It’s called the “EMF Advocacy Training Guide” and you can download it from our website.
Final Thoughts
The ill-effects of technology aren’t limited to EMF’s biological effects. It goes far beyond that, affecting you physically, mentally, and emotionally.
But, we also can’t give up technology. It’s made us the advanced species we are today, and we hardly want to go back to the way we lived two hundred years ago.
So, is there a solution to this dilemma?
Yes, there is.
You need to build a healthier relationship with technology. And how do you do that?
Check out season 2 of “The Healthier Tech Podcast,” where experts from different industries discuss subjects ranging from digital detox and tech regulation to the right to disconnect and big data.
The podcast is available on all major platforms. So, do give it a listen.
