A lesson in cellular biology

As a child, my mother led me to believe that if my ears glowed, someone, somewhere was talking about me. More recently though, I came across the real reason for red ears (which now makes me wonder about the validity of the tooth fairy).

Though her theory was a little shaky, it definitely had to do with talking…on a mobile phone. Cell phones emit electromagnetic waves or radiation, which we call radio frequency (RF), similar to that of microwave ovens and TV’s. Unlike deeply penetrating X-rays or Gamma rays, RF fields cannot cause radioactivity in the body. They do, however, penetrate exposed tissues to depths of up to one centimeter at the frequencies used by mobile phones. That RF energy is absorbed in the body and produces heat, hence the glowing ear.

The industry predicts that there will be as many as 1.6 billion mobile phone subscribers worldwide in the next three years (a lot of hot heads!). Given the immense numbers of users, even small adverse effects on health could have major global implications. That’s why the World Health Organization (WHO) has made a determined effort to find factual and scientifically researched answers to the question we’re all asking � Is the mobile phone hazardous to my health?

The short answer is ‚yes‛ … if an elephant had to stand on the phone while it was still glued to your ear. Farcical facts aside – the overall opinion, and one shared by leading global researchers of the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and the WHO, is that Mobile phones pose NO health risk. The heat energy that’s generated is well within the safety margin, and easily tolerated by the body. Current scientific evidence also indicates that exposure to RF fields emitted by mobile phones and their base stations (those fake palm trees), is unlikely to induce or promote cancers. So forget the rumours about tumors, it’s been proven otherwise.

For those who noticed that little word ‚unlikely‛ – the worrying implication is that although no real dangers have been found, they also have not necessarily all been ruled out, and maybe more research needs to be done. When cigarettes first hit the shelves many years ago, they weren’t considered a health risk ‌

A hands-free appliance definitely decreases the RF exposure to your head – so if you’re a cautious caller, take this precaution to heart â€? or better still to your hip! Oddly enough, scratching your head with a cellphone increases the amount of RF energy absorbed â€? so fight the urge to itch.

What am I personally doing about the dilemma of ‚do I, or don’t I dial?‛ Give me a call on my mobile sometime and let’s discuss it…

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