What are EMFs?
You are probably wondering what EMFS are, it seems to be an ever-increasing topic of conversation these days especially amongst those who are health conscious; maybe you are already aware or maybe you are here to learn more? Most of us are used to the conveniences that everyday life provides us with, yet few of us are educated on how these modern technologies we rely on so much may actually be adversely affecting our health. EMFs also known as Electro Magnetic Fields are invisible energy fields produced by electrical devices; they are a form of electromagnetic radiation. Most people know that radiation can be harmful to our health but the question is in what doses and in what forms?
Sources of EMFs
You will be familiar with most of the following sources of EMFs but some may take you by surprise. Let’s take a step back in time to understand how EMFs began; since the beginning of the universe the sun has been emitting EMFs as ultra violet radiation which we can see visibly as light. Then at the start of the 20th century electric power lines and indoor lighting were created by scientists for people around the world, these emit EMFs just like the sun. Over the years scientists went on to develop more and more technologies which emit EMFs such as x-rays and MRIs, radio waves and television signals and even radioactive atoms in nuclear bombs. Now in the 21st century our lives are more and more frequently consumed by EMF technologies as we live amongst mobile phones, wireless WiFi networks and Bluetooth devices. There are more and more heading our way as we have smart meters and 5g just around the corner. As you can see, environmental exposure to EMFs has gradually increased over the last century as a result of growing electricity demands, continual advancements in technologies and a more and more social world in which we live, the world has become polluted with ‘electro smog’ in a similar way to the pollution you know about from exhaust fumes, manufacturing processes, cigarette smoke the world is also now polluted with radiation. Due to the increase in the usage of EMFs being fairly recent, it is a very new phenomenon which is still widely unknown. Scientists have some evidence of the effects of EMFS but much more research needs to be done. We will explore what we already know, the ways it affects our health and ways we can avoid and reduce our exposures.
Dangers of EMF
So how do EMFs actually work in our bodies? There is science behind it believe it or not! Even without being exposed to EMFs we have tiny electrical currents continuously running inside our bodies due to the chemical reactions that occur as part of our bodies’ normal daily functions. For example, nerves relay information by transmitting electrical impulses around the body and even the heart is electrically active – an activity your doctor can trace with the help of an electrogram. So, what actually happens inside our bodies when we expose ourselves to outside EMFs (radiation)? To put it simply, EMFs induce circulating currents within the human body which mean they stimulate the electrical currents already inside our bodies, altering biological processes and putting pressure on the immune system which is not great if your bodies resources are already depleted. The strength of these currents depends on the intensity of the outside magnetic field, which means that different strengths of EMFs can cause different levels of harm to the body. This is something that is commonly understood as you can see below when we look at the different types of EMF exposures but a common misconception is that the effect on human health is solely down to the type of frequency of EMFs (high or low). Scientists however are now finding that it is also down to the length of the time of exposure rather than the frequency of the exposure so this is something that really needs to be considered when it comes to protecting ourselves from EMFs and reducing our exposures.
There are two types of EMF exposure:
High-frequency EMFs – this has been proven time and time again to cause cellular and DNA damage:
X-rays and gamma rays
Ultraviolet (UV) sunlight
Low-frequency EMFs – just because these frequencies are at a lower level it does not mean that they are not harmful because biological changes that stress the body over long periods of time, can still become irreversible and cause adverse health effects;
Generation and transmission of electricity through power lines and domestic appliances, e.g. hair dryers, hoovers, fridges, irons, electric toothbrushes, electric blankets, phone chargers
Radio wave broadcasting
Telecommunications TV signals
Microwaves
Bluetooth devices
Smart meters
Wireless WiFi networks
Mobile phone signals
Symptoms of EMF Sensitivity / Exposure
It’s important to know that anyone can be at risk of the harmful effects of EMFs; infants, children, adults and the elderly but they may not feel the effects, not in the short term anyway but in years to come they may go on to develop long term effects of EMF exposure such as cancer and other chronic illnesses. Those with low immunity may be particularly sensitive to EMFs in the short term. If you are sensitive to EMFs (where you get symptoms when you are exposed) this is known as a condition called electro-sensitivity, if you are sensitive then you may experience symptoms around EMFs that others do not feel. The following symptoms are common symptoms of sensitivity to EMF exposure:
Sleep disturbances including insomnia
Fatigue
Headaches
Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
Burning and tingling sensations of the skin
Muscle aches and pains
Brain fog
Lack of concentration
Changes in memory
Depression
Irritability
Restlessness
Anxiety
Nausea
Loss of libido
If you are already experiencing the above common symptoms, then you may have realized after reading this that you are someone who is sensitive to EMFs. It’s important to note that you do not need all of these symptoms to be sensitive to EMFs, you may have just a few or you may have a whole host of EMF exposure symptoms. However, these symptoms can also be caused by multiple other things so it’s important to know that they are not necessarily from EMF exposure. A good way to find out is to be aware of how you feel when in high EMF areas compared to low EMF areas, see if you can see a correlation between when your symptoms are worse or better. You can also reduce your exposure to EMFs to see if it helps, which we will discuss below.
Reducing EMF Exposure
The most valuable piece of information to know when trying to reduce EMF exposure is that the strength of an electromagnetic field decreases rapidly as the distance from the source increases so the further you are away from anything emitting EMFs, (the less radiation your body encounters) the better! Here are some top tips to reduce EMF exposure in the home and in daily living:
Only have your phone on when you need it, if you are chronically ill reduce to 1 hour per day
Keep data / WiFi turned off on phones when you’re not using it
Use speaker function or earphones when speaking on the phone so it’s further away from your body
Set up ‘screen time’ on your phone to limit the usage
Make sure you turn your phone off at night
Don’t sleep with your phone under the pillow instead have it as far away from you as possible
Remove WiFi from the home instead install a hard-wired router and ethernet cable
If you have WiFi then turn the router off at night
Watch TV without it being connected to WiFi (Sky boxsets / Netflix / apps etc)
Download shows onto an iPad (e.g. from Netflix) and watch without a connection (on aero plane mode)
Do not use Bluetooth devices (speakers / headphones etc), instead use record or CD players and headphones with a cord
Remove microwaves from the home, instead cook food on a hob or in an oven
Say no to smart meters (you can call your electricity company to have them removed and say no if they want you to have them – they don’t have a legal right for them to be in your home)
Spend time outdoors in nature away from EMFs whenever possible
Earth yourself by placing bare feet on the ground which helps remove radiation from your body
Only receive x-rays if necessary
Limit time spent in the sun and always wear sun cream to protect yourself
No matter, how much you reduce your EMF exposure there are still EMFs everywhere which cannot be avoided so there are also certain products which you can buy to help protect yourself from EMFs:
A herbal tincture called ‘Ray Wave’ from Ki Science to help protect your body from EMFs
A grounding matt from Groundology as a way of earthing yourself indoors at home
A banana cord to help earth yourself
Grounding bedding to help protect yourself from EMFs
A bed canopy to help protect yourself from EMFs
Shielding material to wrap around yourself to protect yourself from EMFs
You can buy shielding clothing to help protect yourself from EMFs
Shielding paint on your walls to help protect yourself from EMFs
Certain plants to help protect yourself from EMFs because they help cleanse EMFs from the air (Cactus, Snake Plant, Aloe Vera Plant, Spider Plant, Betal Leaf Plant)
Certain crystals to help protect yourself from EMFs because they absorb the radiation (Shungite, Black Tourmaline, Fulgurite, Eucryptite, Aventurine
You can buy most of these products from the following websites:
https://kiscience.com/product/ray-wave/
There are also things you can do when you are looking for somewhere to live to help protect yourself from EMFs:
Avoid living near a mobile phone tower – you can find where phone towers are on a map on this website
Avoid living close to power lines
Have a survey of your house conducted by an electrician specializing in EMFs – here are two electrical companies specialising in this
To finish off it’s important to be aware that if you or a member of your family are suffering from chronic illness such as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia or Lyme Disease then it is extremely important to reduce your exposure to help with recovery. Studies have found that EMFs have a greater impact on those who are chronically ill when immunity is low so reducing EMF exposure is essential for your healing journeys to give your body the best chance to recover. This is explained by Dr Klinghardt with his interview with Dr Mercola below:
I hope that this has helped you understand more about EMFs and the impact they may be having on your health. This isn’t about being perfect as we can’t be shield 24/7 in this modern world which we live in. It’s just about doing the best we can and protecting ourselves by minimising exposure whilst being aware of the risks. I also hope that you have picked up some ways to reduce your EMF exposure so you can help yourself and your family towards a healthier life! There is a summit coming up about 5g (the next big EMF technology) which is free where you can learn more, click here to register. If you have any questions, please get in touch via Instagram and Facebook @hellohealing or via email rebecca@hellohealing.co.uk, we look forward to hearing your thoughts! Please share as well!
Sources:
Electric and magnetic fields. (n.d.). niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/emf/index.cfm
Grellier J, et al. (2014). Potential health impacts of residential exposures to extremely low frequency magnetic fields in Europe. DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2013.09.017
Health and electromagnetic fields. (n.d.). ec.europa.eu/health/archive/ph_determinants/environment/emf/brochure_en.pdf
Huss A, et al. (2018). Occupational extremely low frequency magnetic fields (ELF-MF) exposure and hematolymphopoietic cancers – Swiss National Cohort analysis and updated meta-analysis. DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.03.022
IARC classifies radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans. (2011). iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2011/pdfs/pr208_E.pdf
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018). Glioma. mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/glioma/symptoms-causes/syc-20350251
Pall ML. (2015). Microwave frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) produce widespread neuropsychiatric effects including depression. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26300312
Questions and answers about biological effects and potential hazards of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields. (1999). transition.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/Documents/bulletins/oet56/oet56e4.pdf
Valberg PA. (2015). Electromagnetic waves (EMF and RF) and health effects. DOI: 10.1002/9781118834015.ch101
What are electromagnetic fields? (n.d.). who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/
Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity. IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Sept/Oct 173-175, 2002. http://ewh.ieee.org/soc/embs/comar/Hypersensitivity.htm
Magnetic Field Exposure and Cancer: Questions and Answers. National Cancer Institute.
What Are Electromagnetic Fields? World Health Organization. http://www.who.int/peh-emf/about/WhatisEMF/en/
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