Understanding the effects of Electromagnetic Radiation (EMF) and Radiofrequency Radiation (RF) on Your Health
Our health is directly affected by a variety of things we cannot see but know to be true. We don’t see the air, but we are sensitive to air quality on a smoggy day. We cannot see UV rays, but we can certainly feel their effects while baking at the beach. And while we cannot see electromagnetic radiation (EMF), a growing number of people are reporting symptoms that directly correlate to electrical hypersensitivity (EHS) and radiofrequency radiation (RF).
Over the last 20 years, physicians with the American Academy of Environmental Medicine have been seeing patients whose symptoms appeared to be triggered by “dirty electricity” – which is when high frequencies travel along electric wires between the power source and electric grid. This includes power lines, televisions, computers, and other electrical devices. Those suffering from EHS might experience varying symptoms including headaches, dizziness, chronic fatigue, depression, memory loss and confusion.
Now, more than ever, we are living in a world of convenient luxuries that depend heavily on electrical pollutants. We have phones in our pockets, microwaves in our homes, and satellite systems in our cars. As science attempts to catch pace with the exponential race of technology, we are only beginning to comprehend the effects RF waves have on our health.
What is Radiofrequency Radiation?
The electromagnetic wave spectrum is composed of two parts: ionizing radiation and nonionizing radiation. Ionization radiation includes X-rays and ultraviolet rays, whereas non-ionizing radiation includes radiofrequency (RF). For years we have focused on the negative impact of ionizing radiation, but now we are starting to understand the impact of non-ionizing radiation or radiofrequency.
RF is what allows you to borrow your neighbour’s WiFi while you’re waiting for the service guy to come. Without the need for wires, RF has the power to pass through walls and go just about anywhere it pleases – and that includes inside our body. In this digital age, almost anything we can imagine can be a source of radiofrequency radiation. Our cell phones might seem obvious, but what about our Smart Meters, our children’s gaming systems, the baby monitor? They all use wireless communication, surrounding us in a constant invisible fog of electrosmog.
Our society encourages us to keep up or fall behind. Have you ever passed the Apple store the day a new iPhone hits the market? So many of us are willing to stand in lengthy lines, just to be early adopters of the latest technology. Our priorities are placed on technology as a way to make our lives better. And no doubt, it does. However, most of us never consider how our addiction to technology also impacts our health by inundating our bodies with a constant barrage of radio frequencies.
How Can EMF & RF Affect Your Health?
While EMF and RF radiation is considered biologically safe, the reality is that the level of our constant low-grade exposure is not reflected in their guidelines.
Some scientists have been researching the impacts of electrosmog on our bodies long before our world became so highly digitized. In 1987, one study proved that exposure to electrosmog at levels considerably lower than those observed in urban areas created changes in human brain waves and behaviour.
Further to that, EMF may also affect the mitochondria -- our cellular energy factories, which are fundamental to every energy-dependent process in our body, most notably our nervous system. As a result, EMF-induced disruption of our mitochondria may effectively bolster neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, as well as playing a part in other diseases and health issues where mitochondrial dysfunction is implicated. These include psychiatric disorders, autoimmune diseases, headaches and migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, stroke, diabetes, heart disease, reproductive disorders, cancers… the list goes on and on!
So, the question needs asking: If EMF and RF are already having an impact our lives, what are the long-term effects for our children raised in a world choked by electrosmog? Only time will tell.
Minimize Your EMF & RF Exposure
While more data is required, the science that’s already in, warrants taking precautionary measures in minimizing EMF exposure.
1. Get rid of your cordless phones.
2. Turn off your WiFi- Internet can be hard wired into your home to prevent WiFi exposure, as can your television “box” and any other things that are wireless and transmitting and receiving signals.
3. Switch your cell phone to airplane mode or turn it off at night.
4. EMF-reducing sleep sanctuary or canopies may help block EMF according to renowned doctor Dietrich Klinghardt, from the Academy for the Healing Arts and Neural Therapy and Biology.
5. Finally, there is one other thing you can do to neutralize the toxic effects of EMF and RF exposure, and that is to GET OUTSIDE!
By simply spending time in nature and grounding yourself so you have direct contact with the earth, you are opening the gateway for an influx of electrons to be absorbed and distributed throughout your body. This transfer of electrons can help to neutralize oxidative stress and minimize any derangements in the electrical activities of your body. So put down your phone and open the door to a healthier future!
If you believe you have symptoms that could be related to electrical hypersensitivity, please book an appointment to visit Well Ahead Chicago. We want to help you take control of your health!
To your best health!
Well Ahead Chicago
References:
https://www.aaemonline.org/emf_rf_position.php
Marshall, T.G., & Heil, T.J.R. (2017). Electrosmog and autoimmune disease. Immunology Research.
