Is Your Cell Phone a Health Hazard?
Collectively, Americans spend more than 6 billion minutes a day glued to their cell phones. But new science suggests a link between heavy cell phone use (30 minutes or more a day) and an increased risk of a type of brain cancer. And now a brand-new study from the National Institutes of Health reports that the electromagnetic radiation thats given off by a cell phone antenna triggers an increase of brain glucose in the area of the head thats closest to where the cell phone is held.The health effects, if any, remain unknown. But if you want to minimize your exposure until all the evidence is in, follow these proven safety tips from Devra Lee Davis, PhD, an epidemiologist and author of the book Disconnect: The Truth About Cell Phone Radiation.10 Worst germ hot spots1. Try to avoid direct contact with your cell phone during calls.
Use the speaker-phone setting or wired hands-free device. Although wireless Bluetooth devices do reduce radiation, they dont eliminate it.2. Follow the bars.
Radiation exposure increases when a cell phones signal is weak or when youre traveling in a fast-moving car or train. Thats because the phone needs to constantly reconnect to new towers. Wait till you have three or more bars showing before you make your call.The truth about 22 common health myths and misperceptions3. Tell your kids to text.
Because their skulls are thinner than adults, children absorb radiation at a higher rate when they hold a phone to their ear.4. Save the long chats for a noncordless landline or an Internet phone system, like Skype.
And when youre on the go, let your fingers do the talking and send a text instead.
Rodale.com is a new original source for daily news, information, and advice on personal and environmental health. Rodale.com focuses on Where Health Meets Green topics, providing daily news stories and breaking! news al ong with easy-to-follow, high-impact tips and advice. Rodale.com features a Daily Newsletter, and provides simple, powerful tools including Recipe Finder and Home Remedy Finder to help audiences improve their health and their environment. Rodale.com also includes "Maria's Farm Country Kitchen," a personal blog where Editor-in-Chief and Rodale, Inc. CEO and Chairman Maria Rodale is Cooking Up Trouble, Dishing Out Advice.
Use the speaker-phone setting or wired hands-free device. Although wireless Bluetooth devices do reduce radiation, they dont eliminate it.2. Follow the bars.
Radiation exposure increases when a cell phones signal is weak or when youre traveling in a fast-moving car or train. Thats because the phone needs to constantly reconnect to new towers. Wait till you have three or more bars showing before you make your call.The truth about 22 common health myths and misperceptions3. Tell your kids to text.
Because their skulls are thinner than adults, children absorb radiation at a higher rate when they hold a phone to their ear.4. Save the long chats for a noncordless landline or an Internet phone system, like Skype.
And when youre on the go, let your fingers do the talking and send a text instead.
Rodale.com is a new original source for daily news, information, and advice on personal and environmental health. Rodale.com focuses on Where Health Meets Green topics, providing daily news stories and breaking! news al ong with easy-to-follow, high-impact tips and advice. Rodale.com features a Daily Newsletter, and provides simple, powerful tools including Recipe Finder and Home Remedy Finder to help audiences improve their health and their environment. Rodale.com also includes "Maria's Farm Country Kitchen," a personal blog where Editor-in-Chief and Rodale, Inc. CEO and Chairman Maria Rodale is Cooking Up Trouble, Dishing Out Advice.
