Watching TV, using a cell phone, air travel, Wi-Fi, smoking, and medical diagnostic imaging can all contribute to our daily exposure to radiation. While not all types and sources of radiation are the same, their net effect is to increase your risk of cancer and other health problems. So how worried do we need to be about cell phone radiation and cancer? According to the World Health Organization, cell phone usage poses a greater threat due to the frequency of contact with the brain and has been declared possibly carcinogenic to humans.
Easy Ways to Reduce Cell Phone Radiation Exposure:
- Use speakerphone. Your safest bet is to use the speakerphone function and keep the phone a hands length away. A wired headset still emits some radiation but emits less than a Bluetooth emitter, which should be your third choice in talking on the phone.
- Text instead of calling. The further away the phone, the better.
- Point antenna away from you. If possible try to keep the phone turned off if next to your body all day.
- Maintain good reception. When signal quality is poor, your phone works harder and emits more radiation.
- Avoid use in enclosed spaces. Try to avoid talking on phones in elevators, cars, trains, or planes. Cell phones draw more power (emitting more radiation) in enclosed metal spaces.
- Use a landline. Invest in a wired landline, cordless phones can emit radiation much like cell phones.
- Reconsider radiation shields. Although very popular, radiation shields hamper reception and can cause your cell phone to increase emission of radiation.
Keep in mind that children can be more severely affected by radiation emitted from cell phones because their skulls are much thinner. Developmentally, children’s cells are dividing at a much faster rate, so the impact of radiation mutations can be much larger.
According to Dr. Henry Lai, research professor at University of Washington who has studied radiation for more than 30 years, cancer development, particularly brain cancer, takes a long time to develop. He thinks “it is a good idea to give the public some sort of warning that long-term exposure to radiation from your cell phone could possibly cause cancer”.
Cancer Care at Arizona Natural Health Center is committed to preventing cancer just as much as treating cancer. Learn natural ways to reduce your risk of cancer and increase your health today!
