If you are anything like me, you can’t even imagine your life without your cell phone. I remember the days of pagers and stopping at a local payphone to return a call. These days, payphones aren’t readily available and with my increased germaphobic nature, payphones aren’t really a feasable option. I also remember the days before pagers when I would wait around for an important phone call which sometimes would take hours to come (wow that seems so long ago). Now with great advancements in technology, those days are over. But now a new problem arises…cancer from cell phone radiation.
How can you reduce your radiation exposure without tossing your phone? Here are a few tips (As we say in the medical community: TIME, SHIELD, DISTANCE):
• Keep your phone away from your body and especially away from your reproductive organs. That means keeping your phone out of your pocket. As a healthcare professional, I am constantly reminding my colleagues to take their phones out of their front scrub pocket. Most have PDAs or Smartphones which happen to emit the most radiation (Blackberry, Motorola and Palm top the EWG’s worst list). Since scrubs have limited pocket space, most keep their phones in their front breast pocket (breast cancer hazard) or in the front two waist pockets (ovarian cancer hazard). If you are pregnant, it is especially important to avoid placing your cell phone in your front waist pockets since this could potential affect your developing baby. (DISTANCE)
• Use your speakerphone feature whenever available. This allows the phone to be kept away from your head while you talk. (DISTANCE)
• If speakerphone is not available, utilize wired headphones to help keep the phone away from your head. If using wireless headphones, be sure to turn it off in between calls since low levels of radiation can still emit through the device. (DISTANCE)
• Do not allow children to play with cell phones. Children are more vulnerable to the effects of radiation. (SHIELD)
• Limit your time on the phone and text whenever possible (not when driving of course). (TIME)
• Getting a low signal? Wait until the signal gets strong since weak signals cause the phone to emit more radiation when looking for a signal. (SHIELD)
Opening and playing with your new phone is so exciting and if you’re like most consumers, you probably didn’t even notice the “Radio Frequency Emissions” informational insert that came with your phone. Curious to see what your cell phone radiation emission is? Check out this widget from the Environmental Working Group:
Remember, when you are finished using your current cell phone, be sure to recycle it. Donate it to the March of Dimes, get cash for it at Planet Green or find a recycling center near you Earth 911.
Author : Diba Tillery RN, BSN, IBCLC, CPST
Related posts:
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Regarding cell phone radiation, I am both a grateful cancer survivor of 35 years, and a 2 time “stent heart attack” survivor.
So, I have Cell Phone Shield Tabz on my cell phone, on my computer screen and on my tv to minimize the radiation for cheap insurance, as cancer has many sources including radiation.
Now work I to educate you the public, on the “rest of the story and alternatives” for cancer and heart attacks that I have learned the hard way over the last 35 years.
If cancer or heart attacks has affected you or yours and you want to know how to prevent it or minimize it, see www. CellPhoneShield.Me and www. StopStentHeartAttacks.Info
or email me for more information > Lance@myqci.com
Lance in Colorado