September 22nd is EMF Radiation"Radiation" in the context of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) refers to the process by which energy is emitted and transmitted through space or a material medium in the form of electromagnetic... More Safety Day, and I want to take this opportunity to explain a bit more about what the purpose of this day is.
What is EMF Radiation?
Before moving further and discussing EMF Radiation Safety Day in-depth, let’s take a moment to understand what EMF is in the first place.
EMF, short for electromagnetic fields, is a form of energy"Energy" is a fundamental concept in physics, often described as the ability to do work or cause change. In everyday terms, it's what is needed to move things, heat them... More that all modern technology emits. That includes anything with a wireless signal or that runs on electrical power"Power" in a scientific context refers to the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred. In simpler terms, it's how fast something is using energy. For example,... More.
Each year, companies come up with new gadgets and appliances, and 5G"5G" refers to the fifth generation of wireless communication technology, a step up from the previous 4G, 3G, and 2G networks. It's designed to provide faster internet speeds, more reliable... More is on the verge of becoming our standard network. Because of this, the EMF pollution in our environment is growing significantly.
And this is not good news because thousands of peer-reviewed, high-quality research studies confirm that EMF exposure on this large scale is devastating for your physical and mental health.
Want to Slash Your EMF Health Risks?
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Have a look at some of the health effects that researchers say you can develop due to prolonged EMF exposure.
Sleep Disruption
Experts say that prolonged EMF exposure heavily disrupts your sleep. In fact, the link between EMF exposure and inadequate sleep is a well-investigated area. And there are research studies going back decades confirming this effect of EMF.
Here’s one of the many examples.
In 1999, researcher Tayebeh Barsam and his colleagues from Iran did a research study to understand the effects of ELF-EMF exposure on sleep quality in areas with high voltage substations.
Their study comprised 67 workers aged between 24-57 years who were occupationally exposed to EMF. Besides this, they also had a control group composed of 110 individuals within a similar age range.
They used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaire to survey the volunteers. Once they collected the survey results, they found that the group who were occupationally exposed to EMF received lesser quality sleep than the control group.
Experts believe that the reason behind this is how our brain functions. To have a good quality sleep, you need a resting brain with no outside stimulation. Since EMF mimics the electrical signals your brain sends to control your body, exposure to this energy keeps your brain active when it should be resting.
Cancer
In the past few decades, researchers have gathered quite a bit of evidence demonstrating a tangible link between prolonged EMF exposure and an increased risk of cancer development.
Here are some of the cancer types that studies say one can develop due to prolonged EMF exposure.
- Brain tumors
- Parotid cancer
- Thyroid cancer
- Colorectal cancer
- And breast cancer
Learn more about the relationship between EMF and cancer development in my post “Will My Cell Phone Give Me Cancer?”.
Infertility
Studies have found that men are susceptible to EMF-induced fertility problems. See, most men carry their phones in the front pocket of their pants. Doing this puts a huge EMF source near the very sensitive male reproductive organs, resulting in problems like infertility, lower semen count, and erectile dysfunction.
Researcher Ashok Agarwal of the Cleveland Clinic has published multiple studies on this subject. And one of his papers says that men who use their cell phones for many hours every day suffer from lower sperm count.
For this study, Dr. Agarwal gathered 361 male volunteers and divided them into four groups.
- Men who did not use cell phones
- Those who used cell phones for less than 2 hours a day
- Those who used cell phones between 2 and 4 hours a day
- And those who used cell phones for more than 4 hours a day
Upon surveying, he found that “the decrease in sperm parameters was dependent on the duration of daily exposure to cell phones and independent of the initial semen quality.”
And it’s not just men who suffer from EMF-induced reproductive issues. Women are equally at risk.
You can learn more about it in my post, “EMF Radiation Health Dangers for Women.”
Inadequate Immune System
Your immune system is what protects you from an array of health problems by fighting off diseases and shielding your body from foreign threats.
Experts say that prolonged EMF exposure can delay or prohibit your immune system response, causing your body to develop serious health problems.
This is because your brain controls your immune system; it tells the system when to react and when to let go. Since your brain uses electric signals to communicate with the immune system, your EMF exposure can interfere with the said signal. This results in a ton of problems, including:
- Immunosuppression
- Autoimmune diseases
- Allergies
- And electro hypersensitivity
Besides this, experts also say that prolonged EMF exposure can supercharge diseases. You can learn more about the relationship between EMF exposure and your immune system in my post, “EMF and Your Immune System.”
Issues with the Endocrine System
Similar to the immune system, the brain also controls the endocrine system, which regulates the hormones in your body. When your EMF exposure is high, it becomes hard for your brain’s instructions to reach your endocrine system. This results in your body producing hormones in larger or smaller amounts than needed – outcomes which are both bad for your health.
Because of this, your body will start suffering from hormone imbalances, resulting in problems like:
- Rapid weight changes
- Sleep disorders
- Skin issues
- Poor bone strength
- Unexplained changes in blood sugar and diabetes
- Irritability and anxiety
- Depression
- Migraines
- Bloating
- Constipation
- Thinning hair
- Infertility
- Reduced libido and ED
And More…
These are just a few of the many health problems associated with prolonged EMF exposure. Learn more about what other effects EMF has on your health in my “Health Effects of EMF Radiation” post collection.
Why EMF Radiation Safety Day?
While our exposure to EMF continues to grow, we are not helpless. There are ways to reduce your exposure to this type of radiation and live healthier.
So, I – along with some friends and colleagues – decided to create this day to help build awareness about EMF radiation and how you can live in the modern world more safely.
The goals of this day are:
- To bring awareness to EMF radiation, which is a force that a growing number of people are concerned about, but often do not understand.
- To empower people to take control over their exposure to EMF radiation.
And best of all– you don’t have to buy anything or spend any money to celebrate this holiday!
How Can You Observe EMF Radiation Safety Day?
The first important step with EMF radiation safety is recognizing the sources of EMF in your life. If you want to know how much EMF you’re being exposed to from these sources, the only real way is to test for yourself.
EMF Testing: How it Works?
Though you can’t see, smell, touch, or taste EMF, you can definitely test its level around you. That’s because EMF is a measurable energy, just like light, sound, and heat.
To test EMF levels, you need a consumer-grade EMF meter. You can find these on many eCommerce sites like Amazon. And by visiting our “EMF & Product Testing at SYB” page, you can learn everything about testing EMF and EMF shieldingEMF shielding refers to the practice of reducing the electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in a particular area by blocking or altering the electromagnetic waves with barriers made of conductive or... More products. So, give it a read.
The Best EMF Protection is Free
Though I recommend getting a consumer-grade EMF meter, if you’re unable to get one, don’t worry, as you can practice EMF safety even without an EMF meter.
That’s because, at its core, “the best EMF protection is always free.” And I’ve been saying this in my posts, talks, webinars, and podcasts for a long time now.
We know that all wireless devices (like cell phones, WiFi routers, and cell towers) and all electrical lines and appliances emit EMF. So, while you might not know precisely how much radiation you’re being exposed to without an EMF meter, you’re familiar with the sources responsible for the EMF levels around you. And with this knowledge, you can take the necessary steps to mitigate your EMF exposure.
One of the absolute best ways to protect yourself from this kind of exposure is to follow the “Minimize Use & Maximize Distance” rule.
Minimize Use
This rule demands that you cut down on your unnecessary use of EMF-emitting gadgets and appliances.
See, the level of EMF pollution in our environment is massive today. And our habit of being completely reliant on our gadgets for everything is making it worse.
But you can control this simply by reducing the amount of time you spend using your EMF-emitting gadgets. Also, this doesn’t have to hurt your daily necessary gadget use. You can cut down your usage when it’s not absolutely necessary for you to use your gadgets. For example:
- Instead of mindlessly scrolling social media, you can take this time and pick up a new offline hobby.
- You can turn on the airplane mode on your phone when you don’t need network connectivity. This way, you can cut down a massive amount of EMF from your surroundings.
- And finally, you can turn off your WiFi router when you’re not using it. Most of us keep the WiFi router turned on even at night, when we’re sleeping and not using the internet. Turning off the router will remove a huge EMF source from your environment.
Maximize Distance
The second rule of EMF mitigation is to maximize your distance from EMF-emitting gadgets and appliances. See, the more distance you keep between your body and the EMF source, the weaker your exposure will be. That’s because, according to the inverse square law of physics, the power of EMF weakens with distance.
I’ve explained the concept of “Minimize Use and Maximize Distance” in-depth in the video below.
In any case, here are some of the things you can do to maximize your distance from EMF sources.
- Use the speakerphone feature or an anti-radiation headset instead of holding your phone up to your head (SYB Healthy Living Tip #87);
- Keep your WiFi router as far away from you as possible (SYB Healthy Living Tip #15)
- Don’t carry your phone in your pocket or bra (SYB Healthy Living Tip #64).
The best way you can observe “EMF Radiation Safety Day” is by starting to consciously practice these two rules: minimize use and maximize distance.
Why September 22nd?
I picked September 22nd for this day because it is the birthday of Michael FaradayMichael Faraday: Pioneer of Electromagnetism and the Faraday Cage Michael Faraday, born on September 22, 1791, in Newington Butts, Surrey, England, was a brilliant scientist and experimentalist who made groundbreaking... More.
Michael Faraday was a British scientist born on September 22nd, 1791. He was an immensely influential scientist in the fieldIn the context of electromagnetic fields (EMF), the term "field" refers to a region in space where electric and magnetic forces are exerted. An electromagnetic field is generated by electrically... More of electromagnetism, with many inventions to his credit.
In 1821 he invented the first electric motor. And in the early 1830s, he discovered a way to convert mechanical energy into electricity on a large scale, creating the first electric generator.
But his popularity enhanced tenfold when he invented the first Faraday Cage in 1836. A Faraday CageA Faraday cage, named after the English scientist Michael Faraday who invented them in 1836, is a structure used to shield its contents from external electric fields, including electromagnetic fields... More is a shield that blocks electromagnetic radiationElectromagnetic radiation refers to the waves of the electromagnetic field, propagating through space, carrying electromagnetic radiant energy. It includes a wide range of electromagnetic waves, from very long radio waves... More and is the basis for modern-day EMF protection, like the products we design and sell here at SYB.
Join Us!
So, we at SYB encourage you to join us in celebrating EMF Radiation Safety Day this September 22nd.
