Electromagnetic hypersensitive Finns: Symptoms, perceived sources and treatments, a questionnaire study.
Hagström M, Auranen J, Ekman R. · 2013
At a Glance
Of the 136 peer-reviewed studies in this collection on radiofrequency exposure, 93 — 68.4% — reported biological effects. On electromagnetic hypersensitivity the evidence genuinely conflicts. Observational studies find higher rates of headache, memory complaints, dizziness and sleep disturbance among people living near base stations. Blinded provocation trials, where subjects do not know when exposure is on, largely fail to find a link between exposure and acute symptoms. Both results are real, and the symptoms people report are real regardless of which explanation holds.
Based on analysis of 157 peer-reviewed studies
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) refers to a condition where individuals report experiencing symptoms they attribute to EMF exposure. These symptoms are real and can significantly impact quality of life, even as the scientific community continues to investigate the underlying mechanisms.
Research estimates that 3-10% of the population in developed countries reports some degree of EMF sensitivity. The World Health Organization acknowledges that the symptoms are genuine, while noting that controlled studies have not consistently demonstrated that EMF exposure causes the symptoms.
This page presents the research on EHS symptoms, prevalence, and what science currently understands about this condition.
Key Findings
- -93 of 136 studies (68.4%) in this collection found biological effects from radiofrequency exposure
- -Residents near a base station reported significantly more neuropsychiatric complaints than controls — headache 23.5% vs 10%, memory changes 28.2% vs 5%, dizziness 18.8% vs 5%, depressive symptoms 21.7% vs 8.8%, sleep disturbance 23.5% vs 10%, across 85 inhabitants (Abdel-Rassoul 2007)
- -Blinded trials point the other way — a systematic review of 5 randomized human laboratory trials and 12 epidemiological studies concluded the evidence for a *missing* relationship between base-station exposure up to 10 V/m and acute symptoms is strong (Röösli 2010)
- -Symptom reporting is common and mostly mild — 31% of Norwegian and 13% of Swedish respondents reported at least one symptom in connection with mobile phone use, most often warmth around the ear, burning facial skin and headache, which the authors read as awareness rather than serious illness (Oftedal 2000)
- -Effects on wellbeing could not be ruled out even at very low measured exposure — maximum 4.1 mW/m² among 365 residents near base stations, with no known mechanism at those levels (Hutter 2006)
What the Research Shows
The Shape of the Disagreement
Of the 136 peer-reviewed studies indexed here on radiofrequency exposure, 93 — 68.4% — reported biological effects. Electromagnetic hypersensitivity is the topic where this collection's studies most openly disagree, and presenting only one side would misrepresent the field.
What People Report
Oftedal and colleagues (2000) surveyed mobile phone users in Norway and Sweden. Thirty-one percent of Norwegian and 13% of Swedish respondents had experienced at least one symptom in connection with phone use. The most common were sensations of warmth on and around the ear, burning sensations in the facial skin, and headaches. The authors read the pattern as awareness of symptoms rather than evidence of a serious health problem.
Abdel-Rassoul and colleagues (2007) ran a cross-sectional study of 85 people living near a mobile phone base station in Menoufiya, Egypt, including 37 living in a building directly beneath the antenna. Neuropsychiatric complaints were significantly more prevalent among exposed inhabitants than controls: headache 23.5% against 10%, memory changes 28.2% against 5%, dizziness 18.8% against 5%, tremors 9.4% against none, depressive symptoms 21.7% against 8.8%, and sleep disturbance 23.5% against 10%. The authors concluded that residents near base stations are at risk of neuropsychiatric problems and altered neurobehavioral performance.
Hutter and colleagues (2006) studied 365 randomly selected residents near ten base stations with cognitive testing and wellbeing measures. Measured exposure was far below recommended limits, peaking at 4.1 mW/m². They concluded effects on wellbeing and performance could not be ruled out at those levels, while stating that a mechanism at such low exposure is unknown.
What Blinded Testing Finds
Röösli and colleagues (2010) systematically reviewed randomized human laboratory trials and epidemiological studies of base-station radiation in everyday environments, including 17 articles meeting their quality criteria — 5 randomized trials and 12 epidemiological studies. Most of the randomized trials detected no association between exposure and symptoms. Their conclusion is stated strongly: the evidence for a missing relationship between base-station exposure up to 10 volts per metre and acute symptom development can be considered strong, because it rests on randomized, blinded human laboratory trials.
That is the central tension. When people know or believe exposure is present, symptom rates rise. When exposure is switched on and off without their knowledge, most trials find they cannot tell.
How to Hold Both Results
The reconciliation that fits the data is that the symptoms are real and the trigger is unresolved. Headaches, fatigue, poor concentration and disturbed sleep are genuine experiences with genuine costs, and nothing in the provocation-trial literature says otherwise. What those trials challenge is the specific causal claim that an acute radiofrequency field produces the symptom in that moment.
Several possibilities remain open. Effects may be cumulative rather than acute, and provocation trials test acute response. Sensitivity may vary enough between individuals that group averages hide it. Or the mechanism may be an expectation-driven response, which produces real physiological symptoms through a different pathway. This collection does not settle which.
Reported Symptom Patterns
Across the studies here the recurring complaints are headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, memory complaints, sleep disturbance, dizziness, and skin sensations including warmth or burning around the ear and face. Note that this list overlaps heavily with stress, poor sleep and screen use, which is part of why attribution is difficult.
What Is Reasonable to Do
Reducing exposure is cheap and carries no downside, so it needs no scientific proof to justify: fewer transmitters in bedrooms, wired connections where devices do not move, speaker or wired headphones for calls, wireless off overnight. For anyone whose symptoms are persistent or disabling, this evidence base does not substitute for medical evaluation — the symptoms have many possible causes, and several of them are treatable.
Related Studies (157)
Mobile phone use, blood lead levels, and attention deficit hyperactivity symptoms in children: a longitudinal study.
Byun YH et al. · 2013
Researchers conducted a longitudinal study of 2,422 children in 10 Korean cities to examine the association between mobile phone use and ADHD symptoms while considering lead exposure. They found that mobile phone use for voice calls was linked to higher ADHD symptom risk, but only among children with relatively high lead exposure. The results suggest that simultaneous exposure to lead and RF from mobile phone use was associated with increased ADHD symptom risk, though reverse causality could not be excluded.
The acute auditory effects of exposure for 60 minutes to mobile`s electromagnetic field.
Alsanosi AA et al. · 2013
Researchers conducted a prospective controlled clinical trial at King Abdulaziz University Hospital from July 2009 to July 2011. They measured hearing threshold levels and distortion product otoacoustic emissions before and immediately after 60 minutes of exposure to the same model of mobile phone. In test ears, hearing threshold levels shifted significantly at 1000 and 2000 Hz but not at other frequencies, while non-test ears showed no significant shift. Test ears also showed significant DPOAE differences at 1000 Hz, 1400 Hz, 2000 Hz, and the average of all frequencies, while non-test ears did not. Heat or pain was the most commonly reported symptom after exposure.
Reduction of pain thresholds in fibromyalgia after very low-intensity magnetic stimulation: a double-blinded, randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.
Maestú C et al. · 2013
A double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial was performed at Sagrado Corazón Hospital in Seville, Spain, enrolling female fibromyalgia patients aged 22 to 50 years. The stimulation group received 8 Hz pulsed magnetic fields of very low intensity, while the sham group underwent the same protocol without stimulation. The stimulation group showed statistically significant improvement in somatosensory pain thresholds, ability to perform daily activities, perceived chronic pain, and sleep quality compared with the control group. Pain thresholds improved after the first session, while the other measures improved after the sixth week. No significant differences were found for depression, fatigue, headache severity, or serotonin levels, and no adverse effects were reported.
The relationship between adolescents' well-being and their wireless phone use: a cross-sectional study
Redmayne M, Smith E, and Abramson MJ · 2013
More frequent cellphone and cordless phone calls were associated with higher odds of headaches, wired headsets with tinnitus, wireless headsets with headache, feeling down or depressed, and waking at night, and being woken by a cellphone at night was strongly linked to daytime tiredness. The study reported that 36% of tested associations were statistically significant, more than the 5% expected by chance, and several showed dose-dependent patterns.
Replication of heart rate variability provocation study with 2.4-GHz cordless phone confirms original findings.
Havas M, Marrongelle J · 2013
This study replicated earlier research by analyzing heart rate variability (HRV) responses in 69 subjects between the ages of 26 and 80 in both Canada and the USA. Subjects were exposed for 3-minute intervals to radiation generated by a 2.4-GHz cordless phone base station at 3-8 μW/cm². Based on HRV analyses, 7% of subjects were classified as "moderately to very" sensitive, 29% as "little to moderately" sensitive, and 30% as "not to little" sensitive.
Symptoms & SensitivityNo Effects Found
Do TETRA (Airwave) base station signals have a short-term impact on health and well-being? A randomized double-blind provocation study.2
Wallace D et al. · 2012
Researchers conducted a randomized double-blind provocation study to test whether short-term exposure to a TETRA base station signal affects health and well-being. Fifty-one electrosensitive individuals and 132 matched controls took part, with 48 electrosensitive and 132 control participants completing double-blind tests in a screened semianechoic chamber. Under double-blind conditions, no differences were found on any measure between TETRA and sham exposure, and neither group could detect the signal above chance. When conditions were not double-blind, electrosensitive participants reported feeling worse and more severe symptoms during TETRA exposure. The researchers suggest that adverse symptoms in electrosensitive individuals are due to the belief of harm from TETRA base stations.
Symptoms & SensitivityNo Effects Found
EHS subjects do not perceive RF EMF emitted from smart phones better than non-EHS subjects.
Kwon MK, Kim SK, Koo JM, Choi JY, Kim DW. · 2012
The study used a double-blind design with 17 EHS and 20 non-EHS volunteers exposed to real and sham RF-EMF sessions. There was no indication that EHS subjects perceive RF-EMFs better than non-EHS subjects. Exposure used a WCDMA module at 1950 MHz with an average power of 24 dBm and a specific absorption rate of 1.57 W/kg for 32 min.
Symptoms & SensitivityNo Effects Found
Effects of radiation emitted by WCDMA mobile phones on electromagnetic hypersensitive subjects.
Kwon MK, Choi JY, Kim SK, Yoo TK, Kim DW. · 2012
In this double-blind study, two volunteer groups of 17 EHS and 20 non-EHS subjects were simultaneously investigated for physiological changes (heart rate, heart rate variability, and respiration rate), eight subjective symptoms, and perception of RF-EMFs during real and sham exposure sessions. Experiments were conducted using a dummy phone containing a WCDMA module (average power, 24 dBm at 1950 MHz; specific absorption rate, 1.57 W/kg) within a headset placed on the head for 32 min. WCDMA RF-EMFs generated no physiological changes or subjective symptoms in either group, and there was no evidence that EHS subjects perceived RF-EMFs better than non-EHS subjects.
Symptoms & SensitivityNo Effects Found
Cohort study on the effects of everyday life radio frequency electromagnetic field exposure on non-specific symptoms and tinnitus.Environ Int. 38(1):29-36, 2012
Frei P et al. · 2012
Researchers enrolled 1375 randomly selected participants from Basel, Switzerland, in 2008 with a one-year follow-up and 82% participation rate. Far-field environmental RF-EMF exposure was predicted using a validated model, and near-field exposure was assessed via self-reported phone use and operator data. For participants in the top decile of far-field exposure compared to those below the median, the change in von Zerssen score was -0.12 (95% CI -1.79 to 1.56) and the change in HIT-6 score was -0.37 (95% CI -1.80 to 1.07). Exposure to near-field sources and changes in exposure over time were not related to non-specific symptoms, and no association was observed for tinnitus.
Symptoms & SensitivityNo Effects Found
Acute effects of electromagnetic fields emitted by GSM mobile phones on subjective well-being and physiological reactions: a meta-analysis.
Augner C, Gnambs T, Winker R, Barth A. · 2012
The meta-analysis aimed to clarify whether RF-EMF influence well-being in self-reported sensitive persons and non-sensitive people. It included 17 studies with 1174 participants and combined the single effects of subjective and objective outcomes into a single population parameter. No significant impact of short-term RF-EMF exposure was found on any parameter.
Brain & Nervous SystemNo Effects Found
Cognitive and physiological responses in humans exposed to a TETRA base station signal in relation to perceived electromagnetic hypersensitivity.
Wallace D et al. · 2012
Researchers exposed Fifty-one people who reported perceived sensitivity to electromagnetic fields and 132 controls to a 420 MHz TETRA signal at 10 mW/m² and sham conditions under double-blind conditions. Cognitive measures of short-term memory, working memory, and attention were administered while physiological responses including blood volume pulse, heart rate, and skin conductance were monitored. No differences in cognitive performance or physiological responses were observed between TETRA exposure and sham in either group.
Prenatal and Postnatal Cell Phone Exposures and Headaches in Children.
Sudan M, Kheifets L, Arah O, Olsen J, Zeltzer L. · 2012
Researchers used data from the Danish National Birth Cohort, which enrolled pregnant women from 1996 to 2002, and assessed children at age seven via maternal questionnaire. They analyzed 52,680 children using multivariable adjusted models to relate prenatal only, postnatal only, or both prenatal and postnatal cell phone exposure to migraines and headache-related symptoms. Children with both prenatal and postnatal exposure had higher odds of migraines (OR 1.30, 95% CI 1.01-1.68) and headache-related symptoms (OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.23-1.40) compared to unexposed children.
Reported functional impairments of electrohypersensitive Japanese: A questionnaire survey.
Kato Y, Johansson O. · 2012
Subjective complaints of people living near mobile phone base stations in Poland.
Bortkiewicz A et al. · 2012
The study surveyed 181 men and 319 women from 500 households in five regions of Łódź, measuring electric fields in flats near base stations. Electric field strength above 0.8 V/m was found in 12 % of flats, and no significant correlation was observed between field strength and distance from the base stations. Headache was reported by 57 % of participants, most often by those living 100–150 m from a base station (p=0.013), while impaired memory was reported by 24.4 % of participants, mainly by those living farther than 150 m (p=0.004). The authors noted that the lack of correlation between measured electric field strength and symptoms, contrasted with distance-related symptom patterns, suggests new exposure metrics may be needed.
Idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields (IEI-EMF): A systematic review of identifying criteria.
Baliatsas C, Van Kamp I, Lebret E, Rubin GJ. · 2012
Symptoms & Sensitivity
Review
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity: Fact or fiction?
Unknown authors · 2011
Health professionals face patients reporting symptoms they connect to electromagnetic radiation exposure as wireless telecommunication expands. Scientists disagree whether electromagnetic hypersensitivity is a real phenomenon from common exposures or is psychosomatic. The World Health Organization and some nations are exploring this condition linked to non-specific, multi-system, often debilitating symptoms. Patients with EHS report physiological complaints plus social and personal challenges that impair normal functioning. The review provides recommendations for health professionals caring for individuals complaining of EHS.
Whole Body / GeneralNo Effects Found
Wireless communication fields and non-specific symptoms of ill health: a literature review
Unknown authors · 2011
This review updated a previous systematic review on the association between radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) exposure and health-related quality of life that included studies published before August 2007. Nine randomized trials addressed short-term close-to-body RF-EMF exposures such as mobile phones, and six randomized trials addressed short-term far-field exposure from base stations, while eight studies evaluated environmental far-field RF-EMF exposure. In most of the randomized trials, no exposure-response association was observed. Similarly, most of the recent observational studies did not show associations between RF-EMF exposure and non-specific symptoms.
CardiovascularNo Effects Found
Effects of RF fields emitted from smart phones on cardio-respiratory parameters: a preliminary provocation study.
Kwon MK, Nam KC, Lee da S, Jang KH, Kim DW. · 2011
Researchers conducted a double-blind provocation study with 10 self-reported electromagnetic hypersensitivity and 10 non-hypersensitivity volunteers. Participants were exposed to WCDMA RF fields at 1950 MHz with 24 dBm output and a specific absorption rate of 1.57 W/kg for 30 minutes. The 30-minute exposure did not produce any physiological changes in either group.
Symptoms & SensitivityNo Effects Found
The impact of exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields on chronic well-being in young people - A cross-sectional study based on personal dosimetry.
Heinrich S, Thomas S, Heumann C, von Kries R, Radon K. · 2011
Researchers investigated the association between RF EMF exposure and chronic well-being in 3022 children and adolescents using personal dosimetry. Measured exposure levels were far below ICNIRP reference levels. The most reported chronic symptom was fatigue. No statistically significant association between measured exposure and chronic symptoms was observed. Results do not indicate an association between measured RF EMF exposure and chronic well-being.
Brain & Nervous System1,197 citations
Mobile phone use and stress, sleep disturbances, and symptoms of depression among young adults--a prospective cohort study.
Thomée S, Härenstam A, Hagberg M. · 2011
The study included 4156 young adults aged 20-24 who completed questionnaires at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Mobile phone exposure variables included frequency of use and qualitative aspects such as demands on availability, perceived stressfulness of accessibility, being awakened at night, and personal overuse. Cross-sectionally, high mobile phone use was linked to stress, sleep disturbances, and depression symptoms in both sexes; prospectively, high use predicted sleep disturbances and depression symptoms in men and depression symptoms in women, while overuse predicted stress and sleep disturbances in women and high accessibility stress predicted stress, sleep disturbances, and depression symptoms in both sexes.
An old issue and a new look: Electromagnetic hypersensitivity caused by radiations emitted by GSM mobile phones.
Mortazavi SM et al. · 2011
Participants were exposed to microwave radiation from a mobile phone for 10 minutes in a real or sham condition and asked if they could sense the exposure. Heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure were monitored during exposure, and no statistically significant differences were found between real and sham conditions. The authors concluded that the findings confirm other provocative studies and suggest a possible role of psychological factors in electromagnetic hypersensitivity.
Non-specific physical symptoms in relation to actual and perceived proximity to mobile phone base stations and powerlines.
Baliatsas C et al. · 2011
Actual distances to base stations and powerlines were calculated using geo-coding, while perceived proximity and psychological factors were self-reported. Higher self-reported environmental sensitivity most strongly predicted non-specific physical symptoms, while perceived proximity to base stations, lower perceived control, and avoidance behavior were also associated; actual distance showed no significant association.
Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity: Evidence for a Novel Neurological Syndrome
McCarty DE et al. · 2011
Systematic review on the health effects of exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields from mobile phonebase stations.
Röösli M, Frei P, Mohler E, Hug K · 2010
The systematic review included 5 randomized human laboratory trials and 12 epidemiological studies. Most of the papers examined self-reported non-specific symptoms of ill-health. Most randomized trials did not detect an association between MPBS radiation and acute symptom development, and sporadic associations lacked a consistent pattern. The authors concluded that evidence for no acute effect up to 10 volts per metre is strong, but data are insufficient for long-term low-level exposure.
What This Means for You
- If you suspect EMF sensitivity, start by measuring your exposure levels to identify the strongest sources.
- Common symptoms reported include headaches, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances.
- Reduce exposure gradually - start with the bedroom and work outward.
- Measure your environment with a professional RF meter. Safe and Sound Pro II
Further Reading:
Frequently Asked Questions
The complaints reported most often across these studies are headache, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, memory changes, sleep disturbance, dizziness, and skin sensations such as warmth or burning around the ear and face. In a survey of mobile phone users, 31% of Norwegian and 13% of Swedish respondents reported at least one symptom connected with phone use, most commonly warmth around the ear and headache (Oftedal 2000).
The symptoms are real; the cause is contested. Observational studies near base stations found significantly higher rates of headache, memory complaints, dizziness and sleep disturbance among exposed residents (Abdel-Rassoul 2007). But a systematic review of randomized blinded trials concluded that evidence for a missing relationship between exposure up to 10 V/m and acute symptoms is strong (Röösli 2010). Both findings stand, and neither implies people are imagining their symptoms.
Self-testing is unreliable for exactly the reason the research shows: symptom reporting changes when you know whether a source is on. A more informative approach is systematic reduction — remove transmitters from the bedroom, switch wireless off overnight, use wired connections — and track symptoms over weeks rather than moments. If symptoms are persistent or disabling, medical evaluation matters more than any of this, since the same symptoms have many treatable causes.
They test different things. Observational studies compare people living with more or less exposure over long periods, where exposure is tangled with awareness, stress and other differences. Provocation trials switch exposure on and off blind and measure acute response over minutes. A cumulative effect, a subgroup effect, or an expectation-driven response would each produce exactly this pattern of results, and this collection does not resolve which applies.
Further Reading
For a comprehensive exploration of EMF health effects and practical protection strategies, explore these books by R Blank and Dr. Martin Blank.
