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[Subjective symptoms related to mobile phone use--a pilot study]

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Szyjkowska A, Bortkiewicz A, Szymczak W, Makowiec-Dabrowska T. · 2005

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Most students experienced headaches and concentration problems but didn't recognize these as potential mobile phone effects.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Polish researchers surveyed 117 university students about their health symptoms and mobile phone use habits. They found that 70% reported headaches and 56% had concentration problems, though most students didn't connect these symptoms to their phone use. The most commonly recognized phone-related symptom was a warming sensation in and around the ear, reported by 28% of participants.

Why This Matters

This early study from Poland highlights a critical disconnect between what people experience and what they recognize as EMF-related symptoms. The reality is that 70% of these young adults reported headaches and over half struggled with concentration issues, yet only a small fraction connected these problems to their mobile phone use. This pattern appears repeatedly in EMF research - significant symptom prevalence in populations with regular wireless device exposure, but limited awareness of potential connections. What this means for you is that symptoms you might dismiss as normal stress or lifestyle factors could actually be your body's response to EMF exposure. The 28% who experienced thermal sensations around their ears were recognizing the most obvious effect, but the broader health impacts may be flying under the radar for most users.

Exposure Information

Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.

Study Details

The present project was undertaken to investigate whether the symptoms of ill health reported by young people may be associated with the use of mobile phone.

A survey using a self-reported questionnaire was conducted among randomly selected university studen...

Most of the subjects (62%) assessed their health condition as good, 31% as very good and 7% as fair....

The large number of young people complaining of headache and impaired concentration calls for further research to investigate the underlying reasons. It cannot be excluded that one of them may be exposure to EMF emitted by mobile phone. The explanation should be sought through further experimental and epidemiologic studies.

Cite This Study
Szyjkowska A, Bortkiewicz A, Szymczak W, Makowiec-Dabrowska T. (2005). [Subjective symptoms related to mobile phone use--a pilot study] Pol Merkuriusz Lek. 19(112):529-532, 2005.
Show BibTeX
@article{a_2005_subjective_symptoms_related_to_2730,
  author = {Szyjkowska A and Bortkiewicz A and Szymczak W and Makowiec-Dabrowska T.},
  title = {[Subjective symptoms related to mobile phone use--a pilot study]},
  year = {2005},
  
  url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16379318/},
}
PubMed: 16379318

Cited By (28 papers)

Quick Questions About This Study

A 2005 Polish study found 70% of 117 university students reported headaches, but only 6.8% connected these headaches to their mobile phone use. Most students didn't recognize the potential link between their symptoms and phone usage patterns.
Research on 117 Polish university students found 56% experienced concentration problems, but only 10 out of 65 affected students thought their mobile phone use might be causing these cognitive difficulties.
A Polish study found 28% of university students experienced thermal sensations in and around their ear during mobile phone use. This warming feeling was the most commonly recognized phone-related symptom among participants.
According to Polish researchers studying 117 university students, none of the participants sought medical attention or took medication for symptoms potentially related to mobile phone use, despite widespread headaches and concentration issues.
A 2005 Polish study revealed most mobile phone users don't connect their symptoms to phone use. While 70% had headaches and 56% had concentration problems, very few recognized these as potentially phone-related.