Preliminary report: symptoms associated with mobile phone use.
Hocking, B · 1998
View Original AbstractEarly mobile phone users reported burning sensations and head pain that resolved when they changed their phone usage patterns.
Plain English Summary
Researchers surveyed 40 mobile phone users who experienced unusual symptoms like burning sensations and dull aches in their head and ears during or after phone calls. These symptoms typically started within minutes of use and lasted up to an hour afterward, with 75% of cases linked to digital phones. The study found that most people got relief by changing how they used their phones or switching to different devices.
Why This Matters
This 1998 study represents one of the earliest systematic attempts to document what we now recognize as electromagnetic hypersensitivity symptoms. What makes this research particularly significant is that it captured real-world experiences from diverse users before the wireless industry's massive expansion. The fact that 75% of cases involved digital phones, and that symptoms resolved when users modified their phone habits, suggests a clear exposure-response relationship. While this was a preliminary survey rather than a controlled study, it established important patterns that subsequent research has continued to explore. The reality is that millions of people worldwide now report similar symptoms, yet regulatory agencies still treat electromagnetic sensitivity as largely psychological rather than biological.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
A survey has been conducted to characterize the symptoms sometimes associated with mobile phone usage
A notice of interest in cases was placed in a major medical journal and this was publicized by the m...
Forty respondents from diverse occupations described unpleasant sensations such as a burning feeling...
Further work is needed to determine the range of effects, their mechanism and the possible implications for safety limits of RFR.
Show BibTeX
@article{hocking_1998_preliminary_report_symptoms_associated_2196,
author = {Hocking and B},
title = {Preliminary report: symptoms associated with mobile phone use.},
year = {1998},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10024730/},
}