Electromagnetic hypersensitive Finns: Symptoms, perceived sources and treatments, a questionnaire study.
Hagström M, Auranen J, Ekman R. · 2013
View Original AbstractThree-quarters of electromagnetically sensitive individuals improved by avoiding EMF exposure, while conventional medical treatments showed little benefit.
Plain English Summary
Researchers surveyed 206 Finnish people who believe they suffer from electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), a condition where individuals experience symptoms they attribute to EMF exposure from devices like computers and cell phones. The study found that 76% reported improvement when they reduced or avoided EMF exposure, with the most effective treatments being dietary changes, supplements, and exercise rather than conventional medical approaches. The findings suggest that people experiencing EHS symptoms may benefit more from EMF avoidance and lifestyle modifications than from standard psychiatric treatments.
Why This Matters
This Finnish study provides important insights into how people experiencing electromagnetic hypersensitivity actually respond to different treatment approaches. While the medical establishment often dismisses EHS as purely psychological, this research shows that conventional treatments like psychotherapy and medication were largely ineffective, while EMF avoidance helped three-quarters of respondents. The fact that computers and mobile phones were the most commonly reported triggers aligns with what we know about these devices being among our highest daily EMF exposures. What this means for you is that if you're experiencing unexplained symptoms that seem connected to technology use, the evidence suggests that reducing your EMF exposure may be more helpful than dismissing your concerns as imaginary.
Exposure Information
Specific exposure levels were not quantified in this study.
Study Details
The aim was to analyze the subjective experiences of Finns who describe themselves as suffering from electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS), their symptoms, self-perceived sources of the health complaints and the effectiveness of medical and complementary alternative therapies.
A total of 395 questionnaires were mailed to self-diagnosed EHS persons. Of the participants 345 bel...
The return rate of the study was 52.1% (206) and 80.9% of the respondents were women. Before the ons...
According to the present results the official treatment protocols should take better account the EHS person's own experiences. The avoidance of electromagnetic radiation and fields effectively removed or lessened the symptoms in EHS persons.
Show BibTeX
@article{m_2013_electromagnetic_hypersensitive_finns_symptoms_2139,
author = {Hagström M and Auranen J and Ekman R.},
title = {Electromagnetic hypersensitive Finns: Symptoms, perceived sources and treatments, a questionnaire study.},
year = {2013},
url = {https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23557856/},
}