If it feels like almost everyone you meet is carrying, using, or (more likely) staring into a mobile phone, you’re not imagining it. According to BankMyCell.com, there are over 7 billion people worldwide who own a smart phone or a feature phone, which equates to approximately 92% of the world’s population. That number, as you might imagine, is only going up.

Making calls is only the beginning of possibilities for these hand-held devices. They are increasingly used as a replacement for cameras, computers, and televisions. They allow us to access the internet, watch videos, movies, the news, anything we want. Just click an app and you’re able to navigate unfamiliar addresses, access email accounts, text back and forth to your friends and family, edit the photos you took seconds ago and post them on your favorite social media account. Even our banking, bill paying, and investing can be conducted on a smart phone. There is no denying the convenience and popularity of these devices.

The Downside of Smart Phones and Their Link to Cancer

Since smart phones are here to stay, it only makes sense that we recognize any downside health effects that this technology might harbor… and more importantly, learn how to mitigate those risks. Researchers have been warning us about continued prolonged exposure to radiation in the form of radio frequency that is emitted by these devices, and it’s high time we paid attention to what they’re saying.

For starters, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (a division of the World Health Organization) has classified radio frequency electromagnetic fields as a possible carcinogen. What does that mean? Simply put, the EMF emitted by the handy dandy device in your hand or your pocket — and on which you just might be reading this post — ranks right up there with chloroform, lead, and DDT as cancer-causing agents.

In a report published by WorldHealth.net on February 28, 2019, it was determined that brain tumors and salivary gland cancers are particularly notable in cell phone users. In addition, women who store their cell phones in their bras (not a good idea) have an increased risk for breast cancer.

Research shows that exposure to smart phones is bad enough for adults, but for infants, children and teenagers, the risk of cancer is estimated to be 4X higher (Journal of Microscopy and Ultrastructure). In some countries, it is the law that pregnant women must wear protective clothing to protect their unborn babies.

Cancer’s Invisible Enemy

In an article published July 2018 in Environmental Research, scientists identified seven effects that were consistently present following exposure to Wi-Fi, including changes in hormones, reproductive dysfunction, neuropsychological effects, and DNA damage.

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, pioneer health visionary and author of Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn’t Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution sounded the alarm on her popular blog page as hundreds of new 5G towers were installed in cities all across the country. The biologically incompatible frequencies these structures emit are not compatible to natural human frequencies. And because these shorter waves are unable to travel very far, transmitters are increasingly installed on lamp posts, utility poles, homes, and businesses all across the country – including a neighborhood near you.

The price for this convenience? As Gittleman explains in her article, What Everyone Needs to Know About 5G Radiation, “sweat ducts act like little antennas when exposed to these wavelengths, making us more electrically conductive. Your body has between two and four million sweat ducts, and scientists found that these 5G millimeter waves are capable of amplifying physical pain because our skin perceives them as damaging stimuli” (Dr. Ben-Ishai of Hebrew University).

The 17 Minutes That Can Increase Your Risk of Cancer

On July 9, 2021, The Science Times issued a health warning – “Smartphone Use for 17 Minutes Per Day in Over Ten Years Could Increase Risk of Cancer.” The takeaway from their research? Your risk of developing cancer is increased by 60% when you utilize a smart phone for 1,000 hours. That equals 17 minutes per day for 10 years.

You can lessen your risks with some simple precautions.

Ways to Minimize Your Risk of Radiation Exposure

There are some simple steps you can take to minimize your risk of developing cancer from these devices.

• Limit cell phone calls to a maximum of 17 minutes per call.
• Keep mobile phones a minimum of 10 inches away from the body.
• Use the speakerphone option whenever possible to increase the distance from you and your mobile phone.
• Try to avoid using a mobile phone in any vehicle — car, train, or bus — or when traveling in rural areas and whenever the signal is weak as these phones are programmed to increase the radiation when the signal is poor.
• Use a protective shielding case for your mobile phone.

References:

“Ignored Science: Wi-Fi Increases Risk of Brain Cancer” (Feb 28, 2019);
WorldHealth.net; https://worldhealth.net/news/ignored-science-wi-fi-increases-risk-brain-cancer/

Moon JH. Health effects of electromagnetic fields on children. Clin Exp Pediatr. 2020 Nov;63(11):422-428. doi: 10.3345/cep.2019.01494. Epub 2020 May 26. PMID: 32683815; PMCID: PMC7642138.

Pall ML. Wi-Fi is an important threat to human health. Environ Res. 2018 Jul;164:405-416. doi: 10.1016/j.envres.2018.01.035. Epub 2018 Mar 21. PMID: 29573716.

Margaret Davis. Health Warning! Smartphone Use for 17 Minutes Per Day in Over Ten Years Could Increase Risk of Cancer.
The Science Times. Jul 09, 2021 04:50 AM EDT. https://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/32183/20210709/health-warning-smartphone-use-cancer.htm

Choi YJ, Moskowitz JM, Myung SK, Lee YR, Hong YC. Cellular Phone Use and Risk of Tumors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Nov 2;17(21):8079. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17218079. PMID: 33147845; PMCID: PMC7663653.