Your cell phone and your health

Can mobile phones cause headaches, burning sensations on the skin, an increase in blood pressure or even brain tumors?

These are among the mounting health concerns of the growing number of cell phone users around the world. Recently, we received this electrifying warning via e-mail: "Do not answer your cell phone when it is plugged in. Never, ever answer a cell phone while it is being charged."

The story goes that a young man was electrocuted after answering a call on his cell, which was connected to an outlet. He was knocked unconscious and found in his room with a weak heartbeat and burnt fingers. He was rushed to the hospital and pronounced dead on arrival.

Is this just another urban legend?

Truth is, there’s more and more new evidence about health risks from mobile phones’ electromagnetic radiation. Today, most gasoline stations carry a cell phone warning for those filling up.

What kind of radiation do mobile phones produce?

FYI, mobile phones transmit and receive radio frequency (RF) radiation at frequencies of between 825 and 915 megahertz.

Scientists will tell you that RF radiation can cause heating, which can have severe health effects on the body like fatigue, reduced mental concentration, and cataracts, at very high levels of exposure.

The Lancet reported in June 1998 that radiation from mobiles causes an increase in blood pressure. In an experiment, Dr. Braune and his colleagues in Freiburg, Germany attached mobile phones to the right side of the heads of 10 volunteers. Without the volunteers knowing it, the phones were switched on and off – to separate any radiation effect from the psychological effect of holding a mobile phone. Here are the shocking findings: The subjects’ blood pressure rose each time by between five and 10mm Hg, perhaps because of an electromagnetic radiation-induced constrictive effect on blood vessels from the mobile phones. According to experts, this level of increase would be more than enough to trigger a stroke or heart attack in those who are at high risk.

Prior to this, mobile phone studies were done on animals. An Australian study found that mice exposed to "pulsed digital mobile phone radiation" were twice as likely to develop cancers. On the other hand, an American study found that exposing rats to electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones for 45 minutes resulted in impaired learning and short-term memory.

In the UK, a woman with a brain tumor is suing a mobile phone manufacturer. Then there’s a biologist who’s bringing a case against a provider of mobile phone equipment for its failure to warn people of radiation hazards.

There’s a wide variety of electrical devices on the market today – from computers to TV sets, radar transmitters and transformers. Mobile phone radiation is certainly the most intense, based on its effects on aircraft navigation systems – or a nearby conventional telephone. Haven’t you noticed that there’s some kind of disturbance when you’re using your landline and a call on your cell or a text message comes in?

A boon to cell phone users is the hands-free kit, which allows them to make phone calls without having to put their cell phones next to their heads. By separating the antenna from the user’s head, radio frequency exposure to the head is reduced by about 100 times vis-a-vis holding the mobile to one’s head.

Then again, "hands-free" shouldn’t mean you’re free to use your cell phone anytime and anywhere you please. According to a report, "mobile phones are being studied on another health front." "Driver distraction," or using a cell phone while driving, has been pinpointed as the cause of a great number of car crashes in the US, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. There are studies that show that cell phone users have higher accident rates (in some cases, as high as drunk drivers) than average motorists.

So once more with feeling: Don’t text or call and drive.

Surely, shouldn’t mobile phones carry information re their rate of radiation?

This is one urgent message consumers would like to send mobile phone manufacturers.

Cell phone users, take note

We’re passing on this urgent message we received via e-mail:

Don’t we all have in our mobile phone hundreds of names/numbers stored in its memory and yet nobody, other than ourselves, knows which of these numbers belong to our near and dear ones?

Let us for a moment create a scenario wherein (God forbid!) we are involved in an accident or have a heart attack and the people attending to us get hold of our mobile phone but don’t know which number to call to inform our family members. Yes, there are hundreds of numbers stored, but which one is the contact person in case of an emergency?

For this reason, we must have one or more telephone numbers stored under the name ICE (In Case of Emergency) in our mobile phones.

The concept of "ICE" is fast catching on. It is a simple, important method of contact during emergency situations. As most of us carry a cell phone, all we need to do is to store the number of a contact person or person who should be contacted during emergency as "ICE" (In Case of Emergency).

The idea was brought up by a paramedic who found that when they went to the scenes of accidents, there were always mobile phones with patients, but they didn’t know which number to call. Thus, he thought that it would be a good idea if there was a nationally recognized name for this purpose.

Following a disaster in London , the East Anglican Ambulance Service has launched a national "In Case of Emergency (ICE)" campaign.

In an emergency situation, Emergency Service personnel and hospital staff would then be able to quickly contact your next of kin, by simply dialing the number stored as "ICE".

For more than one contact name, simply enter ICE1, ICE2 and ICE3, etc.

It really could save your life, or put a loved one’s mind at rest.

Help out. Sweat it out

Ever heard of Project: Brave Kids?

It’s a volunteer group that supports children with cancer and their families. It was spearheaded by one loving father, Paul Perez, whose four-year-old son Seve is bravely battling cancer.

Relates Paul, "Seve is the inspiration behind Project: Brave Kids. He’s doing well though we had a scare last month. Seve had dengue. How many four-year-olds do you know who’ve had to face two life-threatening diseases? But Seve knows how to fight. He took it on and fought hard. He stayed eight days in the hospital, fighting temporary blindness, isolation, and homesickness. But he knew he had to fight like a soldier."

The proud dad adds, "Having a son like Seve is such a blessing. He keeps us grounded. Despite the challenges of running a volunteer group and balancing family life and an advertising career, my wife and I are committed to continue fighting."

You can help Seve and kids with cancer in their fight by joining "Step Up, Coca-Cola’s Grand Charity Workout" on Dec. 3, Sunday, at 11 a.m. at Market! Market! Activity Center. For every calorie you burn in the free aerobics session, Coca-Cola donates P1 to Project: Brave Kids.

Participants of the workout sessions must be 13 years old and above. Children below 12 must be accompanied by an adult in the kiddie activity area.

For details, call Project: Brave Kids’ hotline at 0917-811KIDS (5437).

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We’d love to hear from you. E-mail us at ching_alano@yahoo.com.