Do Cell Phones Come With Health Risks?
By villageanne
@villageanne (8553)
United States
March 16, 2008 1:37pm CST
I remember when cell phones were just becoming popular, there was talk of them causing cancer. Now that nearly everyone has a cell phone, that talk has died down. I wonder if they do cause health problems or if all the talk was just as a result of people being afraid of something they did not understand? So I did some research and this is what I found:
"The scientific and medical information is in a gray area," says George L. Carlo, PhD, who headed up a six-year, cellular industry-funded study about wireless health risks. "We can't say clearly that these things are safe. We have a hint that they are dangerous. [But] we don't know how dangerous. What we do know is that in the four different epidemiologic studies we've done, there are hints of health risks."
Does this information affect your usage of cell phones?
1 person likes this
7 responses
@praveenjena (1304)
• India
18 Mar 08
The Hidden Health Risk of Cell Phones
By Geoffrey Lean, Independent UK. Posted October 12, 2007.
at http://www.alternet.org/environment/65137/.
this is a fine article.
i want to add something.
radiation from cellular phones can cause activity in hundreds of proteins in human cells grown in a laboratory.
changes in cells that line blood vessels could weaken the functioning of the brain’s protective shield against harmful substances. These changes damaged the blood-brain barrier—a safety barrier that stops harmful substances in the blood from entering the brain.
facilitate the development of brain cancer by inhibiting the cytochrome c/caspase-3 apoptotic pathway
@Groparul (5)
• Romania
17 Mar 08
I suppose there are health risks, but a cell phone is something most people have become addicted to, including myself. Even if i knew it was dangerous, i would still have a hard time letting go of it. I guess that even if you stop using one, you would still be affected by the others who do, and by the local antennas, and many other things emit the same kind of radiation as cell phones, so you're never completely safe. Every place in the world is an intersection of radiowaves of various frequencies, coming from sattelites or local radio broadcast centers. It's something hard to avoid.
@Polly1 (12645)
• United States
17 Mar 08
I rarely use my cell phone, I mostly have it for emergencies. Constant use of one might have health risk. I know when I am using the microwave I tell the grandkids to not stand in front of it, you never know. I like to be safe then sorry. Now adays no matter where we live, no matter what we do, we are in danger of something. Even in the country, we are constantly surrounded by pollution, chemicals etc. People are starting to smarten up. The "in thing" is going "green" and recycling and buying recycled things. Lets hope it not too late.
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
17 Mar 08
I have heard that cell phones do pose a health risk, but everything does these days, it seems. I seen on the news tonight that people who use a phone alot, will eventually disfigure their ears by holding their phone a long time to it. I really don't have to worry about it though because I hardly ever use the phone.
@lindaway224 (91)
• China
17 Mar 08
I heard this before.
Don't turn on cell phone and put it near your head all night.
@GardenGerty (161013)
• United States
16 Mar 08
I do not have a cell phone, as such. I keep a tracfone charged to use in case of emergencies. It functions more as a walkie talkie between hubby and I. Health risks are pretty well non existent at the very low rate I use the phone. I just have no desire to be "on an electronic leash" as my niece says. I also find it ironic to see people have to come outdoors to get reception on their phone. I am just slow to join the twenty-first century, and in a lot of ways it keeps my stress level down. If people cannot get me by phone, oh, well. I do not have the bill for the cell usage, do not have to sit on my porch to talk, and do not have risks to my health from cell phones. The bigger risk with a cell phone is talking and driving, in my opinion.
