Part of detoxing is limiting your exposure to things that may cause you harm. EMFs, or Electromagnetic Fields, are fields of energy emitted by electronic devices, appliances, powerlines, etc. They are commonly referred to as radiation, and they are getting more and more attention these days. With the introduction of the 5G network, discussion of EMFs have started to appear in the media, and a lot of people are asking, how concerned do we need to be? The short answer is that we don’t know for sure because we haven’t been exposed to them for long enough yet to discover their long-term effects. Some studies have found links to increased health risks and others haven’t; but I would be surprised if a study could match the exposure conditions of all day, every day for decades that we will and are experiencing in today’s society. As with so many things when it comes to cancer, general health, and potential dangers, I always say it’s better safe than sorry.

The higher frequency waves used in the 5G network have been around for a while, but their use has been limited to the medical world and security. The type of continuous, widespread use of these microwaves has never been seen before and the long-term health effects of this type of exposure have not been tested enough.

More than 180 scientists and doctors from 36 countries appealed to the EU to put 5G on hold and asserted that: “5G will substantially increase exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields (RF-EMF) on top of the 2G, 3g,4G, Wi-Fi, etc. for telecommunications already in place. RR-EMF has been proven to be harmful for humans and the environment.” Unfortunately, they were ignored and 5G pushed ahead. If you would like to read more about this and the potential dangerous effects of 5G, check out this fantastic article by Elyn Jacobs where she discusses effects such as DNA damage, compromising of the blood brain barrier, and oxidative stress.

DNA damage and oxidative stress are of particular interest when it comes to cancer. Oxidative stress, among other things, causes damage to our DNA in a number of ways. It can lead to oxidatively induced DNA damage such as lesions, single strand breaks, and double strand breaks [1]. The accumulation of DNA damage leads to the mutation of the genes it contains, which leads to issues with whatever function those genes control, including the division and growth of cells. “Oncogenes are genes that, under normal circumstances, tell cells to multiply and divide. […] We can think of oncogenes as being a bit like the accelerator pedal in a car. When they become active, they speed up a cell’s growth rate. When one becomes damaged, it is like the accelerator pedal becoming stuck down. That cell, and all the cells that grow from it, are permanently instructed to divide. So a cancer develops” [2]. There have been studies looking into what role this plays in the evolution of human malignancy and also the possible use of these parameters as cancer biomarkers [1].

So, what can we do to protect ourselves and reduce our exposure?

There are a number of changes you can make in your home and the way you use your technology as well as some devices that will reduce your exposure.

Devices In and Around Your Home

The first thing you should look at is where you keep your Wi-Fi router. You should place it as far away as possible from where you spend the most time, like your office or living room, while still being able to connect to the signal. Secondly, you should try to remember to always turn the router off at night. No one is using it while you’re sleeping, so maximize those EMF-free hours! In that same vein, I highly recommend putting your phone on airplane mode overnight or keeping it in a different room from where you sleep. I totally understand that some may not feel comfortable doing this in case there is an emergency and someone needs to get in touch with you during the night. In that case, just place it as far away from you as possible in your bedroom.

You should also see if your home has a smart meter from your hydro/electricity company. Many people are not concerned about smart meters, as even though they do emit EMFs they tend to be much farther away from your body than say your cell phone. However, until research can confirm with absolute certainty the health risks posed by EMFs, there is a chance that these meters could contribute your risk factors for things like cancer. As well, while all of these companies (hydro, cell phone companies, internet providers, tech firms, etc.) say that the amount of EMFs you are exposed to from their products is minimal, I think there is a point to be made about what happens when all of those minimal levels combine into what we are exposed to on a daily basis. It can never hurt to decrease your levels of exposure! If you are concerned about smart meters, you are not required to consent to one being installed on your home. You can always request to have the original manual meter installed on your house instead.

If you’re in the market for a new house and it is a possibility, purchase a house as far from major power lines and cell phone towers as you can. There are lots of different cell tower maps you can Google. Finally, you want to minimize your amount of cell phone use and try to hold your device a little further away from your body. All of these combined will help to reduce your overall daily exposure.

Anti-Radiation Devices

These days, the main source of EMF exposure for us is our electronic devices, particularly our cell phones and computers. Again, there is conflicting research and nothing has been definitively proven, but like always, I say better safe than sorry. These things really haven’t been around long enough for us to be certain of the long-term effects of the type of continual exposure that we have been experiencing in the last few years, so I recommend being on the safe side.

There are a number of anti-radiation devices that you can purchase to help reduce your exposure, and the company that I recommend above any other for the quality and function of their products is Safe Sleeve. They aren’t inexpensive, but so worth it in my opinion for the peace of mind they bring.

I have both a cell phone case and a lap pad that doubles as a computer case (pictured above), and I LOVE them both. My cell phone case attaches to the anti-radiation flap by magnets, and I also have a little magnetic clip in my car on the air vent, so I can easily remove my phone from the case and stick it to the clip for easy navigation, music control, etc. in the car. The shield is in the front flap that covers the screen, so when you are talking on the phone you close the flap and it acts as a barrier between your phone and your head while leaving the antenna in the back of the phone uninhibited to receive the signal.

The laptop case/lap pad is also great. It protects your computer while not in use and then it protects you while you are using it! It seems crazy to me to sit for hours with your laptop right over your reproductive center and where so many of your hormones are being created. Again, nothing is definitively proven, but the lap pad brings me a lot of peace of mind, especially as a young woman who has yet to have kids. Safe Sleeve products reduce your exposure to ELFs (Extremely Low Frequencies) by 92% and your exposure to RFs (Radio Frequencies) by 99% [3].

The final radiation device I use is air tube headphones (again, pictured above). Unlike wired headphones that have a mental wire all the way from the plug to the earpiece, air tube headphones have a wire from the plug but then, at the point where the headphones split to go to both earpieces, the wire is replaced with a flexible hollow tube containing only air. The sound waves can still travel through it very well, but EMFs have a much harder time travelling up them and right into your head than with a wire, reducing your exposure by almost 98% [4]. The headsets that Safe Sleeve offer are not my favourite. Instead, I would recommend Kinden, which I ordered on Amazon. These are the ones I got for both Jesse and I; we have had them for about a year and half and have had no issues whatsoever. They come in a handy carrying case with multiple sizes of earbud cushions. You do need to be a little more gentle with them then wired headphones though, as kinking the tube can damage it.

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Those are my recommendations! You don’t have to buy everything all at once. Maybe start with the cell phone case and get the others when you can. In the long run though, I would say it is definitely worth it. Even if it ends up coming out that EMFs 100% pose no health risks whatsoever (which I honestly think is unlikely), I will have been happy for the peace of mind these products provided me in the meantime. Prevention is key, and these devices contribute heavily to my feeling of ease when it comes to my EMF exposure.

If you would like to learn more about EMFs and their potential risks, there is a great blog called EMF Academy that contains everything you might be wondering about.

Happy Healing ❤️

References:

1. Role of oxidative stress and DNA damage in human carcinogenesis. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21216256
2. Genes, DNA and Cancer – https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/genes-dna-and-cancer
3. 7 Best EMF Protection Cell Phone Cases [2019] – https://emfacademy.com/best-emf-protection-cell-phone-cases/
4. Cell Phone Radiation Protection – Do Air Tube Headsets Work? – https://www.electricsense.com/cell-phone-radiation-protection-do-air-tube-headsets-work/