Protect your Brain - Wi-Fi & Mobile Phone Radiation Dangers

While it’s been a controversial topic for some years, a recent segment – Wi-Fried on ABC’s Catalyst program - graphically illustrated how our high use of mobile phones, Wi-Fi and other technological devices is probably not as safe as you may think. More and more evidence is now suggesting links to brain cancer and other negative health effects.

Of course, we are not going to stop using our phones and Wi-Fi in the short term so here are some tips to minimise your risk and protect your precious brain.

1: USE YOUR MOBILE LESS

Use your phone when you have to, but try to use it only for important/essential calls and keep them as brief as possible. Minimise long social calls and try to leave the gossip for face-to-face catch-ups.

2: KNOW THAT HOME CORDLESS PHONES ARE JUST AS BAD AS MOBILES

3: USE SPEAKERPHONE OR HANDS-FREE

The main danger in all this is having our phone so close to our head (one graphic on the segment showed radiation penetrating to about 1/3 of an adult brain and through the whole head of a 3 year old!). So wherever practical use speakerphone ideally or hands-free.

4: REDUCE WI-FI EXPOSURE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE

This is difficult in most workplaces but at home use cable when you can or at the very least turn your Wi-Fi unit off when not using it (particularly at night while sleeping). Also, have the unit as far away as possible, e.g. in a back cupboard.

5: USE FLIGHT MODE WHEN NOT USING INTERNET

If simply using the phone for playing games etc (downtime is critical for peak productivity!!!), always put your phone on airplane or flight mode. This is also good to remember if your kids or young nieces/nephews are using your phone to play games.

6: REDUCE YOUNG KIDS EXPOSURE

The research suggest that the younger the brain, the higher the water & fat content of that brain. Therefore, the more they absorb harmful radiation and thus the radiation and risks are multiplied. Not an easy one this one I know, but try to use reduce time kids spent exposed to Wi-Fi and mobiles … and try to get them following the same safety recommendations.

7: MINIMISE MOBILE USE IN YOUR CAR

Cars act like a steel shield disallowing radiation to escape and magnifying the impact on the body/brain. Try to be in the open air as much as possible when on your mobile.

8: TURN THINGS OFF AT NIGHT

It really amazes me how many people have their phones right near their head while sleeping! At the very least, the phone should be more than 1 meter from your head (tell your kids) but really, seriously turn them off at night. Use a traditional alarm if you have to and if someone rings you with something important at 2am in the morning, they can leave a message and you can get it when you wake up.

9: DON’T BLINDLY ACCEPT (SUPPOSED) EXPERTS WHO SAY THIS STUFF IS SAFE

Don’t think just because everyone else is doing this and half the population hasn’t died of brain cancer yet that it’s safe. The show outlined how many experts (without so much vested interest!) suggest that it’s far too early to see the ramifications and we have vested industry interests doing everything in their power and big budgets to suppress the research and dangers. They say it’s just like smoking lobbies decades ago. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, it took decades for the true dangers of smoking to become public.