“It's not me who's not well - the environment has become inferior. 
I am all right... I can rest in a frequency-free zone, and I'm fine..." 

-Jason, 22, EHS Warrior.

What You'll Find In This Guide:

1.  What is Electromagnetic Sensitivity or EHS?

2.  My Personal EHS Story

3.  What are Some Of The Symptoms Of Electromagnetic Sensitivity?

4. Digital Kids: What You Should Know Your Children And Preventing EMF Sensitivity

5.  When Did People Start Getting Sensitive To Energy Fields

6.  What Causes EHS And How Is It Diagnosed?

7.  How to tell if you’re sensitive to EMF, What People Say

8.  What To Do If You Have Electro-Sensitivity

9.  How To Prevent EMF Hypersensitivity or EHS

What Is Electromagnetic Sensitivity

Electromagnetic Sensitivity (ES) or Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS) is an intolerance to electromagnetic fields (EMF). That intolerance leads to physical reactions of all sorts. It's really important to note that EMF comes from ALL electrical items: the wiring in your home, the fridge, a fan, the x-ray machine, your cellphone (even when the phone is in airplane mode); there are "fields" of energy even coming from the earth.

How Do You Know If You Are "Allergic" To EMF?

I've detailed the different types of EMF like man-made vs natural and lots more specifically in this Guide. Here, I want to speak specifically about sensitivity as an illness. My focus is on wireless EMF due to its huge increase in our modern world and its subsequent effects on a greater number of people.

Electrohypersensitivity as a newly identified and characterized Neurologic Pathological Disorder: How to Diagnose, Treat, and Prevent It

That is the title of a research report released March 2020 by noted electromagnetic expert and scientist Dominique Belpomme. Based on data from 2,000 EHS patients, he presented photos of what EHS looks like and urged the World Health Organization to include it as a neurologic disorder in the International Classification of Diseases. He said, 

"EHS is becoming a new insidious worldwide plague involving millions of people."

30% of those patients also have multiple chemical sensitivities and he points out that both EHS and MCS present a similar symptoms and biologically both conditions are characterized by low-grade inflammation and an autoimmune response involving auto-antibodies against O-myelin.

Sometimes, EHS looks like this:

These photos are of patients with EHS. 

This happened to me when I got too close to the WiFi when I was doing a low power WiFi demo. I stood just over a foot away to try and get accurate readings for comparison. The rash was immediate and lasted for 3 days. Taylor the producer of the video saw my hands and remembers.

Most people with sensitivities react to some or all types of EMF including magnetic, electric, or high frequency fields. This intolerance leads to many truly unpleasant issues, including headaches, arm and leg pain, isolation, rashes, insomnia, and other bad reactions when someone with ES is near wireless energy.

These symptoms may be mild or severe, but no matter the severity, they are caused by the environment.

Still Believe EHS Isn't REAL?

Yes, I've heard that quite a bit.  Even Wikipedia say's it's a "claimed" condition.  Okay. But for people who have it and the experts who study it, being sensitive to the man-made electromagnetic radiation and it's polarized wave forms is quite real.

“It is evident from our preliminary experimental data that various biological alterations are present in EHS persons claiming to suffer from exposure to EMF. The alterations are themselves enough to fully explain the EHS symptoms, and the involvement of the immune system is evident” 
-Olle Johansson, associate professor, retired from the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden

Olle Johansson is recognized as one of the premiere research scientists focusing on Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity. And he understands that many people are feeling very sick when they are exposed to EMF.

Jason nailed it. Many people with EHS were and still can be healthy and well--if they're in the right place. “It's not me who's not well. The environment has become inferior. I am all right... I can rest in a frequency-free zone, and I'm fine!" 

I met Jason at a global electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) conference in England. We drove for miles to find a location that was free of electromagnetic radiation and found out that it’s true —the middle of nowhere can, sometimes, be the best place. It was for me, and it was for Jason, who began experiencing Electromagnetic Sensitivity Syndrome  during his late teens.

How Do You Know If You're Sensitive To EMF or Have Electromagnetic Sensitivity Syndrome?

Super cool and looking fit and healthy - if you saw Jason, you would never know he had Electromagnetic Sensitivity (ES) or Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS). For folks with this diagnosis, the digital world is a mash-up of headaches, insomnia, rashes, confusion, and, in some cases, profound disability.

I've met many people who are sensitive to EMF or wireless radiation. I myself am one of those people  and have actually had the "seventh sense" of being able to feel the energy of cellphones since the first time I held one in my hands.

For Jason, he recounted having his phone on- WiFi, bluetooth and cell enabled -full speed EMF exposure, with him all the time in his teens. He said he ran his business, managed his social life and relied on his phone for all his music and entertainment and then--suddenly he noticed he wasn't feeling like a teenager should. 

"Yeah, like why am I, at 19, feeling stiff and achy? I shouldn't need to go and do yoga. . . . I'm getting feelings in the back of my head, which I've never had before. . . . My anxiety levels have gone up.”

Many scientists predict that as our exposure to all things digital grows more intense, the number of people affected by ES will increase, and so they argue for preventative measures.

I want you to be as healthy as you can. Sharing the realities of this condition is my way of helping you care for yourself.

Jason is here to spread an important message. For many people, these impairments worsen with age and with increased EMF exposure (But, try telling that to a super-cool teenager!) Listening to the full EHS podcast, you'll hear more from Jason, more about how he rocked his phone--to book gigs, to stay in touch, to live life. 

And then it happened. It started slowly, but now he feels so unwell that he's looking to relocate to South America, in search of an environment that's not so filled with the wireless toxins of the digital age.

For More From Jason, listen to the Thriving With Tech Podcast - EMF Sensitivity Episode

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2.  Can You Feel the Energy? I have Electromagnetic Sensitivity

I noticed it the first time I picked up a cellphone over 30 years ago now.  I didn't know that everyone couldn't feel what I was feeling.  A zapping in my ear when I put the phone to my head.  Tingles and a little prickly feeling in my hands.

My husband is and was the epitome of a tech early adopter.  I mean classic.  We had all Apple products from the get go. We called them Macintosh.  He got one of the first-ever cell phones. He got me one too. He loved his and was on it way too much.  I avoided mine.  When I used it I needed to hold it away from my head. I could not stand the feeling of it being on my ear.  When later versions came out that allowed wired headphones, I would use those, but I noticed some of them even delivered the same electrical discomfort.  I got headaches from any conversation longer than 10 minutes, which meant basically I didn't want to talk on the phone, which led people to wonder if I was avoiding them.  I wasn't.  I was avoiding pain.

I would say to people, "Doesn't that hurt when you hold it?"  They would look at me funny. Lots of friends would tell me they "understood"; they felt heat after a long conversation. Umm, no. That was different. That actually was heat generated from the electrical elements in the phone. I felt something more than heat. I still feel it.

There was very little on the topic of electromagnetic radiation 20 years ago.  I researched cellphone dangers, I bought meters trying to figure it out and then finally I found THE book: "Invisible Hazards In The Wireless Age" by Martin Schram and Dr. George Carlo.  Published in 2002, it is an amazing recap of the first and still seminal research on the dangers of cellphones.  I called Dr. Carlo and explained that I had these magical powers of being able to know if a phone was on. During an enlightening conversation, he explained that what there wasn't any alchemy involved... I was simply, and sadly, sensitive to the electromagnetic radiation. 

My background of health issues result from a near-fatal car crash (a drunk driver coming the wrong way on the freeway, ended the life of a boyfriend and put me in critical care) when I was seventeen.  Although I'm happy to say I've healed greatly, the trauma created weaknesses in my body which I believe led to my ES.

ES isn’t an illness, disease, virus, or bacteria, and neither is it caused by a virus or bacteria. So, if you’re looking for a 10-foot pole to keep some distance between yourself and someone with ES, relax.  Pay more attention to your fitness and health and avoiding wireless output whenever you can.

However, with more and more people getting more and more powerful WiFi's and with more antennas (and more wireless connectivity - Say hello to 5G!) your chances of getting too much exposure will be so much greater. 

Dr. George Carlo, August Brice, Olle Johansson, and Dimitris Panagopolous at the EHS Conference in Britain

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3.  How Does EHS Feel? Symptoms of Electromagnetic Sensitivity 

Many symptoms associated with ES may be overlooked or misdiagnosed. If you experience a combination of the following symptoms, you should see your doctor before deciding whether or not you have ES. Your physician can rule out other possible conditions.

The symptoms of EHS, Electromagnetic Sensitivity, or EMF exposure are confirmed in the research below:

• Headaches ******

• Lack of Appetite *

• Digestion problems **

• Anxiety *****, *

• Sleep Difficulties *,  **,   ***

• Unstable moods and Bursts of anger Due to Poor Sleep*

• Depression *

• Fatigue*

• Lack Of Concentration*,  ******

• Irritability*

• Memory problems*, ******

• Visual problems- blurry vision*, **

• Vertigo or Dizziness *, **

• Tinnitus or Ringin In The Ears **   ***    ******

• Abdominal Swelling **

• Burning pain in hands, shoulders, legs and feet **

• Itch ****

• Edema, swelling, bloating **   ****

• Chills **

• Photosensitivity

• Tachycardia **  *****

• Heart Palpitations **  *****  ****

• Difficulty Breathing **

• Cystitis **

• Skin Rashes * ****

• Heightened sensitivity to touch, smells, chemicals, light, and noise ******

• Weakness ******

*      Gómez-Perretta cell radiation exposure study 
**     Piras et.al. Fibromyalgia and EHS Study 
***    Bhat, Kumar Gupta Study of the Effects of Radiations Study of the Effects of Radiations  
****   Johannson Immune system and electromagnetic fields study             
*****  Magda Havas Wireless Radiation and Autotomic system study 
****** Gunnar Heuser Functional MRI and EHS Study

It's important to know that these often really awful EHS symptoms can happen immediately, minutes or hours later, or over months or years.

And just because you're fortunate enough not to feel any of the myriad of symptoms, it's important to note that without a doubt, science has proven that EMF has a biological effect so it is effecting your body and the possibility of developing symptoms or disease will depend on the myriad of ways your personal biology will adapt to the EMF exposure.

When exposure occurs over a long time, people have a higher risk of reduced cognition and cancer.

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4.  Electromagnetic Sensitivity and Children

For children, these negative effects are more likely because their brains are still developing. With more Wi-Fi being installed in schools, the symptoms of ES may already be present in children. When I see a child holding a phone or a tablet, it honestly freaks me out. I get such anxiety thinking about the potential damage that's being done by something you can't see or smell or touch.

Research on the effects of exposure in children is ongoing and few people are as knowledgeable as Professor Olle Johansson of the Karolinska Institute. I met him some time ago, and I have interviewed him many times. He’s studied electromagnetic radiation for decades and has worked with the World Health Organization.

In an interview with celebrity icon, Jolie Jones, who also lives with ES, Johansson comments on conversations he’s had with many parents.

“The most common call or email I would get would be from a concerned father or mother asking the simple question, ‘Are these gadgets—mobile phones, tablets, and so on—are they safe for my kid?' And I cannot lie. I have to say, No, they’re not."

Olle Johansson gave us a great analogy at the EHS conference-

Imagine if parents heard from their school's Principal--We have a new machine that will help your kids learn-- each day as it's powered on, the classrooms will be filled with diesel fumes--when they leave the classrooms it won't be as strong but they'll still smell it--because that's they way the fumes gradually disappear--but in the classes and the auditorium and the gym--there will be small potent connectors that spew the fumes so the children can learn easier with this great new machine.

What would a parent say to diesel fumes flowing through classrooms, the conference room and the gym?  "HECK NO!  Not at my kids school."

But, that's very close to what's actually happening--cellphone radiation--the same radio frequency radiation that powers all wireless is classified as a Class 2 B carcinogen by the World Health Organization. 

Just like diesel fumes. 

The WHO is warning us that we should not expose ourselves to diesel fumes or WiFi, cellphone or laptops or computers, fueled by wireless radiation.

Here's another illustration of how much more radiation kids absorb into their bodies versus adults.

Our children are raised in a digital “oasis.” Many babies learn to hold a phone before they learn to hold their bottles. How will this exposure affect their short and long-term health?

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5.  Electromagnetic Sensitivity Isn't New

ES isn't new; it’s been recognized as a legitimate condition since the 1930s. There’s evidence showing it existed in telephone operators in the early 1900s - Back when you called a switchboard operator and they responded with “Number, please.”

• Symptoms of ES affected female telephone operators who worked at Bell Telephone Company of Canada. In a dispute to improve their working conditions, some women reported pain in their ears, fatigue, a clicking sound through their phones, fainting, and sensory difficulties. So, yes, ES has been alive and well for more than a century! ES was officially recognized as a legitimate condition after radio workers displayed unexplainable symptoms in 1932. This recognition increased during the next two decades as ES spread through the electrical industry afflicting more and more radar workers.

• A crucial publication titled, “The Biologic Action of Ultra High Frequencies” warned against EMF radiation. . The authors wrote, “There is incontrovertible evidence confirming the necessity of taking the most serious measures of protection.” This scientific paper also highlighted symptoms of ES, including headaches, depression, and negative changes in the central nervous system. Yup, that’s right. As far back as the 30's, scientists discovered that EMF could damage the central nervous system!

• A declassified US Military Naval Study From over 40 years ago listed health effect after health effect compiled from 2000 studies.  You have to see this--it's pretty amazing that it's all type-written and compiled painstakingly by a team led by Zorach (Zory) Glasser.  But where was this 176 pages of important warnings when cellphones showed up on the scene?

• The Soviet Union conducted studies showing the harmful results of low-level exposure to radiation. They cited these symptoms: "Excessive fatigue, coordination loss, changes in blood pressure, in heart rate, biochemical changes in the blood, and some loss of sensory ability.”
  
  
• The World Health Organization recognized EHS in 2005: "The symptoms are certainly real and can vary widely in their severity. Whatever its cause, EHS can be a disabling problem for the affected individual. EHS has no clear diagnostic criteria and there is no scientific basis to link EHS symptoms to EMF exposure."

Just about every person I've ever met with ES has ringing in their ears or hears some very odd sound that gets worse with direct exposure to some wireless device or antenna.

You may have heard about the news about the mysterious illness that American diplomats in Cuba and China got when they said they heard loud ringing sounds and became very ill.  The American Academy of Audiology reported that there's a new hypothesis that the horrible headaches, nausea, and other symptoms were a result microwaves and it was actually the same effect that Frey discovered in the 60's.

It turns out that the human head is a very efficient antenna for these microwaves. The auditory cortex reacts to microwave exposure to create sensations of sound. It may well be that someone bathed the U.S. consulates in Cuba and China with microwaves to create the conditions reported by the workers.  American Academy of Audiology

When word of ES spread, the World Health Organization got involved. They have not published anything on the topic since 2005:

The symptoms are certainly real and can vary widely in their severity. Whatever its cause, EHS can be a disabling problem for the affected individual. EHS has no clear diagnostic criteria and there is no scientific basis to link EHS symptoms to EMF exposure.

The EMF Expert Weights In

Larry Gust our Tech Wellness Healthy Home Expert and President of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Building Biologists and owner of Gustenviro.com has seen 100's of cases of EHS and says,

There is so much research supporting this that it is fool-hardy to claim that significant, serious health effects do not exist. The best source of information about, peer reviewed studies is the BioInitiative Report.  The best source of information on the long-term health effects of world electrification that utilizes historical medical data and other reports generated from the onset of electrification in the mid 1850s onward is the book The Invisible Rainbow, Arthur Firstenberg, 2017. 

Big Big Discovery: EMF Radiation Can Do Something Really Scary

In 1977, Alan Frey discovered electromagnetic radiation could pierce the brain’s blood-brain barrier. Making landmark strides, Frey proved that EMF could break this barrier and allow toxins, bacteria, and viruses to enter the brain through the blood. Dr. Carlo explained this in his book and has talked about this at length in many talks and government hearings. 

As computers, phones, and other technology spread throughout the world, like the Taylor Swift craze, ES moved from the occupational setting to the general population. Many studies and court cases linked electromagnetic radiation to Alzheimer’s, DNA breakage, higher rates of cancer, childhood leukemia, suicide, and the loss of various senses.  Here are just some of the studies that I refer to throughout Tech Wellness.

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6.  What Causes Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity or EHS?

The symptoms of EHS may be triggered by the electromagnetic radiation inside of your home, where you work, where you hang out--anywhere an electromagnetic field exists. There's also evidence that it can happen as a result of chemical or mold exposure or other pre-existing conditions,  fillings, implants or metallic materials.

Causes of EHS Outside of Your Home

Causes of EHS in Your Home or Office

Your home, or the homes of your neighbors, can expose you to a lot of radiation. Here’s a list of regular devices in your home that emit EMF. Some of them may surprise you!

• Cellphones
• Wi-Fi
• Cordless phones
• Smart meters
• Microwave oven
• Alarm systems (i.e., motion-detectors)
• LED lights, dimmers (emit unclean electricity)
• Washing machines
• Electric heating located under your floors
• Plasma TV monitors
• Electric Blanket
• Clock Radio

Pre-existing Conditions or Metallic Materials

For some people, ES comes from other illnesses such as Multiple Sclerosis. It may also stem from dental restorations, body implants, or tattoos that include metallic materials.

Other Possible Causes and How Is EHS Diagnosed?

Thousands of studies have been conducted on the effects of electromagnetic radiation, but there are very few studies that can prove the existence of EHS. Dr. Gunnar Heuser, MD, Ph.D, from UCLA’s Brain Research Institute (BRI), is an internationally recognized physician and expert on chemical sensitivities and electromagnetic sensitivity. He has written and published several books and numerous scientific papers on this condition.

How EMF's Harm Your Body

It's very important to understand that what we do to the EMFs to enable them to carry data is what makes them "biologically active."  Even if you don't feel anything happening to you when you hold a smartphone up to your head, EMFs are having an impact on your body.   But the reaction is real and clear and scientifically proven over the course of decades in hundreds of peer reviewed research studies. 

MAN MADE EMF CAUSES DAMAGE ON A CELLULAR LEVEL

In my twenty years of studying this, the best explanation I've seen is in the work of Dimitris J. Panagopoulos, I first saw his lecture in 2018 in London, where he shared his 2002 discovery on the biophysical mechanism of exactly what EMF does to actual cells. It was eye-opening! To date, he’s led 55 studies on EMF and written the advanced level college text book on the topic.

There are natural EMFs and then there are man-made EMFs.

The first thing to know about how an EMF works is what it is. Man-made EMFs like those of wireless communications differ from natural EMFs from the sun and the earth. Natural EMFs from the sun like visible, infrared, ultraviolet light -even gamma rays for example, don’t attempt to transmit a movie or the entire internet.

But man or human-made EMFs are different and the key-difference is in something called Polarization. All man-made EMFs including those used in wireless communications are totally polarized and Dimitirs Panagopoulos has detalied all the differences and why that matters here.

"Want The Truth About How Man Made EMF Radiation Affects You? Voltage Gated Calcium Channels VGCC's Want You To Know"

Why is Man-Made EMF Harmful?

CELLS IN OUR BODY CAN BEHAVE DIFFERENTLY WHEN THEY ARE EXPOSED TO THIS PARTICULAR WIRELESS ENERGY

It's invisible and you can't see it or smell it but our cells can react to it: Our cells have fine and subtle endogenous (that means made within our own body) physiological electrical signals.

So knowing that our cells generate electrical signals. it follows that something like an un-natural human-made electromagnetic field could affect what Dr. Panagopoulos refers to as our "electro-sensitive cell"

This is how it works. Every cell is enclosed by a membrane and in every cell membrane lie hundreds/thousands of ion channels. These tiny channels are membrane proteins that open and close to let ions in and out of the cell.

We have an abundance of these ions in all living tissues.

The gate of an ion channel opens and closes when it gets a specific stimulus. The voltage-gated ion channels (VGICs), including voltage-gated calcium channels or  VGCCs, open and close as a response to the voltage that goes across the membrane. 

Voltage Gated Calcium Channels or VGCC's “voltage gated ion channels” (VGICs).

Wikipedia tells us that Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) play crucial roles in many bodily functions including: cardiac action potentials, neurotransmitter release, muscle contraction.

The professor has been telling us for two decades that man-made EMFs can disturb the gating process of the VGICs disturbing the number of ions flowing in or out of the cells. When this happens the cell’s integrity and function are disrupted. That gating allows specific numbers of ions go where they're supposed to and when they're supposed to so our bodies can work the way they're designed to. This can lead to an increase in intracellular calcium.  Excessive intracellular calcium levels have been shown in research with people who had hereditary anemia   . There's also research showing how elevated levels lead to oxadative stress and cascades that can end up with a heart disease , cancer, autism and Alzheimer's diagnosis.

Dr. Martin Pall tells us in his research that man-made EMF "which act on the voltage sensor of voltage-gated calcium channels to produce increases in intracellular calcium [Ca²⁺]i. The calcium hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has shown that each of the important AD-specific and nonspecific causal elements is produced by excessive [Ca²⁺]i. [Ca²⁺]i acts in AD via excessive calcium signaling and the peroxynitrite/oxidative stress/inflammation pathway, which are each elevated by EMF"

Bottom Line: Wireless EMF Can Make Our Cells Not Work The Way They’re Supposed To.

When the functions that cells are supposed to do naturally are disrupted by some outside force serious consequences can happen. 

Exposing our cells to the the tech toxin of man-made EMFs, especially the kind we use in wireless communications, can create an over-production of free radicals that can eventually lead to DNA damage.  DNA damage can manifest all kinds of unpleasant sickness from Alzheimer's to Cancer.

How much exposure it takes to damage a cell and how many cells have to be damaged before we start to manifest illness isn’t something we know now. It’s  like being exposed to any other toxin, some people get sick from pesticides, some from particulates, some from smoke. And of course, some bodies “adapt” or withstand the insult toxin’s wreak on their bodies and do just fine.

Dr. Heuser studies the causes of EHS and works toward the development of a Diagnostic Tool for EHS

I met with Dr. Heuser as he was finishing up a study on the brains of people who had symptoms of EHS from long term exposure to wireless electromagnetic fields. 

It was very exciting and very special to talk to the man who was attempting develop a testing process for EHS.  As it stands most people know when they have it, it's just convincing doctors so that they understand the patient needs to be treated and insurance companies so they will help pay the bills. Dr. Heuser explained

There are some publications that have come out; one from Russia and another one from France where they give a whole number of blood tests. I find it a little cumbersome to order 10‑20 different tests you see because insurance may not pay for those.

Since the tests are expensive and not always conclusive Dr. Heuser is looking at the idea of a physician using a functional MRI to determine if someone has EHS.

We have ten MRI's of ten  patients who are all EMF sensitive and they are all abnormal. these ten patients with the idea that if it’s published, you know, they could, one could argue that functional MRI can be a biomarker. 

In September 2017, Heuser published a study to determine changes in the brains of ten adults living with EHS. These people were exposed to significant levels of EMF and reported the following symptoms: headaches, sporadic cognitive and memory problems, and intermittent disorientation.

The results from the MRI showed consistent abnormalities called hyperconnectivity. Dr. Heuser explained that certain connections were gone or impaired. 

We talked more about a diagnostic tool for EHS and how he has seen similar symptoms like lack of balance, ADD and confusion or what he calls "multi-system disease" similar to patients who have mold or chemical exposures or even head injuries.  How do you know it's EHS I asked,

Good question. And the reason it’s such a good question is because the symptoms that people develop after chemical exposure are almost identical to the ones that they develop from electromagnetic field exposure. So, you don’t always know. And the dangerous thing is that many patients who have the EHS  have a history of exposure to chemicals.

Electromagnetic Radiation, Like Chemicals, are Toxic to Our Bodies

This makes sense to me. I've always said that for me wireless energy is just one more toxin that my body has to deal with.

Head Injuries and Electromagnetic Sensitivity

In a fascinating hour-long interview, Dr. Heuser and I talked about possible causes of ES. He said many of his patients had brain injuries. When he discussed blood-brain barrier damage and EMF exposure, he said,

“That membrane can be disturbed and impaired and leak. . . . And if you have leakage that can come from chemicals. Also can come from head injury. We have quite a number of patients who have had a head injury and then developed the electromagnetic hypersensitivity. So, chemicals can impair the blood‑brain barrier, and head injury can do that too.”

Dr. Heuser compared a single head injury to one-time EMF exposure, saying,

“But they [patients] can be chronically impaired for the rest of their lives even though there is no more head injury. So, you could have a toxic agent that impairs your brain function that’s a real short exposure. But the results stay with you or linger with you. . . . You can have exposure, and the exposure’s gone, but you can have the results of the exposure linger for years, if not for a lifetime.”

A lifetime is a long time, so how can this be prevented? The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has the answer.

Well, at least they think they do...

To combat ES symptoms, the FCC placed a limit of 1,000 uW/cm2 (microwatts per centimeter squared) on cell towers, but measurements requested for this study showed that the firefighters' symptoms occurred when towers emitted just 1 - 2 uW/cm2!

Firefighters and Electromagnetic Sensitivity

A 2004 pilot study by Susan D. Foster, MSW, and Heuser followed six California firefighters who spent 90 hours each week in fire stations located near cell towers.

These towers were activated in 1999 and, just five years later, these healthy men suffered from debilitating neurological symptoms like:

• Headaches
• Extreme fatigue
• Sleep disruption
• Anesthesia-like sleep where the men woke up for 911 calls ‘as if they were drugged’
• Inability to sleep
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Unexplained anger
• Getting lost on 911 calls in the town they grew up in
• A twenty (20) year medic forgetting basic CPR in the midst of resuscitating a coronary victim
• Immune-suppression manifest in frequent colds and flu-like symptoms.

Researchers found that the firefighters had reduced levels of cognitive function, impulse control, and reaction time. These impairments couldn’t be taken lightly, especially for three of the firefighters who were captains, because they made life or death decisions every day.

For most of us, these symptoms are awful, but for these men, they’re life-threatening.

And More Health Issues For Firefighters Exposed to Wireless

Two firefighters—who were not part of the study, but were exposed to the same levels of RF radiation—received psychiatric diagnoses. These diagnoses are very rare in the firefighters’ population. Like astronauts, firefighters are tested extensively before getting cleared to put out fires.

The first man stopped talking after returning from an emergency and was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder while the other experienced a psychotic episode and then fainted.

Foster and Heuser believed these symptoms were due to excessively hot blood in their brains, which can cause VSS. In addition to the firefighters, two women also suffered from strokes when the cell towers were fully activated.

Incredible, right? You know what else is interesting? A couple of years ago the California legislature introduced a bill SB 649 that would allow telecom to put a small cell antenna any where they wanted to- no local input could stop them. 

The bill was vetoed but still - the big mobile providers managed to get small cells everywhere--certainly you've seen them--they hang from lightpoles and signs and they are the base of 5G. 

The tie-in to the firefighter story: The legislature granted an exemption from SB 649 to the firefighters who requested it for health reasons.

Electromagnetic radiation as a health concern is very real.

Demetrius Panagopoulos is a researcher, and he has published 33 studies on this condition. As a researcher he reminds why we need to be aware.

“Modern telecommunication microwave radiations are very bioactive. DNA damage is the worst scenario. Unfortunately, these types of radiations, they do cause DNA damage. This is shown by many studies now.”

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7.  What People Who Have EHS Say & How To Tell If You're Sensitive to EMF or Wireless Radiation

“I got a new router from British Telecom. I was on my laptop, and the router was here, and I realized after I'd been on it, the computer, for about half an hour, I got a bad headache. I'd get a pressure in my ears, and it would get quite intense, and that would lead onto a headache, and it would feel like my head was in a vise. It was being compressed.” 
Mary- EHS Conference Attendee

Do you have symptoms?

Dr. Ronald Powell surveyed 410 people for new or worsening symptoms after Smartmeters were installed.  “Symptoms After Exposure to Smart Meter Radiation.”

Check the symptom list along with the one listed above try a self-evaluation.

Avoid wireless and other sources of electromagnetic fields for a few days. Below you'll see tips on how to limit electromagnetic exposure.

• First limit all Wireless energy sources

• Next limit all other EMF Sources

If you feel better or symptoms improve, you may want to consider re-thinking the inclusion of wireless devices in your personal environment or you may find you get great relief and improvement by stopping electricity in your sleeping area at the breakers.

If you are sensitive, your first line of defense is to create an EMF-free environment or limit EMF in your home by working with an EMF expert who's trained to mitigate troublesome sources of electromagnetic fields. 

Here's a list of people who can help.

ES is a very real condition that affects 80% of our population, subconsciously. While some people believe it isn’t real, there’s solid evidence that it has been around for more than a century. ES may cause different symptoms, ranging from inconvenient to incapacitating. Dr. George Carlo explains why some people get sick from EMF radiation exposure and some don't:

The health effects aspect is complicated. There is now no doubt scientifically that radio waves carrying information trigger some type of biological response in almost everyone exposed. However, what happens after the triggering is variable.

For some people, the triggering causes debilitating biological cascades that manifest as EHS, other symptoms and frank disease.

Some people are being adversely effected but don’t know it because they confuse common symptoms like headaches, anxiety, being short-tempered, dizziness, sleep problems, weight-gain, and low energy with other things in life and don’t connect it to wireless devices and the infrastructure.

Still other people have developed adaptive responses so they are not functionally impaired at all. It’s important for people to become informed so that they can figure out where they fit and then take steps accordingly.

During our EMF-free conference, I interviewed many others who suffer from electromagnetic radiation. You can enjoy the full episode on the Thriving with Technology podcast. To get the full experience of ES, hearing many real-life stories is key.

Here's what Steve, a man who was exposed to large amounts of radiation while working for British Telecom installing Wi-Fi routers and repairing cell phone towers told us about how EHS feels:

“Each day just gradually got worse and worse. I was going to the doctor saying, ‘I'm in these areas, and I'm thinking there's something seriously wrong going on with the chemistry inside me.’ You know? He just diagnosed it as eczema. Severe eczema, and an autoimmune disease.”

 Ryan Warren told us that after a new Wifi network was installed:

“I suddenly get all these strange sensations in my head, you know? And a prickling on my face. At first, I thought, ‘Mm. What's this all about?’"

John Wiggle is a well-know Wellness Warrior spreading the news about EMF. He know's when he's around too much wireless:

“Sleeplessness is the first one. Fatigue. . . . Peripheral tingling is one. My legs frequently itch and tingle… During the day, I have to take a nap. An hour, precisely. An hour and 15 minutes. That's how I know that it is not just the ordinary biological aging process

ES is not the problem; it’s a response to an environment saturated with EMF. When you change the environment, the symptoms disappear. We must create a healthier environment for our future!

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8.  How is Electromagnetic Sensitivity Treated?

 The primary treatment for ES is reducing or, preferably, eliminating electromagnetic exposure. Dr. Heuser confirmed this at our meeting:

Treatment is a very difficult thing for the chemically sensitive and also very difficult for people who are sensitive to electromagnetic fields. Very hard other than avoidance of course.

Some people who have EHS find that they need to get as far away as they possibly can from technology and electrical connectivity.

Really Avoid EMF Radiation

Alison Main, a writer and creative director and colleague, visited The National Radio Quiet Zone for her story in Southern Living Magazine. This lovely 13,000 square mile rectangular pocket of land borders West Virginia and Virginia. And because it's designated by the Federal Communications Commission as a minimal Radio-Frequency zone, it has become a haven of sorts for EHS sufferers seeking to live in a low-RF environment. From Alison's story: 

This is a region defined by pre-digital country roads, majestic mountains, and serene valleys. Distanced from our smart tech worlds and artificially pulsing frequencies, you can appreciate how the land organically connects to the sky—and people connect with each other. Green Bank has been nicknamed “The Quietest Town in America.” If you’re passing through, just glance at your wireless devices. They’ll all message back “no signal.”

I love Alison's writing. She pens many articles on health and wellness for popular magazines:

This is from Best Self Magazine where Alison explains her own experience with EHS. 

Find an EMF Healthy Home

Another solution is to find or create an EMF Healthy Home. Friend and colleague  Jeromy Johnson, who became electrically sensitive in 2011 is an engineer who has a great e-book How To Find A Healthy Home

Do Things To Stay Strong In The Face Of EHS

Getting completely away actually sounds really nice, but for people who just can't get off the grid completely, in addition to minimizing exposures, here are some other steps to dealing with EHS:

• Living healthy to strengthen your immune system
• Eliminating heavy metals
• Removing metallic materials from your body, if unneeded
• Getting enough sleep
• Increasing nutrients
• Avoiding chemical pollutants (pesticides, household products)
• Altering genetics through stem cell therapy
• Protecting yourself from mold
• Boosting myelination if you have Multiple Sclerosis

Of course, just like dealing with any other toxin, children, pregnant women, the elderly, the sick, and 30% of the population who display symptoms of ES consciously need stricter limits on energy emissions.

Find A Doctor Who Understands Electric Sensitivity

Many functional and alternative doctors, like our expert Dr. Leigh-Erin Connealy, have special protocols for treating EHS. I was so impressed the first time I went to the Center for New Medicine and saw that this progressive physician had an entire section on EMF exposure included in the intake forms! Tell your doctor if you have symptoms and ask for a referral.

Dr. Connealy monitors my vitamin and mineral levels and makes sure I periodically partake in vitamin infusion therapy that always includes glutithione  to keep my immune system in top shape. Through the years, she has made sure my vitamin D stays at adequate levels and it turns out, that's super important. The report by Delpomme earlier noted that currently there is no recognized standard treatment for EHS- but based on biological investigations he found that people with EHS they frequently are low in vitamin D and zinc.

He also notes that antioxidants like glutathione and anti-nitrosative medications can be used when EHS patients have oxadative or nitrosative stress. He also noted that fermented papaya preparation and ginko biloba were helpful in restoring brain oxengenation, also a common need when diagnosed with EHS.

Stay Clear of Shielding, Unless You're Using A Professional

Shielding is tricky. It needs to be applied just right to make sure that you eliminate EMF, but keep the lovely and important-to-your-health earth energy called Schuman Resonance.  Building Biologists like Larry Gust understand exactly how shielding works and apply it properly.  We have a listing of Building Biologists and other EMF experts here.

Two important research studies have recently come out. One concluding that after wearing a silver cap to bed, EHS patients felt better. Then another important research paper came out detailing how shielding can make people feel worse and can often be dangerous and noting that the EHS-Silver Cap research failed to have a control group. A control group is one that gets a silver cap... but it's not one that actually has silver. Instead it's actually does nothing and then patients report if after wearing it they feel better.

You can look at both research studies here under EMF Protection research.  Note: I do not use a silver cap and usually shielding clothing or cases make me feel worse because of reflecting properties. However, I'm going to try one and see how I feel and report back.

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9.  Preventing EHS - This Is How I Manage the EMF in My Life

Instead of waiting to see if you get symptoms from EMF, the absolute best thing you can do is avoid it whenever possible. There's a contingent of researchers and scientists who  believe that EMF exposure's damage is cumulative. 

As Wi-Fi moves into educational institutions, workspaces, public transportation, and the airwaves, it will become harder to find a safe space in our connected world. 

However, there is hope. There are many ways to protect yourself and your children. I’ve gathered many of them so you can prevent these symptoms.

• KNOW YOUR EXPOSURE LEVELS - Start with a quality EMF radiation meter that can show you the levels are in your environment. Start with a radiation meter and then if you want to analyze for the other type of EMF, our recommendation is to hire a professional EMF expert to analyze your home and offer mitigation advice. Basic electrical and magnetic EMF advice below!

• POWER OFF  - You can lower the levels by powering OFF WiFi, printers, SmartTV's -- anything you plug in that also has a wireless connection. Wiring up is the best bet, but if that just can't, start by turning it off when you're not using it.  I love and use this little remote at my office all the time!

• HARD WIRE THE INTERNET - The truth is that giving up WiFi is the best option. Though this may take some re-wiring and effort, you can protect you and your family at home by using Ethernet cables that hard-wire in the internet connection to ALL your devices!  Use your phone, computers and tablets without any wireless EMF. Bonus: they also provide faster and more reliable internet connection. Look here to see how it works with an iPhone wired to the internet and links to cable
  

• REPLACE THE MICROWAVE WITH A TOASTER OVEN -  I actually had one employee quit because we decided to throw away the microwave.  Everyone who stayed was super happy with the toaster oven: No EMF radiation, fairly quick heating time and the fabulous aroma of baking food!

• DO NOT GET A WIFI BOOSTER OR HIGH-POWERED WIFI - There are WiFi's and WiFi boosters that claim to increase coverage 500 feet! Really? Is that fair to the neighbors? And please, resist a mesh network or WiFi repeaters.  What you're doing is creating a thick toxic blanket of radiation throughout your home.

• DO NOT USE SHIELDED CLOTHING OR EMF PROTECTION MADE OF METAL UNLESS YOU KNOW THE RISKS AND USE IT PROPERLY! Some of this is obvious, some isn't so here goes: 1. EMF protection clothing and fabric is made of metal that can cause pooling and reflection and end up causing YOU to have more EMF exposure instead of less- to whatever is not covered AND whomever is around you.  Scary thought.  2. Hats, Caps, Underwear, T shirts and capes and jackets only keep EMF off the places they are covering.
  

• Use A Low Power WiFi - I use the American Made Low Power WiFi WiFi. It works and sends out significantly LESS WiFi signal. The creator puts special software on a regular WiFi that serves to lower the power output.
  
  
• GET A WIFI CAGE - If you do have powerful wifi, you can get a WiFi cage to lessen the amount of signal that comes from your WiFi

• USE DEVICES IN AIRPLANE MODE - Make sure BlueTooth and WiFi functions are off too. Cell phones, laptops and tablets emit EMF when our receivers are turned on. Setting our devices to Airplane Mode reduces the exposure dramatically and you can use them to listen to podcasts or music lists, compose emails and texts while they're in Airplane mode.
  
  
•  ELIMINATE NASTY WIRELESS FROM YOUR ENVIRONMENT - and other type of typical EMF sources. Find appliances that don't use wireless, no Bluetooth or wireless speakers, wireless toys or gadgets. Ditch the cordless phone-it's wireless too!
  
  
• USE A ULTRA-LOW EMF ANALOG CLOCK - Clocks like these are better than using keeping your phone that is in Airplane Mode next to your bed because there is magnetic EMF coming off the phones screen.
  

• CLEANSE YOUR SLEEPING SPACE - RemovE lamps or clocks that plug in near the bed. Best to have as little plugged in in the bedroom as possible. EMF expert Larry Gust recommends installing a remote cutoff switch to the wiring located inside ceilings, walls and floor. Some people with electromagnetic sensitivity syndrome use the EMF Safe Switch which turns off all the power to the room AND make sure your wireless devices are out of your sleeping space too!
  
  

  The website is here EMFsafeSwitch - use code TW10 for 10% off the purchase price for your EMF Cut Off Switch.

• STAY AWAY - EMF is strongest at the source, so not leaning on the Fridge, and walking away from the blender when it's on are basics for avoiding electro and magnetic fields.
  
  
• SWITCH OUT YOUR WATCHES - Use a traditional winding watch vs a smartwatch and instead of Fitbit that works using Bluetooth try a pedometer or a Fitness tracker that has some functionality without Bluetooth.
  
  
• ASK YOUR DOCTOR TO TEST YOUR LEVELS OF GLUTAMINE, CHOLINE AND ISOLEUCINE - The study I reference above on people who had Fibromyalgia showed that those who had EHS symptoms as well, had low levels of these.  Glutamine is the precursor to all important glutithione and it helps remove toxic ammonia from your body.  Isoleucine is an amino acid that helps with muscle recovery.  You can get both as supplements and from eating meats and dairy products Choline is a water soluble nutritional substance that's important for your nervous system, brain health and  as one study shows, can help your liver.

• FORTIFY YOUR BODY - Good nutrition, good sleep, healthy habits and adding negative Ions could help. Exposure to WiFi can result in the build-up of positive ions that can have negative effects on our bodies. We can neutralize this by adding negative ions to our lifestyle, negative ions are highest after a thunderstorm and are present from the energy caused by the crashing waves on the beach.
  
  
• GET RID OF YOUR SMART METER - Opting out is best. But if you can't opt out, at least cover it so diffuse and re-direct some of the wireless radiation, even though your home wiring typically gets dirty electricity EMF from the smart meter.

• Please Don't Use Your Devices While Flying or Driving -  The Signal is magnified in the metal confines of an airplane.  Plus, it's really not nice to subject the passenger next to you to the EMF from your devices.  Also, when you're driving your phone is working harder-moving from antenna connection to antenna connection and you end up getting a stronger dose of EMF.
  
  
• When I fly, I opt out of walking through the Millimeter (yes like 5G) scanner.  I get a lovely pat down and a nice visit with the TSA ladies- I tell them all about EMF, it's my chance to spread the word. 

• A laptop is not for your lap - Shocking isn't it? Why did they call it that?  Remember, the EMF dissipates as you get further from it. When using a laptop, put at least 5 inches (a pillow) between you and it.  I go all the way with a keyboard that's wired (and grounded) to my laptop so I limit  EMF from the keyboard or screen.

• AVOID WIRELESS ENERGY FROM YOUR CELL PHONE - I call mine my "Personal Radiation Device" because the EMF levels are so potent but they do dissipate with nicely with distance- Keep them a minimum 8 to 10 inches away(a couple of feet is best)which means don't put a phone in pants or bra and carry your phone using a case with a long strap or Phone Leash that allows you to keep it out of your hands and to keep the EMF away from your body. A purse or a man-bag works too.  Just keep it off that beautiful body!
  

• BE AWARE OF SHIELDING CASES - and all types of home shielding before buying or implementing.  Applying shielding to your home should be done under the guidance of an EMF expert.

The only shielding case that actually really does protect you is a Faraday phone case.  It blocks 100% when your phone is in the Faraday pouch.  I love this one and I hold it away from me when I'm using it in the unprotected front pouch

• Use  the Services of an EMF Expert - The Building Biologists are HIGHLY trained in EMF mitigation and should be your first choice. We have EMF experts that are trained by various sources and we explain what each certification consists of.
  
  Find an EMF Healthy Home with this great book by Jeromy Johnson.
  
  
• TEXT WITH A STYLUS - this allows fingers some distance from the cellphone or tablet and helps a little with wireless radiation and helps a lot with magnetic EMF as it diffuses or dissipates in just a couple of inches. 

• WEAR WIRED HEADPHONES - Keep your distance from your cellphone and diffuse any possible radiation from coming up the wire to your brain with an an Airtube Headset

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