Welcome to The Tech Wellness EMF Guide: Updated for 2023

Our definitive source for information and practical solutions

Here's What You'll Find:

• EMF Meaning

• The Different Kinds Of EMF

• What EMF Does

• The Concerns About EMF 

• What Research Says About EMF Dangers And Risks

• EMF Protection

• What Science and Research Says About EMF Partial Shielding Risks

• What You Can Do To Protect Yourself and Your Family From EMF

• You Can Do Something About EMF: Solutions That Work Safely

• Products That We Don't Recommend

• A Special Note

Each month we update this EMF Guide and give you an update on the latest news and research about how EMF effects your health and wellness.

You can also look at our Research page to link directly to research and studies about all aspects of being well with technology.  Let's start with the basics.

THE LATEST ARTICLE ON EMF CELL PHONE RISK 

Read the ProPublica Article

EMF Meaning

EMF Stands for Electromagnetic Fields.

There are 4 types of EMF.  Basically, if it has an electrical component, it will have EMF coming from it.

The Four Types of EMF we'll address in this Guide:

• Magnetic Fields- from electricity - Found in wired and wireless electronics
• Electric Fields- from electricity. Comes From Wiring and Found in Cords. Cords Can Transfer The Fields to Devices.
• Radio Frequency or RF Fields, or Information Carrying Radio Waves specifically.  Found In All Wireless Antennae. WiFi, BlueTooth, Cell Signal, Devices etc.
  
• Dirty electricity- a polluted type of EMF that happens when wireless is carried on a wired element.  Found in power outlets and other electrical items.

The EMFs we're most concerned about here are the man-made RF or EMR.  The reasons-

1. Radio Waves that Carry Data are radio waves that are modulated.  Unlike naturally occurring EMF, these fields are polarized and are more adverse biological reactions in our bodies.

2.  EMR has been classified as possibly carcinogenic by the World Health Organization

3.  Research links this wireless EMF to negative health effects.

4. This EMF and has been increasing exponentially in our environment via an increase in antenna and our wireless devices.

Yep, just like climate change, we're pretty much doing this to ourselves. There are literally thousands of peer-reviewed studies over three decades that have proven that there is a biological impact from these ICRW's.  Most credible scientists, (those who aren't being paid by the cellular industry) think it isn't even a question.  

But Not Every Body Reacts The Same Way to EMFs. Some People Never Notice Them.  But More And More, People Are Reporting A Variety of Symptoms Including These: 

• insomnia and sleep issues
• headaches and head pain
• tinnitus or ringing in the ears
• lethargy and extreme tiredness
• memory, a fog, cognitive issues
• burning, tingling, numbness
• dizziness
• cardiac symptoms and heart palpitations
• arthritis
• Joint pain
• onset of Electromagnetic Sensitivity or ES or EHS
• pressure, heat
• anxiety, irritability
• problems with eyes or eyesight
• chest pain
• rashes, eczema, skin issues
• muscle spasms
• digestive or bowel problems
• cramps and twitches, neuropathy
• nose bleeds
• ear problems, worsening hearing
• depression, loss of motivation
• endocrine problems and thyroid problems
• increased rate of infections or colds
• allergies, food sensitivity
• intensity of electromagnetic sensitivity
• sinus problems
• lump in throat or throat problems
• weight loss or loss of appetite
• swollen face
• bladder infections, strains
• flu like symptoms
• dehydration
• weight gain, inability to talk
• loss of motor skills
• loss of feeling from the waist down

These are symptoms of people exposed to smart meter EMF, which is the same EMF radiation that comes from all wireless devices. I came across this  report by Ronald Powell, Ph.D and reached out to him and he was kind enough to share his up to date research, “Symptoms After Exposure to Smart Meter Radiation.”  We have the report recap as well as the percentage of people who reported the amazing, critical and varied symptoms listed above.

Dr. Powell is a retired career U.S. Government scientist.He holds a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard. During the Government career, he worked for the President, the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. When it comes to EMF Radiation effects, he’s an incredible wealth of information, as well as someone we trust and honor for his EMF education work.

The full health disclosure that everyone should be aware of is that there is growing evidence about how exposure to wireless EMF radiation is causing more than just symptoms.  There's no doubt. RF or EMF radiation has biological effects. The research Section of our site lists links to 100's of studies.

How Big A Deal Is EMF Radiation Exposure?

If simply hearing that a prominent Swedish scientist announced that we are now exposed to 1 Quintillion times (that's 18 zeros) more Radio Frequency or RF energy than we were 10 years ago makes you say "I need to know How to reduce some of that wireless energy around me."

Then, please go directly to The Guide. But if you're skeptical and want more information, research and background we invite you to read on.

Wireless Energy, RF Radiation, Cellphone Energy, EMF, EMR, Radio Frequency, Electromagnetic Fields

There's a whole lot of ways it's described, but all the above are referring to Electromagnetic Energy Fields or EMF. 

Our focus at Tech Wellness is a particular type of EMF, the man-made variety of electromagnetic radiation that's emitted by Microwaves and wireless devices. 

POLARIZATION The Key Difference Between Man Made and Natural Electromagnetic Fields

Stay with me now. Science class ends soon. Not all EMF Radiation is the same.  If you really want more understanding on the issue, check out: Polarization. This is an excellent explanation of the question of why most man-made EMFs can be so much more dangerous than the natural EMFs in our lovely environment.

We refer to it mostly as RF (radio frequency) radiation or energy. You can't see it, smell it or for most people, feel it. But everyday-because of our love of digital devices, there's more and more of it. It's the waves of energy that are emitted by cell phones, WiFi, Bluetooth, laptops, tablets, wearables and just about all wireless devices.

Electromagnetic Fields are not something that most people really want to hear about and EMF is not a simple subject. Sometimes we hear words like "depression" "anxiety" and perhaps the worst, "cancer" associated with EMF exposure. Personally, loving family as I do and being super excited about the idea of my children having children someday, I'm super concerned about RF effects on fertility.  Studies show that exposure to wireless energy(guys-front pocket No-No) can decrease the semen quality in men by decreasing the sperm count, motility and viability.

Yes, I know we're talking about very scary associations. However, please be assured, fear mongering or promoting fear in any way is just not what we're about.  In fact, we believe there are easy and effective things you can do to decrease exposure levels. We're not suggesting totally trashing all your wireless technology-just yet.

Let's begin by being mindful.  Looking for Brief EMF Basics? Go Here

My EMF Journey

I want to be transparent about my personal experiences, the experiences of people I've met through my travels, and the growing body of research on the subject of EMFs and health. I believe I've been sensitive to EMFs for most of my adult life. I can truly feel the radiation when I interact with a source. The symptoms of exposure for me look like this:

I feel heat, zaps of energy and the feeling of a vibration when I hold a cellphone or tablet. I get a foggy feeling with a blunt headache if I'm within 15 to 20 feet of  a WiFi. Sometimes this feeling comes over me within minutes, sometime the symptom manifests  after an hour or so.  I wake up when the WiFi is on in my home. I can't sleep in airplane that has WIFI. 

I take very good care of my health, eating right, daily exercise, energy work, supplements, mediation, grounding and I live in a home that has very little man made electromagnetic energy.  The wires of my home are shielded. My family cooperates with my sensitivity and they make sure the WiFi is off when I'm home and they don't use their cellphones around me.  I consider my mild sensitivity a gift of sorts, as it allows me to "feel" the EMFs that normally can't be seen, heard or felt. It's why I ordered my first meter and started exploring this subject over 25 years ago.

It's why I wouldn't let my kids ever put their cellphones to their ears, carry them in their pockets or have them in their bedrooms. It's why there's no WiFi on at my home. I've known that the energy from EMFs affects the energy of my body, and therefore I believed it could have the potential to affect everyone's health.  Over a decade ago I reached out to Dr. George Carlo, the man who headed the huge $27 MM research project for the Cellphone Industry in the '90's. I've looked to Dr. Carlo ever since as trusted advisor on the science of RF Radiation. Now, more and more research is pointing to health effects from various EMF exposures.

But There's Good News

So what is an EMF?

If you found this article chances are you're wondering, What's an EMF? EMF's are electric and magnetic fields that are invisible (but very real) energy and come from, or “radiate” from,  sources of natural and man-made electricity.

The Key To Understanding the Concern About EMF Is Not To Confuse The Natural EMF With The Man Made EMF

Have you heard- EMF isn't dangerous?  EMF is everywhere, what's the big deal?

There's truth to those statements, there are natural magnetic fields that come from the earths core.  Their the "energy" people who like to kick off their shoes and "ground" are trying to connect to. 

And there are thunderstorms that produce the electric fields that are sometimes so strong in the atmosphere that they can truly make the hair on the nape of your neck stand up.

The unnatural EMF has been created by man. We're now exposed to it with everyday items like  electric blankets, power lines, wiring, appliances, computers, everything wireless, including Bluetooth, Airpods, WiFi, Cell towers, smart meters, smartphones, any wireless item you have.

One Thing All EMF Has in Common: Dissipation

It's nice to know that the further you get away from any source of EMF, the less of it you will be exposed to.  We like to remember this adage when it comes to EMF.

Distance Is Your Friend

The Electromagnetic Spectrum and EMF

Ionizing Radiation

We all learned as kids about the dangers of  "radiation"—particularly the ionizing stuff at the far right of the spectrum. You'll notice the following 3 areas on the spectrum: Ultraviolet, X-ray and nuclear energy. Yes, dangerous stuff!  UV light can cause skin cancer. Too many X-rays cause all kinds of bad things from cancer to death (just ask Marie Curie). And, exposure to nuclear radiation can be downright catastrophic. Ionizing Radiation has enough energy to knock electrons out of atoms.

Non Ionizing Radiation

The left end of the spectrum has all the non-ionizing radiation that were now realizing can also affect our health and well-being too. I'm no scientist, but I delved into the science as part of my journey of understanding my own situation, my electro-sensitivity and my desire to do something about it both for me and for others. The explanations in here are the best efforts of a layperson just like you. Be assured, I've done the research.  I have asked scientists to review what I have written, and aside from some scientific nuances that I still don't quite understand, they have given me the go-ahead to share this with you.

Breaking It Down: Four Types of Man-made or Artificial EMF That Can Be Detected, Defined and Can Cause Health Effects

The Tri-Field Meter Can Detect and Measure Every Kind Of EMF

Electricity: Where Magnetic and Electric Fields Are Born.

In the chart above--you see electricity--we all know what that is. The utility companies provide us with electricity that contains the man-made electric and magnetic fields.

The frequency of our electricity here in the US is 60 hertz. That term, frequency indicates how rapidly the field changes direction- it oscillates backwards and forwards and this spinning is measured in hertz- which is cycles per second.  This oscillation is the key difference between man- made artificial EMF and the natural EMF in our environment- That doesn't oscillate at all. 

This frequency varies from country to country, which is why you take a set of electrical adapters when you travel.

Electric Fields

Natural Electric Fields are produced by lightning in our atmospheres.  Voltage produces man-made Electric Fields.  Imagine voltage as the pressure behind the flow of electricity.  I've heard Building Biologists compare voltage to the pressure of water in hose.  Meaning just because the water isn't turned "on" there's still water sitting in the hose- and visualize that same comparison with the electric fields that are sitting their in the cords of every item you own, in your wiring- even though nothing is plugged into the outlets and the lamps or fans or clocks or blenders are turned on.  There are electric fields in the wiring and electric fields in the cords.   The good news is that they can be shielded.  In fact all the wiring in my home is shielded and Tech Wellness caries Shielded power cords and power strips.

The Meters That Are Used to Measure and Detect Electrical Fields are Body Voltage Meters and Electrical Meters.  And The Measurement is  AC Volts or Volts per Meter (V/m)

Frequency: Low Frequency Waves

Magnetic Fields

Magnetic fields are just about everywhere in our world in varying strengths. In fact, our very own human brain waves have very similar frequencies to the micro-pulsations of the earth's natural magnetic field which emanates from the Earth' core.

The flow or the current of man-made electricity is produces a magnetic field.  The magnetic fields can't be easily blocked or screened and they tend to be a problem for many people with EHS or EMF sensitivity.  We know that high powered tension lines emit pretty high levels of magnetic fields.  This EMF has been associated with an increased risk of childhood leukemia and miscarriages. Magnetic fields emanate from most electrical items.  I've detected them on the screens of all digital devices, from the dryer, the dishwasher and other appliances around our home.

Meters used specifically for Magnetic Energy are Gauss Meters.

Magnetic fields are detected at Extremely Low Frequency and Very Low Frequency in Milligauss.

Dirty Electricity or Electro-smog

This is a kind of electromagnetic interference or EMI that happens when higher frequencies piggyback on our good old fashioned electrical wiring.  This causes erratic spikes or surges of electricity that can radiate into your environment. We want to make sure the wiring in our homes, offices, and schools doesn't have this problem.  This type of EMF can be particularly problematic for people with electromagnetic sensitivity.

Radio Frequency or RF Radiation

Just like magnetic fields are just about everywhere, so are radio frequencies.  Visible light from the sun is a radio frequency and so is ultraviolet light.  Radio Frequency electromagnetic fields are also called electromagnetic radiation or EMR.

Man-made Radio Frequency or RF Fields come from all wireless devices. From radio antennas, to cellphone antennas to Bluetooth devices to WiFi these all fall into the category RF EMF.  Radio Waves are modulated to carry information, specifically digital information in the case radios, laptops, tablets, nest or ring systems, wireless cameras and TV's, Smartphones and smartwatches just to name a few. 

RF is measured by wavelength and frequency. Wavelength is the distance covered by one complete cycle of the electromagnetic wave. Frequency is the number of electromagnetic waves in one second, also known as a Hertz or Hz. The meters we use to detect and measure RF can detect within a certain range of Hertz.  The Safe and Sound Pro for example has a range between 200 MHz, megahertz and 8GHz, gigahertz.

You might have also heard the terms non-ionizing radiation ionizing radiation. Radio Frequencies, whether natural or man-made, are broken down into non-ionizing and ionizing waves.  - Ionizing being the ones that are strong enough to split an atom, those would be your Xrays and Gamma Rays.  Non ionizing would be the EMF from cellphones, microwaves, cell towers, WiFi, Bluetooth and any item that can send or receive any of those lovely signals.

These waves are High Frequency which means they are located higher the spectrum--this kind of field is a combo of electric and magnetic fields coupled together as electromagnetic or radio waves. 

Meters Used to detect EMF Radiation:  Radio Frequency Meters

Detected or measured in MHz or GHz using in Micro-watts per square centimeter, Volts per square meter

Your Body Electric and Magnetic

Remember, our bodies are electrical in nature. We're made up of atoms, which are made up of protons, electrons, and neutrons. There's a great video showing how our bodies use chemical sources to make electricity. We've got the link to the Medicine Journal channel below. Here's how Julia Layton explains the electricity in our bodies on How Stuff Works:

"Everything we do is controlled and enabled by electrical signals running through our bodies. As we learned in intro physics, everything is made up of atoms, and atoms are made up of protons, neutrons and electrons. Protons have a positive charge, neutrons have a neutral charge, and electrons have a negative charge. When these charges are out of balance, an atom becomes either positively or negatively charged. The switch between one type of charge and the other allows electrons to flow from one atom to another. This flow of electrons, or a negative charge, is what we call electricity. Since our bodies are huge masses of atoms, we can generate electricity."

Wireless EMF Energy vs. Body Energy

I've been doing EMF measurement videos on cell phones and mobile phones since 2000 because I wanted to show people the "energy waves" that can't be seen, felt or touched. In many of the videos, I talk about my belief that the energy coming from this Smartphone or this Bluetooth speaker, negatively affects the energy of my body or that I feel this energy isn't interacting with my bodies energy in a good way.

Since were electrical in nature and we now know our brains respond to the fields of energy—we can make the connection between how man-made EMFs might possibly be messing with our bodies by interfering with our natural bio-electromagnetic functions.

Dr Carlo explains that it's because the waves of energy carry information on them-that's all the words, pictures, videos, the data that wireless waves carry from antenna to device or device to device. Because the radio waves a coupled with the data or information on them, they become polarized, which is why we see the biological effects we see in the research.  Information Carrying Radio Waves are often referred to as EMF. Actually they are a type of EMF, but you'll see us refer to them specifically as Information Carrying Radio Waves  ICRW when we talk about the biological effects. 

Because Radio Frequency or RF energy power has multiplied exponentially in the last 35 years and it is used in more areas of our life every single day, our main focus at Tech Wellness is reducing your exposure from wireless  ICRW sources.

We advocate what’s referred to as the Precautionary Principle. Basically, this means that because there’s research, lots of it actually, saying the energy that powers our cellphones– RF radiation– could be causing health concerns-including tumors and cancer, then we ought to take care when using our cell phones -and all devices that emit RF-and use them mindfully.

And More Precaution is More Important For Our Kids-

We talk about how to know when your child should have a cellphone or smartphone of their own in our Parent's Guide To Giving Your Kids A Phone

But children are susceptible to RF radiation simply from all wireless devices--even if their just holding Mom's or Dad's.

The illustration below is from the MID-90's(yes, parents have been concerned about wireless radiation for a loooong time) It's a picture of how kids brains absorb more radiation then adults because of their thinner, developing skulls.  This was done by Professor Gandhi who was actually working for the Motorola and Department of Defense at the time and according to Devra Davis* lost his funding after he published this 2 dimensional modeling. 

Children's  little bodies are different then ours.  Their skulls are thinner and the fact that their body systems are rapidly developing makes them more vulnerable to microwave exposures. Devra Davis of the Environmental Health Trust reminds us that this information is scientifically accepted.  She also lead research *confirming that because children’s skulls are thinner and tissues of a child’s head, including the bone marrow and the eye, absorb significantly more energy than those in an adult head. The illustration below demonstrates the greater exposure absorption for a smaller head. It's done with 3D modeling used for the Environmental Health Trust.

EMF Radiation Research:  There's Plenty of Evidence to consider

Cellphones, Melatonin, Sleep and More.

A brand new 2021 study reveals that exposure to cellphone radiation from a 2600Mhz signal-which is a popular carrier signal on the LTE band btw, decreased melatonin.  And alarmingly the scientists noted that there was increased cell death in the brain as well as structural deformation-- which means warping, bending, twisting structural components! 

I just asked Kevser Delen, lead researcher, for her personal take-aways from the study:

IMPORTANT RESEARCH BEGINNING WITH TELECOM INDUSTRY'S OWN STUDY 3 DECADES AGO TO 1,000'S OF PEER REVIEWED STUDIES SINCE SHOW A LINK BETWEEN CELLPHONE ENERGY AND NEGATIVE HEALTH EFFECTS

As I mentioned earlier, I started looking into the “energy effect” over 25 years ago, simply trying to identify what I was feeling. At about the same time, major research on the topic was underway. To date, the Wireless Technology Research or WTR remains the most seminal work on the topic of adverse health effects and cell phone use. The WTR was founded in 1993 by CTIA, and back then the acronym stood for US Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association, but now this trade organization just goes by CTIA and represents the U.S, wireless communications industry.

Dr. George Carlo headed this research project which resulted in the findings of genetic damage to human blood; increased risk of brain neuroepithelial tumors in those who use cell phones on the side of the head where their tumors were found; increased risk of acoustic neuroma with increasing minutes of phone use. When Dr. Carlo announced his findings with letters of warning to the major Telecom's including  letter to AT&T , he was dismissed from his position and disparaged.  He admits in his book Cellphones, Invisible Hazards Of the Wireless Age, that he did sell to consumers for $19.95, copies of the "information Package" that he also presented with the letter- and that gave Thomas  Wheeler an opening to discredit him and he was fired 2 weeks later.

I personally have found Dr. Carlo to be incredibly wise and helpful on EMF radiation and the biological effects. The findings of his research were most recently edified in 2018, by our governments own National Toxicology Program- where links were found to cellphone radiation

Increased incidences of glioma, a rare, aggressive and highly malignant brain cancer.
● Increased incidence of schwannoma (a rare tumor of the nerve sheath) of the heart
● Increases of these cancers were found in both sexes of rats, but reached statistical significance only in males
● Increased incidences of rare, proliferative changes in glial cells of the brain and in Schwann cells in the hears of bot sexes of rats
while not a single unexposed control animal developed these precancerous changes.
● DNA damage was induced with both modulations of radiofrequency radiation (RFR) in both rats and mice (in the frontal lobe plus other tissues).

Other research around the world followed and then in 2011, the World Health Organization, specifically the International Agency for Research on Cancer(IARC)  classified RF exposed as a Group 2B possible carcinogen. This was big news, in fact, I did a video recap of it back then to explain what that means:

Then, in 2012 the Bioiniative Report, which was written by a respected group of international scientists, cataloged 5 pages of biological effects that occur due to RF exposure. There's a link at the end of this article.

And most recently our own National Toxicology Program NTP concluded that its "largest and most complex" 30 million dollar study, found a connection to cell damage and wireless EMF or Radio Frequency.

They noted incidences of tumors in the brains and hearts of male mice after exposure. In an interview with Dr. David McCormick from the Illinois Institute of  Technology where the study was performed. I appreciate where he flat out says "Yes, That's correct" to the question of a WTHR reporter, "In your lab, you found cell phone radiation caused cancer?" Dr. McCormick followed with, "Yes, the results were surprising." The animals were exposed to 10 minutes, on/off increments of RF energy for 9 hours a day. Think about it.

That amount of RF energy in our lives is quite attainable these days, between our Bluetooth keyboards on our computers and our wireless headsets, speakers, the WiFi and our cellphones—we're all easily exposed to 4.5 hours of RF radiation in a 9 hour period of time. Right? And a recent study linked a very low level, but acute (or constant) exposure to Wireless EMF to cancer of the heart, lymphoma, and leukemia. Hmmmm. Not great news.

But the "Wireless-causes-Cancer" belief still isn't ringing true for everyone

"Finally, the measurement of cell phone use in most studies has been crude. Most have been case-control studies, which have relied on people’s memories about their past cell phone use. In these types of studies, it can be hard to interpret any possible link between cancer and an exposure. People with cancer are often looking for a possible reason for it, so they may sometimes (even subconsciously) recall their phone usage differently than people without cancer. With these limitations in mind, it is important that the possible risk of cell phone exposure continue to be researched using strong study methods, especially with regard to use by children and longer-term use."

Then it goes on to point out that agencies from the FDA to the FCC state that there are no conclusive links to health effects and cell phone EMFs. I would love for that to be true.

I think every day, scientists are getting closer to the answer.

Lots of Scientists Doing Lots of Research

For a long time . . . The earliest research compilation I've found on the topic of RF or Microwave energy, in particular, was done by Zorach Glasser.  He did a research report listing 122 Bio-effects linked to microwave/RF energy for the US Navy back in 1971.  He cited research from over 2200 studies.  Check out the PDF.  It's fascinating. It's awesome that so many research institutions are studying wireless EMF and their health effects. Here are some recent scientific articles that find a link between your cell phone, WiFi or Bluetooth wireless device and:

Your Body's Melatonin levels and Brain health

The Immune System

Memory Depression and The Nervous System

Behaviour ADHD and Autism developed in-utero

Fertility,

Headaches

Sleep

Decreased Hormone Levels

The Endocrine System

Heart

Respected Medical Associations are Speaking Out

It makes sense that organizations like the American Academy of Pediatrics have expressed concern regarding radiation standards relating to wireless devices.

Many in the medical field believe that pregnant women and their unborn children, very young children, teenagers, men of a reproductive age, seniors, and anyone with a chronic health condition are those who are an especially high risk of harm from exposure.Electric fields can affect the electrical communication in your body, such as your brainwaves, or the ability of your neurons to fire and communicate. It can also impede inter­-cell communication anywhere in your body. Health problems in addition to our reported list of symptoms that can manifest as a result of this type of exposure include:

• Neurological and behavioral changes

• Altered cell growth

• Cell mutations

• Fibromyalgia

• Chronic fatigue

• Cancer

And a new diagnosis For Our New Age: EHS— Electromagnetic Hyper-Sensitivity

I'm

Electro-sensitive or ES.

Some call it Electromagnetic Hyper Sensitivity or

EHS

, and because I've managed my exposure to EMF through the years and I do work to support my body,  I stay pretty symptom-free.

Unfortunately, some people experience symptoms far worse than me. Their symptoms are disabling, and the worst part about it is that they can’t get away from EMFs in this world. They may be able to mitigate their exposure in their own home, but things like public WiFi and Smart Meters can make them very sick. They become virtual refugees and have to retreat into isolated settings. More and More people are reporting EMF sensitivity It's estimated that roughly 4% of the population is EMF Hypersensitive.

The World Health Organization says Electromagnetic Sensitivity is characterized by a variety of non-specific symptoms. Most commonly reported are skin reactions: tingling, redness, burning sensations. The other major symptoms regularly reported are fatigue, lack of concentration, headaches, dizziness, nausea, and heart palpitations. Other sufferers report gastrointestinal disturbances. Many EMF experts suspect that EMF hypersensitivity appears when there's an acute dose of EMF or from being consistently exposed to a combination of all types of EMF. I think this is true. It's what I've seen.

Though not an EHS study specifically, Dr. Ronald Powell provides a study of exposure to smart meter EMF radiation that shows symptoms ranging from tingling and dizziness to sleep problems and anxiety

PREVENTING TECH FROM MAKING YOU SICK

That's why at Tech Wellness, we recommend a common sense approach to all EMFs. Put as much distance as you can from EMF sources in your world. Try to locate beds away from ordinary electrical outlets, don't buy a home underneath high powered electrical wires etc. If you think you are electro-sensitive, we recommend EMF Consultants and EMF Experts for your home. They can find hidden EMF sources from electrical technology and more importantly, mitigate the EMF issues. For someone near you, inquire here

Getting Rid of EMF is Not An Easy Fix: Mitigating Man Made EMF is Complicated

My EMF Journey began long ago.  I've seen all manner of chips, shields, stickers and fabrics along the way that claimed to mitigate EMF and purchased dozens of products to try.

There are materials that do in fact block EMF- they block the natural EMF from the Earth as well as the chaotic man made EMF that leads to the negative health effects.  But most materials don't block all EMF and when all the wireless RF-EMF is blocked, it's impossible to get a signal to or from the device.

Harmonizers that claim to be EMF protection, don't have compelling published peer reviewed studies to prove their efficacy, though they may enhance the environment.

Both the Harmonizer and  EMF Protection Shielding Market's are growing.  If you're looking to block EMF or shield your home or body from EMF you really must approach Harmonizers and Shielding with caution.

You'll find the details as well as recommendations for using shielding properly in our article,

Does EMF Protection Work?

There's also a 

Research Study

that details the how Partial Shielding From Clothing to Cases to  Can Increase EMF With Reflection and Hot Spots

HEALTH AND WELL-BEING: HERE'S HOW TO LIVE SAFER WITH TECH

Let's start here; with the wireless in your world. We'll take a look around. Arm you with information and demonstrations to make it easy, offering 15 simple ways to get a hold of the RF radiation sources surrounding you and your family. A straightforward, better-safe-than-sorry approach.

THE WELLNESS GUIDE TO LIVING SAFER WITH TECH

I. Be Mindful of the EMF Around You

As technology evolves, more and more products are utilizing non-ionizing Radio Frequencies and emitting EMF Radiation, especially when it comes to communication and more notably, convenience. First, we had microwave ovens, then came cell phones and now we have wireless communication spewing in, out and around every smartphone, WiFi, smart meter, Smart TV,  smart so many things. Plus, a wide variety of blue-tooth and WiFi spouting toys and smart home gadgets from wearables to security cams and climate controllers. All these connected devices are called The Internet of Things, (IoT).

EMF Radiation Meters Are A Great Place to Begin Mindfulness 

This little EMF Meter does a great job.  Sensitive and Accurate

This EMF Meter Has All The Bells And Whistles.  Great For When You're Serious About EMF Protection

Be aware of potential EMF exposure in a lot of places and from a lot of things: WiFi energy enables WiFi routers in homes, offices, stores, and restaurants. It's in Printers, Cars, Solar Systems, Laptops, Tablets, Desktops, Apple Watch, Appliances like dishwashers and fridges—I've even seen a WiFi enabled crockpot.

II. We can help you see the EMF's

We have wealth of tips and tricks to mitigate and create distance between you and EMF exposure. Watch our videos. We tote a meter around to show what an EMF "looks" like and offer a solution to avoiding RF radiation we encounter. Here are 6 interesting ones now: 

Smartphone

Smart Meter

Wearables

laptops

WiFi

III.  How Do WE Measure or Detect EMF?

All electromagnetic fields, EMF are measured in terms of power density. Think about  power density as representing the energy over the surface area.  When you see me using a meter to detect the invisible  EMF being emitted from a wireless device,the meter is giving a read out of the level of the energy over a certain area--The power density levels will be strongest directly over the surface area of the antenna and then as the EMF energy is detected further and further and further away from the antenna, the strength of the energy dissipates as the energy "spreads out" and eventually lessens enough that  it can't be detected at all.

 

The way I like to visualize it is like the smoke plume coming form the end of a cigarette.  It's dense right at tip--then you can watch as it "spreads out" in the air, getting lighter and lighter- but filling more and more space.  Finally it floats so far away, you might not even be able to detect it all.

DISTANCE IS YOUR FRIEND--WHEN IT COMES TO THE SMOKE COMING FROM A CIGARETTE AND THE EMF COMING FROM YOUR WiFi, YOUR CELLPHONE, YOUR WIRELESS SPEAKERS AND YOUR LAPTOPS

The first time I used the "Distance Is Your Friend" idea was on a video in 2008.  It's really caught on because it cements the concept of how EMF dissipates with distance so beautifully. There's actually a law in science that works to explain how much the EMF lessens as you get away from it.

 

The Inverse Square Law Is A Lovely Scientific Fact

It's called the  inverse-square law and it states that a physical quantity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.  What that means to you and me is this: If you double the distance from your devices wireless transmitter or antenna, you'll be exposed to 75% less radiation as the signal dissipates.
Keep in mind, the opposite is true as well, exposure increases quickly with proximity.

How Much EMF is Safe?

If you're sensitive,  the less the better. If you're NOT sensitive, the less the better! The Biointiative Report recommended a safety level of .0003 microwatt/cm2. The  Institute of Building Biology has these guidelines for sleeping areas  You can see in our videos, the measurements from my test meters are much higher. I test everywhere I go and very rarely do I even find levels as low as .1. Most houses have 2 or 3 times that much when I set my meter for to the Max level and get ambient energy readings. When we measure the peak wave or Maximum Peak, near the wireless energy source, the levels go much higher, which is why the level I advise below is with the hope that people keep their distance from wireless devices.

IV. What can I do about it?

Practically speaking avoidance and distance are the keys for the time being. The top 15 easy ways to creating less interaction with RF are in the Tips above.  You can also become active in any of the many activists' groups. 

We hope you'll share our Tips and this Wireless energy guide and begin another person on the journey to Tech Wellness.

V. The 15 Best Ways to Protect You and Your Family From Wireless EMF Radiation

There are easy and effective things you can do to enjoy wireless technology yet still be mindful of your health and create a safer and environment.

1. Turn Devices OFF or put them in Airplane Mode Whenever You Can. Cell phones, tablets, laptops, and smartphones are sending or receiving wireless energy even when you're not using them.  Control the unnecessary RF radiation by simply powering off. Make sure Bluetooth and WiFi are disabled too.

 

2. Don't carry your cell phone in your hand or your pocket when it's on. There's plume of RF radiation all around your device and it dissipates the further it gets from the device. Consider a purse or man-bag or a cell phone case with straps or a simple Phone Leash so you can either dangle it from your wrist or keep it long so it stays away from your tummy and hips--we don't want RF energy there!!

 If "Anti Radiation Phone Cases" actually worked, we would offer them at Tech Wellness.

EMF Radiation Protection that is guaranteed come only with a Faraday bag that completely blocks signal. Another good idea is to distance yourself from your device.  Like Smoke from a cigarette, RF radiation dissipates as it gets further and further from the antenna.  Carry your phone away from you. 

 

  3. If you hold your phone to  Skype, Facetime or Zoom, Try A Phone Stand Instead. Your body is safer when the wireless energy from your smartphone is at least 8 inches from you.  Try this, it's great for preventing Tech Neck as well. 

 

 

4. Eliminate WiFi and Use Internet via a Wired connection.  Instead of a Wireless Mouse,  use a Wired connection, Instead of a Wireless Keyboard, Use a Wired Keyboard.  Hardwired connections eliminate RF energy from wireless energy.  A bonus is that your internet is faster, more secure.  It's great because all this hard wiring allows you to turn blue-tooth and WiFi off.  Make sure you toggle off the Blue Tooth Setting and the WiFi Settings on your laptop or device. The result: almost no RF radiation! Use This to assure no electro-smog which can occur with some cabling

 

5. If you're home just can't exist without WiFi, turn it off whenever you can. Especially at night. Any time the WiFi router is off, it's not sending a signal so there's no RF radiation. And when you do turn it off using a low tech remote switch or a timer so you don't have to come in close contact with the RF energy from the Router. You can turn the router off anytime and turn it back on when you need it.

6. Keep Your Computer and Cellphone out of all sleeping areas.  Being clear of all EMF radiation makes for a lovely nights rest for you and your family.  Instead of awaking to the sounds of your smartphone, we found a lovely EMF Free alternative.

 

7. Our world is filled with WiFi enabled appliances and gadgets: Turn the WiFi off on your printer, appliances, Smart TV, and home monitoring devices.  

 

8. Remove your Smart Meter.  It's actually a very powerful WiFi Router that's consistently pulsing EMF's all day and all night. It could be the strongest EMF source in your home. Call your power company and ask them to switch it out to a non-wireless analog or digital meter. We did this and we noticed a difference.

9. Turn off the baby monitor anytime you're not using it AND make sure it's at least 15 feet from you and your baby. Try This No-EMF Radiation Baby Monitor Set-up.

10. To keep your hands and fingers from being exposed to wireless energy directly, use a stylus when text or email from your device. Too much? Compose in airplane mode: then send when the device is On or enabled.

11. Never, please really never use a phone or computer on a plane, in a car or when train. The wireless radiation increases as the device searches for the signal. It can become quite high. Not good for you or anyone around you. You can watch this video demonstrating the magnification of RF radiation when WiFi is accessed in a plane.

12. Find out where they keep the WiFi router when you're choosing your Flight seat. Choose a seat as far from it as you can to distance yourself from wireless EMF.

 

13. A laptop is not for your lap! Even with no WiFi or blue-tooth connection, there are magnetic EMF's oozing from it. At the very least use a thick 12" pillow. Best is on the desk a good 2' from your tummy with a wired mouse and keyboard attached to the laptop.

 

14. Use a Wired Headset, Wired Earbuds or Wired Headphones that include Air Tube Technology.  The tube of air acts as a buffer between the RF energy coming from the Cell phone or Smartphone and makes sure none of it gets to your head. Here's  the one we use. It works beautifully, plus has a nice long wire for more distance from our device.

15. Be WiFi, Cellphone, and Bluetooth Aware:  Not just in your home, but out and about as well. If you see the flashing lights of a WiFi router, know that you're being exposed to less as you move further away. Wifi Router boxes or Low Power Wifi Routers can help reduce some of the WiFi radiation in your home or office environment.

What We Do Not Recommend To Protect You From EMF Radiation

• Anti Radiation Phone Cases or Device Cases. These can make the radiation worse by magnifying it on the edges of what the case is covering.  -Covering the Front Of The Case Does Not Protect Your From the Radiation coming from All Sides And TOP of the Phone
• Laptop Shields. As with phone cases, the edge of the laptop shield is oozing EMF.  Add to that, in order for the shield to protect your lap, which is usually your legs- the radiation is multiplied on the top of the shield. That means more radiation to your hands, tummy, chest and face.
• Anti radiation or shielding clothing.  Clothing with metallic fibers can keep direct radiation exposure off the area that it's covering-but it can also magnify that radiation to other parts of your body in what the new research calls Hot Spots.  Also, we really aren't sure about the health mechanism of EMF exposure. Just because one part of you is covered, what's happening to the rest of you?  Building Biologist Bill Cadwallader puts it this way: "Which body part isn't important to you?"
• Shungite  It pains us to see that Shungite is the number one term that comes up when you Google EMF Protection.  Shungite is cool and it is beautiful. It's a black stone that was discovered in Karelia Russia and that's why you may see people talk about only trusting Kareilian Shungite.  The trouble is that although  Shungite does have electrical conductive properties because it actually has carbon and (sometimes) fullerene content. As a matter of fact,  It has been confirmed to have shielding capabilities from 10-30GHz, as well as attenuating 50Hz electric fields (Mosin and Ignatov, 2013)  THE problem with using it as shielding is that you have to have a lot of it, not just a chunk of it sitting on a table. Shungite can have shielding capabilities IF it COVERED an entire wall- or created a large barrier between you and the wireless antenna or transmitter.  Shungite- and any crystal by the way, does Not Attract or diffuse EMF.

We also have not found discs for phones or necklaces for wireless energy proven to do anything.

So stay away from those. We don’t recommend “shielding” gadgets like a microwave cover, because they cannot possibly block all of the EMF  And as far a shielding for your home or personal space, shielding properly is a tricky endeavor. We advise hiring an EMF professional who is an Electrician or Engineer to help mitigate home EMF exposure. Check our our listing of experts in our Consultants section of Tech Wellness.

But wait, there's more. . .

As far a shielding for your home or personal space, shielding properly is a tricky endeavor. We advise hiring an EMF professional who is an Electrician or Engineer to help mitigate home EMF exposure. Check out the Consultants section of Tech Wellness to find a certified EMF expert near you.  And, for just what it takes to become "certified" to be an EMF expert, we've got that information too.

A Special Note to You- Who Do We Look Up To And Trust?

Sometimes it's hard to know what to believe online.  To be your trusted resource we consult with some of the world's foremost  experts on tech toxins like EMF.  Our understanding of man made electromagnetic radio waves continues to evolve.  I encourage you to rely on websites and resources that are informed by trusted scientists and doctors.  Dr. George Carlo who led the seminal research study for the wireless industry(his book is featured in our store) and President of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Building Biologists, Larry Gust are the two foremost experts I look to.  I also recommend the work of Joel Moskowitz and his site: SafeEMR,  Cindy Sage of the often quoted Bioinitiative Report and now Physicians for Safe Technology,  Dr. Olle Johansson  and The Environmental Health Trust   and Ellie Marks and The California Brain Tumor Association whose mission is to safeguard public health These people along with the late Martin Blank are highly regarded experts  when it comes to the science of Electromagnetic Radiation. You can find a nice compilation of EMF science and related policy developments at EMFscientists.org    Looking for Certified EMF Education?  If you're serious, enroll in the Building Biology Institute
Prepare to spend 400 plus hours learning about all manner of environmental toxins and an additional 120 hours to  reach the gold standard of EMRS

Check the background of the people involved in creating the information you're using to make decisions regarding EMF and your health and make sure they're the real deal.  There are some great authentic and accurate EMF sites, like emfanalysis. It's run by Jeromy Johnson and we have similar backgrounds. There seems to be a lot of interest lately in the topic I've been concerned about for 25 years and though I'm very happy and relieved that so many are now taking this topic seriously--and I'm happy  some EMF resources embed Safertech and Tech Wellness videos in their sites- I'm concerned that you, (if you're concerned about wireless radiation and your health) steer clear of "experts"  who may be trying to promote items that really don't do what they claim or entice you to visit their sites so they can sell ads based on high traffic or affiliate with unproven "emf protection".  I

t is a confusing  and sometimes scary topic--I keep my earlier videos from 2007 on this site so you can see that my understanding has grown deeply.  Please know that I take great pride in not creating fear or misunderstanding in this space and it's my deep desire for you to be healthy and well and live life in balance and safety with technology

I hope I was helpful in furthering your understanding of EMF radiation and the possible consequences of exposure. My desire is for you and your family to have the informed awareness that creates healthy change.

Be Well!

August

Key Terms:

EMF Electromagnetic Fields: (EMF) is defined as:a field of force that consists of both electric and magnetic components, resulting from the motion of an electric charge and containing a definite amount of electromagnetic energy. Electric and magnetic fields radiate from sources of natural and man-made electricity. Also called Electromagnetic Radiation or EMR

EMF is commonly used to refer to the wireless energy that powers all manner of non-wired digital device antenna and transmitters

The Electromagnetic Spectrum. The electromagnetic (EM) spectrum is the range of all types of EM radiation. It includes frequencies and respective wavelengths including ionizing and non ionizing radiation

Ionizing Radiation: electromagnetic waves on the high energy end of the electromagnetic spectrum including gamma or X rays: radiation that carrels sufficient energy to detach electrons from atoms or molecules thereby ionizing an atom or molecule. Known to cause cellular damage

Non-ionizing radiation refers to any type of electromagnetic radiation that does not carry enough energy to ionize atoms or molecules but instead has only sufficient energy for, the movement of an electron to a higher energy state

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is a measure of the rate at which energy is absorbed per unit mass by a human body when exposed to a radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic field.It

Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS) also known as Electromagnetic Sensitivity (ES)
also known as Electromagnetic Intolerance (EMI), is any sickness, acute or chronic, that is caused by electromagnetic fields (EMF) and electromagnetic radiation (EMR) from common electrical and wireless sources such as cell towers, WiFi, cellphones, smart meters, power lines, appliances and bad home wiring. EHS is a condition affecting put to 10% of the population

EMF Dissipates With Distance:  It's called the  inverse-square law and it states that a physical quantity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.  What that means to you and me is this: If you double the distance from your devices wireless transmitter or antenna, you'll be exposed to 75% less radiation as the signal dissipates.

Keep in mind, the opposite is true as well, exposure increases quickly with proximity.