Cellphones and Cancer

The effect of mobile phone radiation on human health is the subject of recent interest and study, as a result of the enormous increase in mobile phone usage throughout the world. Mobile phones use electromagnetic radiation in the microwave range. Other digital wireless systems, such as data communication networks, produce similar radiation. Does this radiation really cause cancer, can the damage a human brain?

What is electromagnetic radiation?

In simple terms this is just heat energy is being given or being omitted by something. There are divided into two different categories namely ionizing (e.g. x-rays) and non-ionizing (e.g. radio waves).

Scientifically ionizing radiation is the one that has high radiation and is the one that can cause cancer, unlike non-ionizing it is said to not cause due its frequency is very low. Exposure to ionizing radiation, such as from radiation therapy, is known to increase the risk of cancer. However, although many studies have examined the potential health effects of non-ionizing radiation from radar, microwave ovens, and other sources, there is currently no consistent evidence that non-ionizing radiation increases cancer risk.

Cellphone Myths

A cell phone emits about 1 Watt of electromagnetic radiation. Most of that zooms away to find a cellphone towers. The tissues of the user will absorb a part of this radiation. These tissues include the caller’s hand, ear, scalp, skull, and brain. The closer a tissue is to the cell phone’s antenna, the more of the radiation the tissue absorbs. For some reason, however, none of those raising fears about cell phones causing cancer are concerned about skin cancers on palms, fingers, or ears.

It is said that when people used a cell phone for 50 minutes, brain tissues on the same side of the head as the phone’s antenna metabolized more glucose than did tissues on the opposite side of the brain. The researchers noted that the results are preliminary, and possible health outcomes from this increase in glucose metabolism are still unknown.

Studies show that a small kid is more likely to be affected by the radiation than an adult, this is because a kid’s skull thickness is not as thick as an adult. Meaning a person that has been using a phone very a young age is more likely to be at a risk of cancer than someone that got it as an adult. It is said that this radiation penetrates more in younger people than adults due to the skull thickness

Prevention

Since there isn’t concrete evidence that cell phones can or can’t cause cancer I suggest people should just use safety accessories that comes with today’s technology this can be such as:

Try to use an external antenna when using your cell phone from inside your car. The radio waves will be reflected back at you from the metal chassis, doors and roof magnifying the radiation. Also, the cell phone has a hard time sending its signal out of the car because of the metal chassis, and increases its transmitting strength to compensate. The other thing people should avoid long calls, or the use of loudspeaker. And avoid placing the phone on the ear while the call is connecting since that’s when the radiation is at its highest that’s when the cellphone is sending out its strongest signal.

In my own opinion cell phone are not very harmful since that radiation it emits is not as powerful to cause cancer, but if used over a long period of time it can cause cancer. In countries in African I don’t think this will be of any harm to us since our life expectancy is very low and people only get to get phone to an age that the radiation doesn’t penetrate deeper . But for someone that has used a phone their whole life in countries with high life expectancy it might cause the harm in the twilight of the life since they their brains will be affected and the body isn’t strong enough to fight with the radiation cancer may result.

Cellphones can cause cancer but it can be avoided if people stop being ignorant and use safety precautions. And parents must avoid getting their kids phones at an early age to avoid brain problems at a very young age.