THIS WEEK IN THE HSI HEALTHIER TALK COMMUNITY Here's a headline that will not be welcome to the ever-growing army of us folks who never leave home without our cell phones: "Cell Phone Users 240% More Likely to Get Brain Tumor" That unsettling headline is also the title of a thread on the HSI Healthier Talk community forum. A member named Liverock starts off by posting a link to information about a recent Swedish study that compared cell phone use in two groups: a group of 2,200 cancer patients (nearly 1,000 had malignant brain tumors), and a group of about the same number who were cancer-free. The result: Well, just reread the headline above. An HSI member named Howard responds to Liverock with a case history and an insider's perspective: "Many years ago, when the concept of cell phones was being developed, the Engineers and other lab rats at Motorola wore an antenna with a dongle (a cord to attach to a unit) on their ear all day. When they wanted to check a particular parameter of a device, they would simply plug into the unit and record their data. "I was in the business at that time, and the chief Engineer at the central lab that was doing the product development for Motorola, developed a brain tumor on the side of his head with the antenna and eventually died. There was much speculation in the industry at that time, but no information was reported in the press because the products were new on the market and the press was ignorant to the issue. Few people had them at the time. Supposedly, there was a lawsuit filed, but it was settled out of court. "I have always had a good amount of respect for the potential damage that could be caused by these ubiquitous devices and use a remote antenna whenever possible. (In my car, for example) I now see people walking around with micro devices that are attached to their ear for hands free operation and I always think back to my early days in the cell phone business and that unfortunate Engineer." Scorpiotiger: "My son is a teenager and I've thought about these studies when I see teenagers spend sooo much time on the phones talking. I don't have a cell phone - but I am shopping for one. I am also going to get the ear plug with the line that plugs into the phone. That is supposed to be safer. I hope." Blondie56: "I'm constantly reading that using a headset (to keep the antenna away from your brain) can actually increase the danger, as these work to intensify the EMF damage." Howard: "Anything you can do to keep the antenna away from your body is preferred. A standard phone places the transmitter antenna less than two inches from your brain. Even with the lower power devices now in production, the repetitive use and exact location of the antenna in relation to your brain is going to get you in the long run. (in my opinion)" Other topics being discussed this week in the Healthier Talk community forums include: - Hearing: Ear blocked with wax
- Stomach problems: GERD - new research
- General Health Topics: Vaccinations: the hidden truth
- Auto-Immune Diseases: Shingles
- Product Questions: Rating probiotics
- Health for Men: Testosterone supplement question
| 
