- Why is technology always fighting against us?
- Discover how safe a mobile phone can be
- Some simple advice for young mobile phone users
Last week I mentioned the fact that losing a mobile phone wasn’t a sign of dementia, and this prompted a few of you to ask how safe these devices were.
Well here is what I found out.
Before I get started though, I have to make one thing clear…
What I’m about to tell you has NOTHING to do with my computer losing three of my files last week before going to sleep and refusing to wake up, no matter how much I shouted at it.
And it has nothing to do with the fact that my mobile phone seems to ring people up on its own accord, usually at night time.
I honestly bear no grudges against technology.
The fact that it makes a fool of me at least once a week is neither here nor there (though I dread the day when every household has a robot butler.
Mine would be constantly pulling my trousers down in public and saying ‘I’m sorry sir, I thought you said you were too hot?’)…
So, now that we’ve cleared that up, let’s move on…
Is your satanic mobile phone making you ill?
Okay.. okay, I couldn’t resist calling it satanic. But that’s the LAST time I’ll let my personal feelings interfere with something that really could be harming your health each and every day…
According The British Association of Dermatologists, mobile phones are causing an outbreak of rashes on users cheeks and ears.
That’s because the nickel coating on the casing and buttons doesn’t get on too well with our skin.
Apparently an allergy to nickel affects 30% of the population, making it the most common contact allergy in Britain.
Which means that quite a few of us can expect to be at risk, especially if we use our mobiles for most of our calls.
Now, as far as I’ve seen, this isn’t a particularly scary problem even though there is no cure for nickel allergy, it’s not fatal, just irritating and unsightly.
So if you’ve suffered from a rash around your ears or cheeks and it’s left both you and your doctor baffled, just stop using your mobile phone for a bit and see if the problem clears up.
Because removing the source of the irritation is the only way to stop it (I guess that’s why Lara sometimes suggests I go out for a bike ride or a walk!).
And to tackle the rash itself, try using that little marvel vinegar to clear it up. Dilute one part vinegar to 15 parts water, and dab it on the affected area.
That should solve that little problem. But this next one’s a whole lot scarier…
Why we should think twice about our mobile phones…
I know a lot of people who use their mobiles for all of their calls. In fact some people don’t even bother with a land line at home anymore, because it’s cheaper to use a mobile.
And with the economy looking so bleak and people sensibly watching the pennies, this doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
In fact it seems like a perfectly good idea.
Use one phone only, and save money.
Brilliant.
Except there are more and more question marks against the safety of mobile phones.
And this latest study is the biggest of the lot…
According to The American Journal of Epidemilogy, you could be 50% more likely to develop a tumour in your salivary gland if you constantly use your mobile phone.
The report was based on a study that took place in Israel using 500 people who had developed the condition. They compared their mobile phone habits with the habits of a group of 1,300 healthy people.
And the statistic they came up with was a 50% increase in the likelihood of developing the cancer.
Fifty percent.
Now, this new study is bound to be rubbished by the mobile phone giants. After all, there have been dozens of studies into the effects of mobiles on our health, and there’s never been any link between mobile phone usage and cancer before.
But this study was different…
As far as I can see, past studies have purely concentrated on the effects of mobile phones on the brain. This is the first time another area of the body has been looked at.
And to my layman’s eyes, the result is shocking, even though the doctor who led the research – Dr.Sadetzki – said far more tests needed to be done before there was any real proof that mobile phones were too blame.
At the moment, it’s all just theory and suggestions.
But you know what…? When it comes to something as important as my health, and my children’s health, that’s good enough for me.
Especially when it’s cancer we’re talking about.
And even the good doctor seemed to agree on this point, saying that until more evidence became available, a ‘precautionary’ approach was best, particularly when it comes to children’s use of mobile phones.
Bravo!
There are thousands (hundreds of thousands?)of children out there who seem to talk on their mobiles for hours… And hours… and hours…
And it really could be doing them harm. I mean, will we see an epidemic of salivary gland cancer in five or ten years time?
I hope not, but I wouldn’t bet my house against it.
After all, when mobile phones are a multi-billion pound industry, do you really think the companies making all the money are going to tell the world that their phones could be dangerous, and that it might be better if you rationed your calls?
My children are like so many others in that they run their lives through their phones, but I do my best to explain the possible health risks, and try and curtail their use somehow.
One thing that they can do is not hold the phone to their faces when making a call and use a corded headset instead… it all helps.
Right. That’s enough bleakness for one day I think (and sorry if it’s worrying, but I think these things need to be aired, not buried away).
Yours as always,
Ray Collins
