Recent reports from WHO (World Health Organization) are pretty non-descript when it comes to the dangers of radiation from cell phones. Cell phones have only been out in the general public for about twenty years. Only in the last ten years have cell phones become widespread and very compact in size. Cell phones tend to be less expensive with long distance calls making them the only phone in the house for many people. But, is the radiation amount from cell phones harmful to our health?

Radiation is present all around us. Most of the radiation the common person is exposed to is in the atmosphere and soil. This radiation generally does not affect us much. Radiation from medical devices gives off intentional radiation at much higher levels than we receive from the atmosphere. Televisions with CRT, not LCD or plasma, give off radiation along with microwave ovens. At least in the case of microwave ovens, the radiation is contained and generally not a danger unless the door, seal, or front panel are damaged. Lasers as in radar guns give off radiation and have been linked to certain cancers. Cell phone radiation is only now coming into view as a potential carcinogen.

The evidence of all of the investigation still does not show a definite link between cell phone use and brain tumors or cancer. Children have thinner skulls. The thinner skull makes it so that more of the radiation is absorbed through the skull and makes it to the brain. Many years of tracking and observation are still necessary if we are going to link cell phone radiation and brain tumors. We do know that cell phone radiation increases brain activity in the region where the cell phone earpiece was held. It has not been shown that cancer is increased by this activity. More investigation is taking place to see if this activity can be used for therapy in brain injury cases, just as electrical energy is used to aid in bone healing.

There are a few steps you can use to decrease the amount of cell phone radiation that is absorbed:

• Text instead of making a voice call
• Carry cell phones at least one inch away from your body
• Use a headset or hands-free device
• Don’t sleep with a cell phone by your head
• Use a cell phone only when you have good reception
• If you are pregnant, don’t carry a cell phone around your abdomen
• Limit cell phone use of children and teenagers
• Check on the FCC website to see how your phone ranks

We truly don’t know all of the effects of cell phone radiation yet. Many more years of investigation need to be undertaken. We do know that cell phone radiation increase the activity of brain cells and may be shown to actually have benefit in brain injured individuals. It is frustrating to not have any clear cut answers other than Internet rumor. One thing can do is take steps to limit the amount of radiation we are exposed to from our cell phone use.