It is said that cell phones are the cigarettes of today. Back in the day, doctors used to smoke during appointments with patients and quite similarly, we are keeping cell phones too close to our bodies at all times without knowing the adverse effects. Phones emit radiation even when we’re not making calls, so it’s important to keep our distance. Some doctors say that exposure to cell phone radiation may be correlated with health problems like brain tumors, low sperm count, headaches, memory loss, hearing loss, and insomnia. That being said, here are a couple of ways you can reduce cell phone radiation exposure:
- Keep your phone away from your head
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Opt to use your headset or the speakerphone option when talking to someone over the phone. Headsets emit less radiofrequency (RF) energy than cell phones themselves. If either of these options aren’t available to you at the time, switch sides so that just one side of your head doesn’t get all the radiation.
- Text more, call less
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Texting keeps the phone further away from your body and thus keeps the radiation further away as well. Try to limit the length of phone calls and always text rather than talk if possible. On the plus side, all of us who have social anxiety about talking on the phone now have a legitimate excuse as to why we don’t: it’s for our health!
- Avoid body contact
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In most phone owner’s manuals, manufacturers warn to, “avoid using or carrying the cell phone against the head or body at all times” — but who reads the owner’s manual? So, we all go along our days keeping our phones in our pockets or bras. It’s recommended to keep the phone in a backpack or at least 10mm away from your body.
- Avoid using your phone when the signal is weak
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When the signal is weak, your cell phone has to emit even more RF energy in order to connect with cell towers. More RF energy means more radiation, so try to wait until you have a better connection before using the phone again.
- Don’t sleep with your phone!
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Most of us are guilty of this one. We plug our phones in right beside our beds or we fall asleep while waiting for a text message from that special someone. Don’t let this happen! Put your phone in airplane mode a few feet away from your bed while you sleep.
Cell phones are a marvelous invention: these devices allow us to connect with people all around the world within a matter of seconds. Still, along with many technological advances, there are also drawbacks. Don’t let a cell phone addiction keep you from completing these healthy tips!
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