What is EHS, electro-hyper-sensitivity from living in the 21st Century? (2018)

Published in 2018 - needs update.

Elecro-hyper-sensitivity, or EHS, is the body's extreme biological reaction to being immersed in a soup of electromagnetic fields from the microwave band i.e. 900 MHz - 30 GHz. The electro-hyper-sensitives are a small yet significant portion of the global population unable to function within areas of high and low signal intensity from microwave radiation. They are the canaries in the coal mine and their condition tells us where we will all end up if we allow it to happen. People who are electro-hyper-sensitive display a range of symptoms, the most common ones being subject to severe headaches, fatigue, fitful sleep, depression, the feeling of currents running down their limbs and high susceptibility to infection. Not many countries in the world recognise EHS as a treatable medical disease. The Nordic countries (Norway, Finland, Sweden and Denmark) do recognise EHS and patients diagnosed with this debilitating affliction will be helped in reducing their exposure to these signals. Depending on the severity of their EHS, these individuals may be moved to areas of the country where microwave gadgets are banned and/or to other low signal intensity areas. Others may opt for staying indoors for most of the time and their walls, windows and doors are made less EMF-impermeable. Special curtains, nets and paints can be used to lessen the signal intensity from microwave radiation.

It should be noted that although only a handful of countries presently recognise EHS as a disease, a number of countries (including countries in Europe, Canada and the former Soviet Union) have been aware of it since the 1930's. In those days, EHS was known under a variety of names, such as microwave sickness, Radio Wave Syndrome, EMF Intolerance Syndrome and Rapid Aging Syndrome(1).

Most, if not all, of the global population of the world is, to some degree, electro-sensitive (ES) . It is a slowly emerging fact that exposure to microwave radiation has adverse biological consequences for our health. However, most of us do not appear to display or suffer adverse body effects until some 5 - 20 years of continual exposure. If your sleep pattern is suddenly disrupted and you do not know why, would you suspect that radiation from your modem router which is on 24 hours per day has disrupted production of your melatonin? Some people may think nothing of it and respond to this never-ending sleep disruption by reading in bed for a couple of hours, or even by taking a sleeping pill.Whichever way we look at the current situation, the use of microwave-enabled products and gadgets has mushroomed of late with alarming consequences on our general health. The human body has not had sufficient time to evolve in response to the electrosmog we live in, day after day. I write about symptoms in more detail towards the bottom of this page but first I detail context and understanding of how we all got to where we are and importantly, understanding of how we collectively respond to this novel situation.

Putting EHS and ES into perspective:If you were to ask a statistician to describe what is likely to happen during the next 10 years with reference to the number of individuals diagnosed with EHS, that person may explain it using a theoretical tool called a normal distribution curve. The following is purely theoretical and simply illustrates what might happen to the exposed populations of the world in relation to microwave radiation, mobile phones, BLUETOOTH and WIFI.The diagram below is called a bell-curve because it is shaped like a bell. In statistics it can be used to measure the probability something may occur and it is called a normal probability distribution curve. In this case, the x-axis represents time (since exposure) and the y-axis represents actual occurrences of EHS in the population. The area under the curve represents the global population from day 1 of the mobile phone craze through to the present day. The electro-hyper-sensitives are all grouped to the extreme left of this curve because they show symptoms of EHS before the bulk of the population who are the electrosensitives. As time goes on, the number of reported EHS cases goes up, not only because the body's response to this type of challenge begins to break down, but also because the density of microwave transmitters increases over time i.e. more and more transmitters are being installed as time goes by. After a certain amount of time, the number of reported cases of EHS may start to decline. This is how normal probability distributions work and in certain situations are very useful tools for forecasting, say, future budget demands. The big unknown in all of this is the percentage of people EHS and their particular sensitivities or 'triggers'. Additionally, we are now approaching a situation in which almost everyone is exposed to saturation levels of microwave radiation. Will the bell-shaped curve start to fall through time or will it continue to climb?                                             

Bell-shaped or normal probability distribution curve

We can use a bell-shaped curve to demonstrate for example, differences in probable numbers between those electrosensitive and those who suffer electro-hyper-sensitivity. It would not be appropriate however, to use this bell-shaped curve to assess total numbers of EHS sufferers or the scale of the problems because most doctors, GPs and teaching staff at medical universities today, have no idea what EHS is all about. Sufferers themselves may have no idea for the same reasons reasons and in situations like this, legislation and regulation is useless because most microwave-exposed individuals have no real idea what to look for.Before any of these products are authorised for use within the microwave band, industry has to submit safety testing data. Ideally, these data should include biological (non-thermal) effects and skin tissue heating (thermal effects). Industry, in its wisdom, only submitted skin tissue heating effects and therefore only half the safety data. In other words, mobile phones, WIFI, smart TVs etc. are seen as safe to use based on how much these devices will heat up the skin on our body. No data was submitted nor requested for likelihood of cancer induction and other adverse biological effects. The telecoms industry understand what is likely to happen to anyone exposed to long periods of microwave radiation, yet they remain silent. They know that providing no-one mentions non-thermal or biological effects, it is business as usual. The regulators also understand what is going on and the only time they discuss biological effects is when they have to face the public. However within their regulatory role they base their policy decisions solely on thermal or skin-heating protocols because that is all that is required of industry to disclose. That more or less sums up the situation as it is today.

Symptoms of EHS include:

• heat sensation
• redness in the face
• rush of blood to the head
• pressure on the head temples
• pressure in the inside of the ears
•  light headache
•  feeling incoming calls as a sharp pain in the head and eyes
•  restlessness
• concentration problems
• pressure headaches on the side and back of the head
• tingling sensations
• severe headache
• memory problems
•  depression
• ringing in the ears and noises in the headaches
• depression anxiety
• difficulty concentrating
• difficulty finding words
• episodic hypertension
• eye inflammation
• fatigue
• forgetfulness
• frequent infections
• heart palpitations
• hormonal disturbance
• impaired balance
• irritability
• joint and limb pain
• learning difficulties
• loss of appetite
• lymph node swelling
• nausea
• nerve and soft tissue pain
• night sweats
• numbness or tingling
• restlessness
• skin complaints
• sleep disturbance
• thyroid problems
• tinnitus
• vis visual disturbance

A recently diagnosed EHS sufferer wrote '...medical doctors knew 80 years ago what corporations and governments are still trying to deny today – that human biology reacts to long-term, non-thermal exposures of microwave radiation well below the “government guidelines” that are supposed to protect humanity. Between 3% and 10% of the general population now experience one or more EHS symptoms when exposed to microwave radiation or electrical pollution (some estimates go as high as 30% of the population). Some people react severely and become EMF Refugees. 100% of the population is affected biologically by EMF pollution. However, like smoking or asbestos, most will not feel the effects for years or even decades'(2). I recently attended an EMF conference and it was very sad to see the lengths EHS sufferers go to, just to go about their daily routine. Many of these individuals walk around with an EMF detector meters and have to be absolutely sure they are not going into an area where microwave signals are present. They have to be careful speaking to people, just in case that person suddenly whips out their mobile phones. They have become prisoners of electrosmog, yet the British Government does not even recognise EHS as a medical condition. It is this level of ignorance which has led us to the toxic situation we now find ourselves in. Consumers of these gadgets will need to understand exactly what is going on so that they can make an informed choice about whether or not to use them. This all sounds straightforward and common sense yet most people look to the mainstream media for signals about what is good, what is bad, what is trending, what is fashionable and the latest 'must-have' product.

The media-mafia, (particularly the BBC in the UK) always respond favourably to such announcements of new products by Apple and conveniently provide prime time coverage of Apple's product's launch. The usual format is to show long queues of people waiting to buy the latest gadget (this is done to stimulate sales). As these happy shoppers come out the shop with their latest acquisition, the reporter swoops and a dialogue ensues. Its all a construct of course yet it is sold as reality. It's all about having this amazing gadget and one is left in no doubt that if you do not have one, well, the quality of your life must be questioned. The tekkie review/gadget programmes never discuss the frequency of operation either and in this case, its the blind leading the blind. Simple information stating that the use of microwave frequencies is classified as a Class 2B carcinogen should be discussed in these tekkie review programmes in order for consumers to be made aware of its health potentials.

There is a war on our minds in selling us stuff. It is relentless in its pursuit of profit and its first step is to make these products socially acceptable. It is paramount that we learn to be discerning and not be swayed by industry pundits. For example, Apple's best selling iphone has four antennas and operates at several microwave frequencies i.e. 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz? Historically, it has been shown that mobile phones that operate between 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz induce cancers called gliomas. The iphone has a provision where in some situations it is capable of transmitting in the 5 GHz microwave range. This means the potential for genetic and other biological damage is probably much greater because of its higher operating frequency. Nowhere in the advertising or its reviews do we see any consumer information on its potential to induce cancers. This crucial information should be right in front of the consumer's nose. This warning label should be explicitly stated on the package in a similar fashion to additives in a food composition list. Even better, the IARC cancer classification should be clearly embedded onto the plastic with the IARC logo stating "exposure to microwave radiation from this and similar products is a Class 2B carcinogen".

Siemens D.E.C.T. phones masquerading as 'being safe and reducing exposure to microwave radiation.

Siemens (Germany) recently introduced a DECT phone with some unusual features (1) the user is able to reduce transmitter power and (2) in eco-mode, you can stop the phone transmitting its pulsed microwave radiation of 2.4 GHz when it is not being used, provided it is left on its base. I would describe this cordless phone within the context of exposure to EMF signals as a 'wolf in sheep's clothing'. It is not what it seems and do not believe the hype.

Regardless of what the manufacturer claims or says, these DECT phones are as dangerous to use as the more traditional DECT phones that continually transmit full power pulsed microwave radiation 24/7, 365 days per year. My thoughts on this are firstly that if they can produce a DECT phone capable of reducing transmitter power and also to stop the deadly microwave transmissions when the phone is not being used, why on earth did companies not implement these features when they first came to market? Secondly, the telecom giants are beginning to understand that many people are waking up to the fact that pulsed microwave radiation is not good for our health. Why else would they bring out a DECT phone with these features? It is tacit admission that all the historical warnings on the adverse effects on our biology from these types of transmissions were true. Thirdly, although exposure to high power, pulsed microwave radiation is dramatically reduced when the phone is on its cradle, it is still fact that the user of this type of cordless phone is irradiated with high power pulsed microwave radiation every time they use it. If you believe the hype from the manufacturer, exposure from microwave radiation is dramatically reduced. Based on this statement, some individuals will take this advertising blur as fact and spend even longer amounts of time on the phone in eco-mode, thinking they are much safer to use. The concept of the Siemens eco-mode DECT phone flies in the face of evidence from around the world that exposure to pulsed microwave radiation much below the authorised power levels are bad for our health. In other words, even short exposures to very low levels of pulsed microwave radiation for some individuals becomes a literal death sentence because microwave radiation is capable of altering and re-writing our generic code and DNA. No meaningful research is being carried out by the telecoms giants on these issues and it is incumbent on the consumer to tread warily and err on the side of caution. In other words, the only way to cut down on low or high signal intensity pulsed microwave radiation is to throw away all these DECT phone types and switch to corded analogue types. If you still want to use these eco-mode or traditional DECT phones knowing of their potential dangers, that is your choice and I respect that decision. For me, it is a no-brainer: why expose myself, family and friends to microwave radiation from a household gadget that is inherently unsafe?    

Reproductive issues and microwave radiation

Perhaps the greatest danger for the human race are the effects of microwave radiation on our reproductive biology. Many recent medical studies show a decrease in motility of sperm. This is bad news for males with low sperm counts who want to conceive with their partners. The other major issue relates to the ovarian follicles. Barry Trower (4) has some interesting things to say about what happens to the eggs which are passed from mother to baby within the first 100 days of conception. Microwave radiation has the ability to mutate this literal 'mother-load' of genetic material. Trower states that 57.7% of girls exposed to low-level microwave radiation (Wi-fi) at school face the possibility when adult facing a higher risk of suffering stillbirth, foetal abnormalities or genetically damaged children, when they give birth. Any genetic damage may pass to successive generations. Thus, the ability of ourselves to reproduce without issue becomes more and more difficult through time. Eventually, the dynamics of conception and rates of full term labour will plummet. See diagram below.

Thus, the use of WIFI and all other microwave-enabled gadgets represent an efficient 'silent-kill Eugenics package' which is administered by ourselves to each other. Within 4 - 5 generations the rate of genetic damage will be so high that very few women will carry to full term or if they do, there will be all sorts of birth complications. Barry Trower goes onto finish by saying that there is no safe dose of microwave radiation to the ovarian follicles. Everyone who uses these products should at least be aware of the dangers.

Please note that all the adverse biological effects from microwave radiation were known both by industry and the body of government officials whose job it is to regulate these activities. To most researchers looking at these issues, the white elephant in the living room is the huge amount of data and research that was carried out by all developed i.e. war ready countries. The Americans, Russians and Europeans developed radar both as weapons systems and also for tracking each others planes. Their own safety studies document everything that is conveniently being ignored today by the medical industry and regulators - they appear clueless to what is going on and what is going to happen. Please click here for a review of a snapshot of past research. Clue up and stay ahead of the game.

So, what products and gadgets should we be wary of and what specifications should we look at? The list of products using microwave radiation to function gets longer and longer by the day. I list the more traditional products further down this page which also include 2nd generation products related to music systems. Finally, there are 3rd generation products which fall under the umbrella of 'the internet of things'. Talking fridges and personal weighing scales fall under this category and because there are so many with real wacky rationale for including WIFI-type connectivity, I leave it to the reader to explore this level of microwave-enabled products for themselves. For products related to BLUETOOTH technology, please take it for granted that they operate on 2.4 GHz. For some reason, there are many gadgets in cars which work via BLUETOOTH including mobile phones and one has to be careful of this 'double whammy' microwave radiation dose.

The first specification to look for is the operating frequency and anything between 900 MHz - 8 GHz is within the microwave frequency and should be avoided or used as little as possible. Industry follows the money in bringing to market anything it thinks is sellable and in this case, the baby monitor below is almost tantamount to early days exposure to cancer: these items are that bad. They are bad because the baby's immune system is still developing and body organs relative to body size are big which enables a larger target area for microwave radiation. The baby did not ask to be exposed to full body microwave irradiation every time he or she falls asleep.

The image below illustrates a typical microwave-enabled baby monitor. These items operate at 2.45 GHz and it is scandalous that manufacturers use microwave frequencies to bathe very young babies in Class 2B carcinogenic frequencies. It is advisable to replace any digital baby monitor with the old analogue type. The analogue types work at much lower frequencies i.e. no higher than 50 MHz. Before digital baby monitors were introduced onto the market, you could buy these items which operated between 27 MHz - 50 MHz (megahertz). The analogue type baby monitors can still be found on amazon or ebay. I repeat, avoid digital baby monitors including DECT-types like the plague.

Digital baby monitor

Table 1:     A non-exhaustive selection of telecom-enabled products and gadgets with operating frequencies. Use hard-wired i.e. cabled connections where possible.

As an exercise in mindfulness I decided to carry out an internet search on 'iphones and operating frequencies'. This link to the Apple page came back with none of the information I requested yet the page itself was supposed to be a 'specifications' page. https://www.apple.com/iphone/compare/

You can do the same for most products that operate using microwave radiation. This vital information regarding the frequency at which a specific product operates is mostly absent. Try it yourself and see what comes up and of course, what does not come up. The real point is: if consumers were aware before buying that these products utilise microwave radiation in order to work, sales would not be as high as they are. If manufacturers do not include this information in their advertising, no one is the wiser. It is as simple as that. The omission of operating frequency on their advertising boards, pamphlets and newsletters is a major reason most people buy into these products without realising the frequency of operation. Some homes are completely immersed within an electrosmog 24/7 hours per day simply because of how their occupants connect to the internet and how these products wirelessly integrate into each other.                          

The Internet of Things - a 'wet dream' of the Deepstate!

Prior to the rollout of mirowave-enabled products, the background level of microwave radiation was much much lower, billions of times lower, than it is today. It is clear to me that the telecoms industries will not be happy until all urban and heavily populated areas have line of sight mobile phone transmitter mast communication networks that do not exceed 200m. Imagine a mobile phone mast transmitter on the edge of each corner and you will visualise what I am describing. Concurrent with yet more transmitter masts are systems of WIFI hotspots that use your modem as a 'transmitter' repeater station. British Telecom's BT-WIFI has over 5 million hotspots. In other words, when you sign up for broadband, BT includes a provision of dual use, where (a) you can access the internet wirelessly and (b) other people 'roaming' can also access the internet via your modem. The BT operated WIFI modem operates under either 2.4GHz or 5GHz and it will automatically pick the strongest of the two frequencies to create a hotspot. In other words, the modem which you purchased for your personal use is being used as a 5GHz mobile phone/WIFI transmitter hotspot for other people's use. It is these conditions which will test the very limits of our physiological boundaries. No-one knows what is going to happen to a group of people who are exposed to either low or high (or both) signal intensities of microwave radiation 24 hours a day, 365 days per year, year after year after year. It is all new territory.

Electrosmog, EMFs, WIFI and mobile phone transmitter masts

The noose of electrosmog gets tighter and tighter by the day and fairly soon, many of us will not be able to escape its effects. The transmitter masts shown on the image above are becoming more and more commonplace in our local shopping areas and even in places of high owner occupation. Next time you go on a motorway journey, keep your eyes open for all the mobile and TETRA transmitter masts. They are everywhere including roundabouts and atop bridges. There is no effective planning legislation to stop these transmitter masts from appearing exactly where the telecoms giants want them sited.

Bibliography:1. http://truth11.com/2013/10/25/living-with-electrohypersensitivity-a-survival-guide/

2. https://www.emfanalysis.com/ehs-symptoms

/3. http://www.eirewaves.com/4. http://rense.com/general96/trower.html