Does cellphone radiation really cause brain tumors? If you’re venturing a guess, then you probably don’t know about these health facts about mobile phones.
It’s funny if you didn’t know at least half of what’s on this list, given how you probably use your cellphone more than any other portable gadget. Let’s change that now, shall we? Techie or not, read up and be in the know.

1. Not one single regulatory or scientific body has definitively confirmed that radio frequency emissions from cellphones can cause cancer.

Here’s a fact: The idea of bringing a potentially cancer-causing gadget closer to your ear (and your brain) is the stuff that haunts us every time we answer a call. But are we just getting spooked unnecessarily?

If you’ve seen what the International Agency for Research on Cancer had to say, you’re probably thinking that all this paranoia is justified. The IARC, after all, has announced that electromagnetic fields from cellphones may potentially cause cancer.

However, the results of the IARC’s investigations don’t actually prove that allegation. The World Health Organization had this to say: “To date, no adverse health effects have been established as being caused by mobile phone use.”

Understandably, they might want to err on the side of caution. If that was the case, we would have been better off reading this verdict instead: “There is currently not enough evidence to support or disprove the allegation that cellphone radiation causes cancer.”

Whether you want to see the glass half full or half empty, here’s one thing you might agree with: This issue needs to be researched further until there is evidence we can depend on. Cellphones are something we can’t live without, and we want to know if we are slowly dying while we’re using them.

2. The reason there’s still no evidence linking cellphone radio frequency emissions and brain tumors is this: Not enough time has passed.

Given the meager amount of electromagnetic energy that a cellphone produces, it may take time before cancer develops – that is, if it ever does.

The research that needs to be done to establish the cancer link may need decades of data. Unfortunately, we have been using mobile phones for only about two decades.

3. A cellphone’s Specific Absorption Rate does not necessarily show us how much radiation we pick up during everyday use.

A cellphone’s Specific Absorption Rate dictates how much of its emissions will be absorbed by the body. Theoretically, radiation absorbed by your tissues may cause mutations, leading to the production of cancer cells.

However, the SAR number does not cover the entire truth. For instance, one mobile phone may have a high SAR, but it might actually expose you to less radiation than another cellphone with a lower SAR.

That’s because a phone’s SAR show you only the maximum radio frequency it produces, not necessarily the usual amount of radiation during, say, texting or receiving phone calls. The average radiation from a phone with a higher SAR might actually produce less radiation during regular tasks!

Besides, with no evidence supporting the causal relationship between mobile phones and brain cancer, the SAR is simply a way for the Federal Communications Commission to ensure that cellphones don’t exceed what is allowed by federal guidelines.

4. Cellphone radio frequency emissions do heat up your ear.

Notice how your ear feels hot after a long phone call? It’s actually due to the radio frequency energy emitted by your mobile phone.

It’s probably just heat that builds up from prolonged contact, you might think. But think back: When was the last time your ear heated up as much after ten minutes of using the old-fashioned, antenna-free telephone?

If you still can’t quite believe it, take it from the World Health Organization. In their fact sheet on electromagnetic fields, the WHO explains that the temperature of your body’s tissues rises – albeit in very small amounts – when exposed to mobile phone energy.

5. Poor network signal leads to more radio frequency emissions.

Bad reception is bad for two reasons: You can barely hear what’s being said over the phone and you’re getting exposed to more radio frequency emission than usual.

Your cellphone works harder when signal isn’t as good. Talking to someone over the phone for 60 seconds in places with bad reception is just like calling someone in an area with good signal for about three hours!

If you’re really worried about getting a brain tumor regardless of existing evidence, limit cellphone us when you barely have signal bars.

6. Cellphones are – no surprise here – highly addictive.

Gone are the days when cellphones were used mostly for calls and text messages. Now, mobile phones are much smarter, allowing us to play games, use apps, and check into Facebook and Twitter.

In other words, the modern smartphone is just much more addictive than we want to admit.

This addiction may seem harmless, but it isn’t. It leads to less productivity at work and strained relationships at home. I’m sure you have at least one loved one who can’t quite put his phone down when you’re talking to him!

Cellphone addiction has become so commonplace that it has led to a new fear: nomophobia. You might have nomophobia – find out if you do!

7. Your cellphone is potentially dirtier than a toilet.

When was the last time you cleaned your cellphone? Never?

Sorry, but wiping the grease off your touchscreen doesn’t count. By cleaning, I mean making sure the microbes you don’t see have been adequately wiped off.

But – no surprise here – nobody realizes how dirty a cellphone is. The number of germs on your phone exceed that found in a public toilet handle by about 18 times, according to a study by Which? Magazine.

So, if you wash your hands after going to the bathroom, you definitely should wash your hands after texting. And you really shouldn’t be using your phone while you eat, for hygienic reasons.

You’re probably quite familiar with your cellphone’s specs, but I bet you didn’t know about these six health facts about your cellphone before today.

Now, it’s your turn to disseminate information. Share this article with your friends – they deserve to know, don’t they?

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