Key Points

Cell phones emit radio frequency (RF) radiation, a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation that can be absorbed by body parts close to the phone and cause heating.
Staring at your phone screens for long periods can cause headaches, eye strain, and may damage vision due to blue light exposure.
Cell phones harbor high levels of bacteria like E. coli and streptococcus on their surface, exposing you to germs.
Looking down at cell phones for long periods (known as “text neck”) can strain the neck and spine, leading to pain and misalignment.
Using cell phones before and during bedtime can disrupt your sleep patterns, making it harder for you to fall and stay asleep.
While there is no direct evidence linking mobile phone use to cancer, children may have a higher risk of developing brain cancer from RF radiation exposure compared to adults.

Cell Phones and Health Hazards: What You Need to Know

You don’t have to live without your cell phone but depending on it isn’t very healthy either. Cell phones or mobile phones are essential parts of contemporary telecommunications and are ingrained into every individual’s social life. In fact, it has become an extended version of oneself.

Because the smartphone market is growing very rapidly (as a result of its widespread use) it is estimated that over five billion people globally use cell phones.

Despite its innumerable benefits, the sad reality is that with the increase of cell phones and mobile phone users, there are plausible health risks and long-term adverse effects on the health of the general public.

This article navigates the health risks and scary side effects of overusing our cell phones. The next time your phone battery dies, you’ll be grateful it did.

Associated Health Effects Of Cell Phones

Understanding how cell phones work and the health risks and possible effects associated with cell phone usage will make you more intentional about your general well-being.

Basically, cell phones communicate with base stations using radio frequency (RF) radiation. These base stations are a network of fixed antennas that receive the radio waves transmitted by the cell phone and in the course of that action; they (cell phones) emit something called radio frequency energy.

This is a form of non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation that can be absorbed by some tissues close to the mobile phone.

These radio frequency radiation waves are also electromagnetic fields that can neither break chemical bonds nor cause ionization in the human body like ionizing radiation such as X-rays or gamma rays. Now, this radio frequency radiation when high enough raises the body temperature. Interaction between RF radiation and the human body often results in tissue heating.

This is because the frequencies used by cell phones produce RF energy and this energy is absorbed by the skin and other surface tissues, the corollary being a significant rise of temperature in the brain or other organs in the body.

Although several studies have conducted investigations into the effects of radiofrequency radiation fields on the brain’s electrical activity, sleep, heart rate, cognitive function, and blood pressure in various individuals, there is no empirical evidence to date that suggests any adverse health effects from exposure to RF radiation at low levels that do not cause tissue heating.

Further research has not been able to provide support for a causal relationship between exposure to electromagnetic fields and self-reported symptoms, or “electromagnetic hypersensitivity”.

For the sake of your health as a phone user, pay attention to the following factors that determine the amount of radiofrequency energy your cell phone exposes you to:

the phone’s technology
distance between the user and the phone
type of cell phone used
distance of the users from cell phone towers
number of cell phone calls daily
duration of each of these calls
how long people use cell phones

6 Effects Of Cell Phones On Health

It Affects Eyesight:

Staring at or operating your cell phone for a long time can induce headaches and tired eyes. There is a short wavelength of blue light that cell phones emit that the cornea and lens cannot filter.

This blue light goes all the way to the back of the eye which weakens vision over time and may damage the cornea and impact vision.

The blue light and other types of screens also cause eye strain and pain so when you experience any of these vision problems, you must minimize your use of cell phones and take a break from their frequent usage.

Exposure to Germs:

Studies have found that there are high levels of bacteria found on the surface of cell phones and germs on cell phone screens range from streptococcus, E. coli, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and many more.

If you think about it, an individual touches many things in a day and operates a cell phone more than 52 times in a day, so that gives an idea of how frequently germs you pick up from various things transfer onto your phone’s surface.

On this note, it is advised that you disinfect your phone as many times as possible, at least once daily, to eliminate the surface build-up of dust, dirt, and germs. You can do this by wiping your phone with a sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, microfiber cloth dipped in a mixture of alcohol and water, or alcohol-based wipes that are very safe to use on electronics.

It can cause Harm to your Spine and Neck:

Do you know that consistently looking down at your screen can actually misalign your neck?

There’s something Dean Fishman, a chiropractic physician calls the “text neck”. It means “the overuse syndrome involving the head, neck, and shoulders, usually resulting from excessive strain on the spine from looking forward and downward at any hand-held mobile device.”

Looking down at your cell phone for an extended period puts a lot of strain on your neck. The reason for the strain is that every time you put your head in a forward posture, it increases the weight of the head on your spine by 4.5 kg.

This can result in headaches, neck pain, and shoulder and arm pain. Text neck can be avoided by straightening your posture and raising your phone to eye level.

READ: The Health Benefits of Taking a Social Media Break

It could affect Sleep:

People who use their phones just before going to bed have a harder time falling asleep than those who abstain from screen time. They also experience difficulty in staying asleep and the general quality of sleep decreases.

Although phone screens have a negative impact on sleep, a poor night’s sleep would lead to an increased usage of cell phones. It’s very easy to snatch your cell phone and start surfing the internet when restless but this would definitely stop you from having some quality slumber time.

More so, looking at your phone screen actually stimulates the brain and engages your mind making it more difficult to sleep at night.

Possibility of Cancer:

Untitled design 9 — 6 Ways Your Cell Phone Is Affecting Your Health 10

There is no evidence from epidemiological studies that show a link between cell phone use and conditions such as cancer but a study from MD Anderson Cancer Center suggests that children have the possibility of being at greater risk of developing brain cancer from cell phones than adults.

For those who have concerns about the radiation emitted by cell phones, limit the length of time you use cell phones and minimize your exposure to phone radiation by using speaker or headset mode while talking on the phone.

Car Accidents:

It is not safe to talk on the cell phone while driving even if you are using a hands-free attachment. Talking on the phone while driving leads to cognitive distraction. It’s the type of distraction that takes your mind off the road automatically.

The reason is because as human beings, the eyes and brain perceive what’s around more significantly. Thus, when you’re on the phone and driving, you really don’t see your environment nor really navigate it properly.

This accounts for the increased risk of car accidents while driving. So, if you must make or take a phone call while driving, endeavor to pull over by the roadside.

In conclusion, though there may be no evidence of a direct relationship between radiofrequency radiation and our health, there are indirect health risks associated with using cell phones. Depending on how we use our devices, they can cause serious illness, disability, or even death in the case of a fatal accident due to distracted driving.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are 10 harmful effects of mobile phone radiation?

The radiation emitted from our cell phones has several adverse effects on our physical health. Some of them include:

Fatigue
Sleeping problems
Headache
Eye problems
Lack of concentration
Learning problems

2. How do cell phones affect our mental health?

https://blog.kompletecare.com/the-health-benefits-of-taking-a-social-media-break/Our cell phones are constantly flooded with streams of notifications and updates. This can interfere with sleep, which is important for optimal mental health. Consequently, this can create a sense of urgency, leading to stress and anxiety. Additionally, the fear of missing out (FOMO) is another effect on our mental health due to the excessive use of mobile phones.

3. How does radiation from cell phones affect the human body?

The only biological effect of cell phone radiation on the human body is the heating of the area of the body that is close to a mobile phone (the head or ear).

Cell phones emit radiation in the radiofrequency region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Cell phones from the second to fourth generation (2G, 3G, 4G) emit radiofrequency in the frequency range of 0.7–2.7 GHz.

These frequencies fall into the nonionizing range of the spectrum, which is low frequency and very low energy and cannot damage DNA. Therefore, the heating is not enough to increase body temperature.

4. What are the negative effects of too much screen time?

If you spend too much time looking at your phone screens, it causes eye strain, dimmed vision, fatigue, and headaches.

Additionally, the screens on our phones and computers emit blue light rays which can affect the eyes and cause certain defects. Studies show that we blink less when we concentrate on our screens. This can cause our eyes to dry out. This is bad because our eye surface needs a clear and stable tear film over it for clear vision.

5. Is it bad to sleep with your phone charging next to you?

Sleeping next to a phone that is charging is very dangerous. Charging your phone and keeping it on your bed or under your pillow can block the airflow to the phone. This can cause overheating and an eventual fire.

How Telemedicine Can Help

Telemedicine is more helpful than we realize. It greatly complements traditional healthcare services and enhances it. In this area, individuals can have virtual consultations with doctors, therapists, or specialists. If you are experiencing symptoms like vision problems, posture issues, headaches, neck pain, or sleep disorders, you can access doctors via video calls or messaging, especially when in-person visits is not possible.

These specialists will remotely monitor your condition and evaluate potential health issues from overusing your smartphone. They will also provide cognitive-behavioral therapies or lifestyle modifications to manage such conditions.

Additionally, telemedicine is very handy in creating awareness about cell phones and the health risks associated with overusing them.