It is a controversial topic. Experts are still debating on the same subject.
A study from the Institute of Environmental Medicine at Karolinska Institute, Sweden has found that 10 years or more of mobile phone use increases the risk of a benign tumor of a nerve-the Nerve of hearing (Acoustic Nerve) in the brain. The tumors were found on the side of the head where the phone was usually held. No indication of an increased risk for less than 10 years of mobile phone use were found.
The increased risk of a tumor of the auditory nerve, called an acoustic neuroma, was found to be about four times higher on the side of the head where the phone was held, and virtually normal on the other side.
Approximately one in 100,000 people develop acoustic neuromas. This type of tumor grows slowly and accounts for less than 10 percent of all brain tumors. Because these tumors do not involve invasive growth, they are not classified as cancer.
Hand-held wireless phones with built-in antennas, known as mobile phones, or cell phones, emit low levels of radiofrequency energy in the microwave range while being used. The auditory nerve is exposed to radiation during the normal use of a cell phone.
Researchers who have raised concerns say that just because science can’t explain the mechanism doesn’t mean one doesn’t exist. Concerns have focused on the heat (microwave) generated by cell phones and the fact that the radio frequencies are absorbed mostly by the head and neck.
The real concern is not older cell phone users, who began using phones as adults, but children who are beginning to use phones today and face a lifetime of exposure.
For people who are concerned about any possible risk, a simple solution is to use a headset. Of course, that option isn’t always convenient, and some critics have raised worries about wireless devices like the Bluetooth that essentially place a transmitter in the ear.
The fear is that even if the individual risk of using a cell phone is low, with three billion users worldwide, even a minuscule risk would translate into a major public health concern.
No one can say with any certainty that cell phones are either safe or not safe The main concern is that with the widespread use of cell phones, the worst scenario would be that we may get the definitive study 10 or 15 years from now, and we find out there is a correlation. And then it will be too late.
So be careful.
