No Cell Phone before 16

Professor Dr. Pran Gopal Datta

Former Vice Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University and renowned ENT specialist and surgeon

Mobile phones have become our all time company these days. A lot of necessities are being fulfilled by our phones. But do you realize how much harm you are causing to yourself because of that?
The electromagnetic radiation that the phone emits all the time, has very dangerous effects on our health, especially for children who are less than 16, pregnant women and sick patients.
Scientists say, the radiation of the mobile phone is equivalent to the radiation of a microwave oven. And when you hold the phone near your ears for 15 minutes or more, your face and head heat up due to the abnormal amount of radiation. Needless to say that as you keep on talking for longer over the phone, the temperature also keeps on increasing. For example, the temperature increases only by 0.5 degree Celsius when you talk for 3 minutes. But when you keep on talking for 15 minutes the temperature increases by 2 degree Celsius. The normal temperature of the body is 98 degree Fahrenheit which increases to 103 degree Fahrenheit. This temperature is enough to cause a seizure attack in babies.

And that’s exactly why you can hear stories of the ears or hands getting burned while speaking over the phone. According to doctors, the mental and physical impacts that can be caused due to cell phones include headache, laziness, insomnia, memory depletion, pain in bones of hands and hearing loss.

The researchers have found a connection between brain cancer and mobile phones. Same goes for brain tumor. Mobile phones causes harm to the brain cells and DNA. And we know, the reproduction of abnormal or harmful DNA gives rise to tumor.

The most probable tumor that can be caused by cell phones are the Acoustic Neuroma- the tumor of hearing nerves. In an intensive study on brain cancer the scientists have shown, if someone overuses their mobile phones for 1-5 years, then his chances of brain tumor increases by 125%. If he overuses for 5-10 years, then it increases by 250%. And who overuses for 15 years, the chances increase by 275%.

Recently, the number of salivary gland tumor has increased as well. I’ve observed this in my profession! I have to conduct operations for 4-5 salivary gland tumors every month. Thyroid cancer, infertility and birth of handicapped babies are increasing each day. The most possible reason for this is the construction of mobile phone towers at unsafe height within the local area and uncontrolled use of mobile phones.

But how can we prevent that? It is next to impossible to go without mobile phones in this modern life. But there are some preventions and safety measure you can taken-

• Limit your time to 3 minutes while talking on mobile phone. If you can manage it over text then avoid speaking on the phone.
• Prepare a budget for mobile phone expenses at the beginning of the month or week. Specify budget for internet connection as well.
• After talking for once wait for 15 minutes. Stay completely away from the phone in that time.
• Instead of putting the cell phone directly to your ears, use a speaker phone, headset or other hands-free tools while speaking. However, do not use it with a loud volume as that might affect your hearing.
• Try to keep the mobile phone away from the body when it is switched on. Keep 5/6 feet away from your head while sleeping.
• Feature phone’s radio frequency radiation is less than Smartphone’s. Use feature phone if possible.
• Turn off Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and all these services of Smartphone unless you need them. Not just the RF radiation, but you might as well be giving away information about your personal activities to the tech companies.
• Do not use a mobile phone if you have land phone or conventional phone set.
• The doctors and nurses should also aware about the use of phones. The less it is used in the ICU or operation theater, the better.
• Finally, keep children away from mobile phones. We should treat the phone like a bottle of poison, and keep it away from children at all times.