We have all heard of the dangers of electromagnetic radiation coming from laptops, and what this radiation might be doing to our bodies. The fact is many appliances give off some radiation including television sets, DVD players, satellites, microwave ovens, computers, and of course mobile phones. These are all now such an integral part of our daily lives it is almost impossible to imagine life without them.
The risk of developing health problems because of radiation exposure is supposed to increase dramatically if we spend a great deal of time in close proximity to this radiation and particularly when we use wireless technology, which many of us do when we use our laptops. The main concern with laptops is that they sit on your lap, which just happens to be incredibly close to your genitals and therefore the word on the street is that it can make you infertile and can cause cancer. It sounds terrifying doesn’t it?
However laptops are great aren’t they? And, despite the negative publicity and health scares we still use them. They are valued for their portability, their convenience and the fact that we can and often do take them with us wherever we go whether that is to work or even on holiday. So what is the situation regarding radiation and laptops and should we worry?
As far as radiation and laptops are concerned, most of the radiation is coming from the inner workings of the laptop, in other words where the hard disc and memory chips are located. There is also less radiation from a laptop screen than from a standard computer monitor, however, according to reports, wireless radiation is considered to be much more hazardous than what comes from the laptop itself and therefore wireless technology is causing more concern for many people.
On saying that, according the World Health Organisation there is no danger from Wi-fi as the radiation levels are much lower than the threshold for an effect on humans. It’s all so terribly confusing making it difficult to know what to believe. What we do know is that radiation can be harmful in large doses. So how do we know if we are suffering from the effects of radiation exposure?
Symptoms associated with Electromagnetic radiation exposure
Although the following symptoms are associated with radiation exposure, it doesn’t mean that radiation is the cause of the symptoms.
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Fatigue
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Inability to concentrate
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Headaches
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Psychological problems
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Anxiety and Depression
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Insomnia
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Memory lapses
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Dizziness
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Feeling breathless
Ã¢â‚¬Â¢Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Ã‚Â Nausea
There can be many reasons why you may experience these symptoms which have nothing whatsoever to do with your laptop or any other device. Any unexplained symptoms should always be reported to your doctor.
It has to be said that whether or not laptops are a health hazard is a controversial issue as there are those who say there is no evidence at all to back up these claims, and yet there are others who are passionately convinced that there really is a danger and that the negative effects are only going to get worse, particularly as more schools and other establishments install Wi-fi on their premises and that this is going to impact the kids and their health in the future, compounded by the fact that these days many kids have laptops to do their homework, play games etc.
As it is highly unlikely that everyone will just stop using their laptops because of the alleged risks associated with radiation, perhaps we could all take some action to limit exposure should these claims prove to be correct.
If possible, try to place your laptop on another surface, not your lap, and this is particularly important if you need to spend a long period of time on your laptop on a regular basis. When you are working on your laptop make sure you take regular breaks for 15 minutes or so every hour and don’t sit too close to the screen.
Other action you can take is to buy a laptop shield which will filter off some if not most of the radiation. You could also try wearing a radiation suit and some radiation proof goggles whilst working on your laptop, ok so you might look like an idiot, or probably more like something out of some far fetched Sci-fi movie but hey who cares. Seriously though, no one really knows for sure whether laptop radiation is something we should worry about or not and until it is established once and for all there is nothing much we can do except wait.
In the meantime, by far the best thing that any of us can do to protect ourselves is to make sure we are in good health generally and to get plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables in our diet in order to consume more of those healthy antioxidants that will help clear all those toxins and free radicals from our bodies.