Tumors caused by cell phones are becoming a quickly increasing concern in our modern world, because nearly everyone has a cell phone these days. It used to be that mobile phones were only for the elite or for people that absolutely needed one for work. As such, people didn't know that there may be tumors caused by cell phones. There is a lot of research in the area today by many leading universities and institutes, but even so, the results have not exactly been conclusive.
Do cell phones cause tumors? Is there a clear connection between prolonged mobile phone usage and cancer? Does using a Bluetooth or wired headset reduce the risk? Read on and find out what has been discovered thus far.
Tumors Caused by Cell Phones
There have been a few cases in law courts wherein people sued mobile phone manufacturers like Nokia and Motorola, because they believed that their tumors were caused by cell phones. Why would they think this?
Evidence Supporting the Claim
The reasoning behind their claim is that cell phones are said to give off radiation that is not that different from microwaves. When exposed to their radio waves over a prolonged period -- tumors caused by cell phones are typically only seen in people who have had a mobile phone for a long time -- it is possible that irrevocable damage is caused, mutating existing cells into cancer cells, for example. Needless to say, this is incredibly disconcerting, especially for business users who rely on their smartphones and PDA phones on a daily basis.
Not only this, but even if you don't use a cell phone yourself, chances are that you are surrounded by people who do, particularly if you work or live in a metropolitan area. Is it possible that the damage could be spread in a similar way as secondhand smoke from cigarettes? The answer is yes, it is possible, but we can't say for sure.
When you go to the doctor's office for an x-ray, your body gets bombarded with those waves and they do cause some temporary damage. This is minimal, though, and your body can easily recover from this damage without too much trouble, assuming that you don't go in for an x-ray very often. By contrast, you are exposed to cell phone radiation on a daily basis and it is in very close proximity to a very important part of your body: the brain. While short-term exposure seems to have a minimal effect, there is evidence that supports the claim that prolonged exposure is linked to cancer. This doesn't necessarily mean that tumors are caused by cell phones, only that there may be a relationship.
Stay on the Safe Side
There is an extended discussion on geek.com concerning one specific case wherein a practicing medical doctor (a neurologist) sued several cellular phone manufacturers and service providers for $800 million, claming that he had tumors caused by cell phones, more specifically, caused by his many years of usage. This discussion dates all the way back to August 2000, and frankly, not much else is known about tumors caused by cell phones today than was known then. Sure, we have more evidence, but none of it is absolutely conclusive.
With instances like this, it is perhaps better to err on the side of caution. We know that more modern cell phones typically give off far less radiation than models we saw ten to twenty years ago, just as cars are more environmentally friendly today. ]
You'll also notice that in some cell phone instruction manuals, they recommend that you keep the phone several inches away from your face. This may not exactly be practical for hearing the person on the other side of the line, so you may want to look into alternative solutions like using the speakerphone feature or investing in a cell phone headset. With the rising popularity of text messages, that may be a safer way to communicate while on the road. Take the proper precautions, and you should be reasonably safe. After all, it doesn't look like the usage of cell phones is going to go down any time soon.
