When health risks say hi to mobile phone users!

New innovations in technology have sped up human activities and made them simpler. Among these innovations the mobile phones play a significant role in one’s life. Benefiting humanity to a greater extent, phones have facilitated human activities that we found to be difficult earlier. Phones have made it easy to make connections with people belonging to different ethnic and geographical areas across the globe. Unfortunately man has failed to fully reap their advantages due to overuse. As of 2011 there had been around 5 billion mobile phone subscriptions according to World Health Organization (WHO). The overuse of mobile phones is an unhealthy habit that renders health risks that most of us have overlooked. Speaking to Daily Mirror lifestyle coach and medical officer at Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) Dr. Lasantha Wijesekara said that there had been a press conference the previous year regarding the use of mobile phones inside bedrooms. According to Dr.Wijesekara there had been a discussion on the use of mobile phones and many suggestions had been made. Upon the discussion HPB has formulated an expert panel to look into this issue seriously. He also noted that in Sri Lanka, noticeably there is no research carried out on this topic in contrast to other countries and different foreign organizations. To begin with Dr. Wijesekara stressed that health risk factors are always associated with overuse. This unhealthy habit yields less interaction with the immediate family members, relatives and friends. 

Problems encountered due to overuse – Dr.Wijesekara

According to the interview with Dr.Wijesekara, there are two common problems encountered due to overuse of mobile phones. First it can lead to a cognitive overload which suggests that the overuse surpasses certain limits of the brain. Secondly there is an information overload which makes one difficult to make decisions because of the information influx which causes stress resulting in other mental illnesses. Besides the overuse gives rise to relationship, emotional, mental and physical problems. In terms of human relationships, mobile phones have disconnected people in many contexts such as in the family and in the workplace while making human interactions distracted and limited as many are engrossed in them. The overuse can also yield long-term relationship issues. Considering the emotional wellbeing, it has been identified that mobile phones only offer a one-way communication and therefore there is less emotional bonding. No doubt this can make one feel lonely and experience a fear of life and a hopelessness. Addiction is another common problem present in many due to overuse. This reduces the time allocated for activities that ensures our well-being. “In terms of physical problems, obesity is recognised as an issue that occurs due to less physical activity when using mobile phones. This can result in other diseases related to obesity,” Dr. Wijesekara further warned. Postural deformities are associated with another physical complaint that occurs due to overuse. In addition to these, visual impairments are also regarded as another possible health risk. Today children are exposed to mobile phones even before they are born. Despite the possible health risks associated with the overuse of mobile phones, this does not suggest that mobile phones users should be always pessimistic. Phones also have a lot of advantages if one conforms to the idea of sensibly using the mobile phone or suggestions made about the healthy use of mobile phones. 

WHO and IARC respond

WHO ’s criteria or guidelines have recognised that the  exposure to mobile phones poses a potential risk for cancer. This theory has been supported by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) while WHO endorsed it. According to a press release by IARC on May 31, 2011 it is estimated that there were around 5 billion mobile phone subscribers globally by 2011. It is worth studying some of the researches to clearly understand if they carry a potential risk. A set of Danish scientists published a research paper in 2011 on the ‘Use of mobile phones and the risk of brain tumors’. Their objective was to ‘to investigate the risk of tumors in the central nervous system among Danish mobile subscribers’. The participants were Danish and aged 30 or above; individuals who had been born after 1925 and were subdivided into subscribers and non-subscribers of mobile phones before 1995. But the findings showed no risk of increased risks of tumors of the central nervous system, providing very little evidence for a causal association. 

Over the past few years, there has been a considerable concern over the possibility of adverse effects through phones due to the exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted by wireless communication devices. In a backdrop of this nature, IARC in May 2011 convened 31 scientists from 14 countries to assess radiofrequency electromagnetic fields emitted by mobile phones as a possible carcinogenic to humans. But the experts were unable to gather any overall convincing evidence to come to a conclusion and decided to further research regarding the issue. There had been some studies which had seen a link between mobile use and cancer. But still the prominent studies have not been able to reveal any link between mobile use and cancer. 

Despite all these there are still doubts if the use of mobile phones can cause cancer. It has become a concern of the common public as well as the physicians who are keen on this field. This is mainly due to the radiofrequency radiation that is emitted by mobile phones and body parts that are placed closer to the antenna which can absorb the energy. But the inconsistency to back the idea that use of mobile phones or radiofrequency radiation emitted by it can cause cancer is still debated due to the fact that there has been no comprehensive evidence to support such an opinion.

Health hazards

Having discussed the relationship between the use of mobile phones and cancer, one cannot overlook other health risks associated with the overuse of mobile phones based on certain prominent studies. Despite the increasing number of subscriptions for mobile phones, the risk too increases parallel  with that. Further it can reduce one’s quality of life as it poses health risks. Let us have a look at some of the main health concerns due to mobile phone usage.

Sleeping disorders

A cohort study carried out by Sara Thomée et al at the Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden ascertains that overuse of mobile phones is associated with sleep disorders. It is said that there are interruptions in sleep patterns mainly due to mobile rings and vibrations in the middle of the night.
Increased accident risk

The use of mobile phones, while driving, can be fatal as it interrupts one’s focus on driving. This is a clear fact that there had been a number of accidents caused due to the use of mobile phones while driving in Sri Lanka itself. Today there is a greater tendency of using the mobile phones while crossing the road. This can leave one injured or dead on the spot!

Infertility

Many researchers have found that there can be a possibility of causing a decreased sperm count in males due to the radiation emitted by mobile phones. This finding supports the possibility of leaving a male infertile. The research by Wdowiak A and colleagues at Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Obstetric-Gynaecological Nursing, Medical University of Lublin, mentions that it was also confirmed that a decrease in the percentage of sperm cells in vital progressing motility in the semen is correlated with the frequency of using mobile phones. This hints at many concerns related to fertility

Hearing impairments

Today, many tend to use earphones when using mobile phones. This might suggest that it can lead to hearing loss in youth and adults. What’s shocking is that mobile radiation is an additional factor that can make one deaf. Many studies affirm that long-term exposure to electromagnetic (EM) field from cell phones can contribute to reducing hearing function. A study by Oktay MF and Dasdag at the Department of ENT, Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences, Gangtok, Sikkim, and India showed that people who attended to calls approximately for 2 hours per day were having a higher risk of impaired hearing compared to moderate users (10-20mins). 

An infection carrier

Mobile phones are said to be not only carriers of data, but also infectious organisms. Many tend to use mobile phones wherever they go. One study has found that mobile phones are highly contaminated with certain organisms which can cause vomiting and diarrhoea.  And germs like Staphyloccocus aureus can cause skin infections

It is vital to remember that health hazards from the overuse and careless use of mobile phones can make one’s life worse. Therefore, by being aware of the adverse effects of overuse of mobile phones one has to use mobile phones responsibly.