Do you talk on your cell phone more than 15 hours a month? If so, you might want to kick your cell phone habit to the curb.
A new study published in the journal of British Occupational and Environmental Medicine shows heavy cell phone use triples the risk of developing brain tumors.
To study brain cancer, French researchers from the University of Bordeaux looked at 253 cases of glioma and 194 cases of meningioma reported in four French cancer departments between 2004 and 2006. The patients with brain tumors were compared with 892 healthy individuals from the general population.
The data showed a link between cancer and cell phones.
“These additional data support previous findings concerning a possible association between heavy mobile phone use and brain tumours,” scientists reported.
The Startling Results
Here’s what the study also found:
- More than 15 hours of talking on a cell phone each month tripled brain cancer risk.
- Sales and business professionals are at greater risk if they communicate extensively with cell phones.
- The average length of extensive cell phone use was 5 years.
The scientists said that the data supports previous studies on the possible link between brain tumors and heavy use of cell phones. For example, a study in Sweden between 1997 and 2003 showed an increase risk of glioma cancer with cell phone use. And the French study may confirm a 2011 report from The International Agency for Research on Cancer that classified radio frequency as “possibly carcinogenic to humans.”
However, there was one anomaly. Compared to previous studies, this study found that brain tumors occurred on the opposite side of the brain than the side that the phone was habitually used. The study said it’s hard to see the effects of cell phones when technology is always changing.
“It is difficult to define a level of risk, if any, especially as cellphone technology is constantly evolving. The rapid evolution of technology has led to a considerable increase in the use of cellphones and a parallel decrease of [the radio frequency radiation] emitted by the phones,” the researchers explained.
10 Tips To Limit Exposure
While more conclusive evidence is needed, it may be helpful to limit you and your family’s exposure to cell phones. Children are especially vulnerable to cell phone radiation because their immune system is not fully developed and their cells reproduce more quickly. Not only that, but they have more potential for longer exposure during their lifetime than adults.
Here are some helpful tips to limit exposure to cell phone radiation:
- Limit or don’t allow children to use cell phones.
- Limit cell phone calls.
- Use a headset or a speaker.
- For children who are playing game on phones, put it on airplane mode.
- Never sleep with a cell phone on next to you.
- When home, use a wired landline.
- Don’t carry a cell phone next to your body.
Do you think there’s a link between extensive cell phone use and cancer? Let us know in the comments section below.