The study highlighted in the article posted below gives much food for thought when it comes to the potentially damaging effects of mobile phones. The emissions from such devices have been linked in many studies to numerous health hazards, including brain tumors and blood disorders. Research has raised a lot of questions about the safety of exposure to electromagnetic radiation (EMR) and electromagnetic frequencies (EMF). Wireless gadgets have proven effects on brain wave activity and may negatively impact the immune system as well. There are also indications that living near a cell phone tower can greatly increase your risk of developing certain types of cancer. It appears now that the use of mobile phones can also harm both the quality and quantity of sperm production in men.
So little is known about the long-term effects of this relatively new technology. If you choose to use a cell phone, PDA, or other wireless device, there are a couple of tips you should be aware of. It is much safer to use a head set rather than a hand-held unit. The farther it is from your body, the better off you are. Therefore, even when you use a head set, do not clip your cell phone on your belt or keep it in your pocket. Secondly, there are filters or cell phone protection chips that are available to further reduce exposure to radiation. It is also not a good idea to sleep in a room with a computer or other electronic device that emits large amounts of radiation. Because of the explosion of electronic equipment in our modern world it is not possible to totally isolate ourselves from their influences, but it would behoove all of us to take as many precautions as possible to minimize the risks of exposure. OAW has a good selection of EMF protection devices for cell phones, computers, pets, and your home.
Heavy cell phone use tied to poor sperm quality
Men who talked more than 4 hours a day had lowest counts, study says
Reuters
updated 12:48 p.m. CT, Wed., Feb. 6, 2008
NEW YORK - Spending hours on a cell phone each day may affect the quality of a mans sperm, preliminary research suggests.
In a study of 361 men seen at their infertility clinic, researchers at the Cleveland Clinic found an association between the patients cell phone use and their sperm quality.
On average, the more hours the men spent on their cell phones each day, the lower their sperm count and the greater their percentage of abnormal sperm.
The findings, published in the journal Fertility and Sterility, add to questions about the potential health effects of cell phones and other wireless devices. Some studies, for example, have linked long-term cell phone use to a higher risk of brain tumors, though many other studies have found no such connection.
The concern is that, over time, the electromagnetic energy emitted from mobile phones could theoretically harm body tissue - by damaging DNA, for example.
However, the new findings do not prove that cell phones somehow damage sperm, according to the researchers.
Our results show a strong association of cell phone use with decreased semen quality. However, they do not prove a cause-and- effect relationship, lead researcher Dr. Ashok Agarwal told Reuters Health.
He and his colleagues based their findings on semen samples from 361 men who came to their infertility clinic over one year. All of the men were questioned about their cell phone habits.
In general, the researchers found, sperm count and sperm quality tended to decline as daily cell phone hours increased. Men who said they used their phones for more than four hours each day had the lowest average sperm count and the fewest normal, viable sperm.
We infer from our results that heavy cell phone use is associated with a lower semen quality, Agarwal said. But whether cell phones somehow directly affect mens fertility is not clear.
Agarwal said he and his colleagues have two studies underway aiming to shed light on the issue. In one, they are exposing semen samples to electromagnetic radiation from cell phones to see what, if any, effects occur.
The second is a follow-up to the current study that is assessing a larger group of men. Agarwal said this study is more rigorously designed and will account for certain other factors like lifestyle habits and occupational exposures that might affect sperm quality.
Copyright 2008 Reuters.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23033163/
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