How to Keep Your Cell Phone From Killing You

Q: I read your article a few days ago about the dangers of using cell phones. I’ve suspected they were dangerous, but they’re hard to live without. Do you have any recommendations for how to limit my risks?

Dr. G: You’re not going to like this answer… The only way to completely eliminate the risks associated with your cell phone is to toss it in the trash.

But I wasn’t born yesterday, and I know that’s a fat chance in today’s technology-tethered society.

If tossing the cell phone is out of the question, there are a few things you can do to limit your risk.

In general, the most important thing to keep in mind is to put as much space between you and your phone as you can—whether you’re talking on the phone or not. After all, if the cell phone is on, it’s still emitting harmful electromagnetic fields (EMFs).

There are a number of ways you can do this.

Use the speaker phone whenever possible.

Use a headset. This doesn’t completely eliminate your EMF exposure, but it does reduce exposure by eight-fold. Just make sure you take the headset off whenever you’re not using it. Both wired and wireless headsets emit EMFs as well, just at a lower level than your cell phone.

Don’t sleep with your cell phone anywhere near you—not on your nightstand, and not even in the same room.

Don’t carry your phone in your pocket. Studies have shown that cell phone radiation decreases bone density in the pelvis, and also lowers fertility in men.

Don’t use your phone when you have a poor signal. The harder the phone works to get reception, the more radiation it emits.

Talking in the car can be especially dangerous—and not just for the obvious risks associated with distracted driving. Radiation is the strongest as soon as a connection to a cell tower is made. So if you’re driving down the highway, you’re exposed to spikes in radiation every time you connect to a new tower.

Send a text. I’m not a big texter personally, but sending a text prevents you from the radiation exposure you’d get from a call—even a quick one.

But the best advice I can give you is to disconnect from your phone, and reconnect with your life. You’d be amazed at what you miss when you’re staring at a 5-inch screen.

Thanks for the great questions. Remember, you can email me at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you.