Cell Phones and Tumors!

Calling in a warning - This came to me in an email. Everyone out there using cell phones a lot (most of us), get yourselves a hands-free ear piece! Have a look at what Dr. Mercola says about it here and read the 5 Ways to Help You Minimize Cell Phone Radiation Emissions: http://products.mercola.com/blue-tube-headset/

A major study run by the World Health Organization found that long-term use of cell phones may present a "significantly increased risk" for brain tumors.

The research included 12,800 people in 13 nations over 10 years. Six of the eight studies in the project found a link between the use of cellular phones and gliomas – the most common type of brain tumor.

One study even found that heavy cell phone users are 39 percent more likely to get these tumors.

This new research flies in the face of what the electronics industry has been saying for years... but that's not really surprising, is it?

And while the increased risk of brain tumors is the worst of the news... it's not the only danger revealed by this and other recent studies.

Long-term use of a cell phone has also been linked to hearing loss and inner-ear damage, even in people who use the devices for as little as an hour a day. Signs to look for: warmth in the ears, ringing, or a sensation that your ear is "full." If you experience any of that, make your next call to your doctor... and then shut the phone off.

Several studies, including research in 2006 and again in 2008, found a link between cell phone use and low sperm count and quality. The 2006 study found that the more you USED the phone (not just had it on your hip), the greater the likelihood that your sperm won't be swimming the way they should.

A six-year study found that cell phones could weaken the pelvic bone in men. Turkish researchers found that men who carried cell phones on their belts all day had slightly lower bone density on the side where the phones were kept.

While the difference was not enough to raise alarms on its own, it makes you wonder what a longer study might find.

For many of us – especially those of us who are older – the news is worrying enough... particularly if you've grown overly attached to you phone.

But our children and grandchildren are the ones I'm really worried about. They're the first generation to grow up with access to these devices from the cradle to the grave. And with more homes giving up traditional landlines entirely in favor of cell phones, it's second nature for them to use these electronics without thinking.

And forget teenagers... We already know how much time they spend on the phone.

So, should you bury your cell phone out in the yard?

Maybe not... if you really need it. But in those cases, use it the way most people did 10 or 15 years ago: very rarely, for emergencies or unusual situations. Use a hands-free earpiece or speakerphone if you can.

And keep them off limits for kids – period. Even your teenagers, except on the occasion when they're out on their own and need a way to reach you in an emergency.