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LETTER: ‘Ubiquitous toxin’ may cause headaches

Readers who complain of migraines since moving to Nelson may be one of the growing segment of the population who are electro-hypersensitive.
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Re: “Nelson is killing my wife,” and “Nelson headaches not unique”

To the two Nelson Star readers who wrote to complain of suffering massive migraines since moving to Nelson, you may be one of the growing segment of the population who are electro-hypersensitive (EHS) to wireless electromagnetic radiation(EMR). Some European surveys put the figure as high as 13 percent, and in many countries EHS is a recognized disability.

EHS manifests in a wide array of symptoms, including fatigue, irritability, headaches, nausea, lack of appetite, trouble sleeping, depression, problems with concentration, memory, vertigo, as well as visual, skin and vascular problems. Canada’s leading expert on electromagnetic radiation, Dr. Magda Havas, reported in January 2014 on yet another independent study showing that people living within 500 metres of cell phone base stations or towers are at increased risk for cancer some studies say the rate doubles.

On May 11 this year, 190 scientists from 39 nations submitted an appeal to the United Nations, UN member states and theWorld Health Organization (WHO) requesting they adopt more protective exposure guidelines for electromagnetic fields (EMF) and wireless technology in the face of increasing evidence of risk. Dr Robert O. Becker, twice nominated for the NobelPrize in Medicine, said in a 2000 interview: “I have no doubt in my mind that at the present time the greatest polluting element in the earth’s environment is the proliferation of electromagnetic fields.”

Nelson needs to adopt a municipal antenna policy and physicians should be conducting baseline health studies of their patients since the introduction of cell service. And the city most certainly should not be considering open-air Wi-Fi in parks and schools.

It’s time to get educated on the most ubiquitous toxin of the 21st century.

Arthur Joyce, New Denver