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Do headphones present a potential risk to us because of EMF's?

Whit

Senior Member
Messages
399
Location
Bay Area
Headphones are a good thing in my life right now for a couple reasons.

One of the few hobbies I can still work on is making my own headphones and working on improving existing headphones that use Planar Megnetic driver technology, which I wont bore you with unless someone is interested. Thing is, this tech uses huge magnets and in reading about CFS patients heightened sensitivity to EMF, I'm feeling hesitant about it. But I've put a lot of energy into it already and it would be kind of a shame to have to lose another opportunity and hobby because of what may be paranoia. (even if it is healthy paranoia considering the unknown nature of this illness)

There's also very loud construction next door, which has been going on for the last 9 months. I thought it was nearing completion soon, but 2 more houses were just torn down close by and there will be banging and machining away all summer again. The only way to be outside in the beautiful garden I'm lucky to have here is to use headphones.

So I'm just curious to know if anyone has any thoughts, opinions or experiences around this. It seems like maybe I am already exposed to more EMF than even these magnet heavy headphones could create in microwaves and other things all around me. So maybe cutting them out wouldn't do any good except limit my life further but I don't know... I would just try it and see what happens, but even 2 weeks of not being able to go outside is difficult, and there's so many factors with CFS, it's impossible to really know for sure what is causing what.

This goes to show the kinds of stuff we have to worry about without any real medical understanding or advice. I just try to avoid anything that could be harmful figuring it's one of the few things I have the power to do, and it can't usually hurt.
 
Messages
13,774
I wouldn't worry about being sensitive to magnets if you've not had any trouble. It sounds like your headphones are making your life better, so I'd just enjoy that as much as you can. It sounds like a really good hobby too. If you try to avoid anything that could be harmful, you'd never do anything, and I'm not sure if I've seen anything to show that the EMF stuff is related to actual magnets, rather than using electronic devices. eg: I find that listening to music can really exhaust me.

Personally, I only choose to limit the fun stuff I can get up to when there's really good evidence that it's helpful to my health to do so. Admittedly, I have been ill for nearly a decade, which could show that I'm not someone to take advice from.
 

fla

Senior Member
Messages
234
Location
Montreal, Canada

caledonia

Senior Member
EMF sensitivity is caused by damage or wearing away of the myelin sheath (shielding) surrounding the nerves. Some of us have this and some don't. If you did, you would probably know by now. So I say, keep on doing your hobby and have fun.

You're supposed to be able to rebuild the myelin sheath with Yasko supplements, so presumably this problem is a consequence of a methylation block. I have a methylation block documented by testing, but don't have an EMF problem. So I don't know if it's up to your particular genetics or length of time with the methylation block or what.

As a precaution, I would think that shielding your headphones would help block EMFs from entering your brain.
 

Whit

Senior Member
Messages
399
Location
Bay Area
Thanks for the input. i may try to get a pair of IEM's which are in-ear headphones have have really tiny little magnets, so while it may still create some EMF, it would be greatly reduced I think.

So I've managed to not use headphones for 5 days or so now and feel no different. Is EMF the kind of thing that you feel short term effects from, or is it something that builds up a response which might linger for a while even after exposure has stopped?
 

fla

Senior Member
Messages
234
Location
Montreal, Canada
Well if EMF's are causing oxidative stress and consequently glutathione depletion and you remove a significant (doubtful headphones alone are significant) cause of oxidative stress, giving a chance for the body to replenish glutathione, you would expect a delayed response. Richvank explained the Norway rituximab results this way (removing the immune system source of oxidative stress) and that study saw delayed responses starting from 2-7 months.
 
Messages
13,774
So I've managed to not use headphones for 5 days or so now and feel no different. Is EMF the kind of thing that you feel short term effects from, or is it something that builds up a response which might linger for a while even after exposure has stopped?

Personally, I don't think it's worth denying yourself any real pleasure for zero gain, and that it's better to try to do what makes you happiest. Good luck with it all though.
 

Whit

Senior Member
Messages
399
Location
Bay Area
Yeah, I agree, but no activity is worth staying or getting sicker unless it's just pushing myself to do something meaningful so I stay sane despite possibly getting a little tired. But that's not a big hit because I'm careful and pace myself.

But I try to be aware of anything I've been doing, eating, subjecting myself to constantly for the last few years. I've looked at everything from water to toothpaste. Even tried shaving my beard off when I realized I got sick shortly after growing a beard for the first time. :eek:
 

Chris

Senior Member
Messages
845
Location
Victoria, BC
Just found this thread... I have become concerned about the possibility, because I love music, and have a serious interest in some (by no means all) operas. I now live in a pleasant apartment in an old and by no means sound proof building reserved for over 55 year olds--I am way above that limit. I came down with ME about 4 months after switching to headphones for most of my listening, in the interests of peace and good neighbourly relations at that time I lived in a tall building topped by a huge cluster of cell and other antennae. So RF/ELF are both possible suspects...

I have just ordered a meter that covers both RF and ELF, and will test both my headphones and my apt generally to see what the actual situation is, and will try to report. But there is no doubt that my headphones (top tier Sennheisers) do have strong magnets, though held at some distance from my ears. I am concerned!
Chris
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
@Chris
I thought separate meters were better for RF and EMF?
Do let us know how the meter performs and I would be interested in the brand.
I now have neighbours and believe allsorts of stuff is going on next door with mobile signal boosters and the like
 

Chris

Senior Member
Messages
845
Location
Victoria, BC
@maryb; yes, separate meters are better, but also considerably more expensive. I read some reviews on Lloyd Burrell's website, www.electricsense.com , and decided on the Cornet ED78S--seems it is pretty good for RF and magnetic fields, and not too expensive. So I will have some experimenting and learning to do when it arrives.
Not sure what I shall do if I find that the fields produced by my phones are high... Can't afford to buy a house, and like my present apt. and its location....
Chris
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
@Chris
I can imagine how you feel - its like waiting for the results of tests, we want to know but.............

I looked that model up and it seems to be a decent one for both testing, only one I could find in the UK though was from Singapore, not too happy about importing expensive electronic stuff from Asia, we have a real problem with fakes. Where will you order yours from? Unlikely they will ship to the UK though.
 

manna

Senior Member
Messages
392
there are these> http://lifebluetube.com/landing-pages/bluetube-longsale/index.html

LIFE BlueTube headsets guarantee you hours of worry-free and radiation-free listening enjoyment whether you are playing music, chatting on the phone or enjoying your headphones in some other way. Their sensual tonal quality has to be heard to be believed. Even more exciting is the fact that they provide the very best protection against toxic, electromagnetic radiation.
Special pricing and Free Bonus info below.

i have not tried them so cannot appraise. there's only air in the tubes so defo no emf's next to the brain. i have electro-hypersensitivity, which is now a recognised illness in sweden (i think its sweden). seems you can have music and zilch emf's so, discussion on the potential dangers on emf aside, you might as well if you have the dollar.

ive downloaded this to listen to during the day...8 hours of birds and waterfall. i find i can listen to nature sounds at anytime without adverse affects. youtube search> Relax 8 Hours-Relaxing Nature Sounds-Study-Sleep-Meditation-Water Sounds-Bird Song
 
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Chris

Senior Member
Messages
845
Location
Victoria, BC
@maryb, I ordered mine direct from Cornet, who seem to be based in California; I assume they are tuned to our 60cycles. But gather a simple bit of math will shift readings to 50cycle areas.

@manna, thanks for the suggestion, but I suspect those air things are not going to give me the results I want. Will in any case wait for the arrival of my meter and tests before making any decisions--I spent good money on those Sennheisers, and love the sound they reproduce.
Chris
 

maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
Thanks @Chris
I don't understand the 50/60 bit but I will in timeo_O I'll follow your progress.
 

manna

Senior Member
Messages
392
@Chris they claim to get high quality sound from the air tubes, if thats your concern?

Purchase LIFE BlueTube headsets not just to eradicate electromagnetic radiation, but also for the matchless, crystal clear sound these headphones produce.
The fact is I am so confident that these headphones deliver on the promise of excellent sound quality and maximum EMF protection I am willing to back them up with a 100%, risk-free, 30-day guarantee.
 

Hip

Senior Member
Messages
17,824
EMF sensitivity is caused by damage or wearing away of the myelin sheath (shielding) surrounding the nerves.

Apparently it's the other way around:
"Myelinated nerves are thicker and more sensitive to EMF than unmyelinated nerves as in the grey matter of the central nervous system (CNS)."

Source: Medical aspects of overexposures to electromagnetic fields
B Hocking and F Gobbo. J Health Saf Environ 2011, 27(3): 185-195.


Note that to date, no studies have been able to demonstrate that electromagnetic hypersensitivity exists: this article states:
"In a provocation study, an electrosensitive person sits in a room with the source of electromagnetic waves hidden from view: they don’t know whether it is switched on or not. There have been 36 such studies published to date. This is very active work. This field has not been neglected. Thirty-three have shown that the subjects were unable to tell if the signal was present or absent, and the other three were flawed."

Note also that very high power magnetic pulses applied to the brain in the form of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been shown to be beneficial for fibromyalgia pain.

So it may be that the weak oscillating magnetic fields from headphones might even have some mild benefit.
 
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maryb

iherb code TAK122
Messages
3,602
Location
UK
I tend to lump all 'electrosmog' if that is the right word together? I don't know that much about EMF or RF if it comes to that but I've read that RF is supposed to be the worst offender. A clinic I've been to asks people to switch their phones off, some of them are really sick people. Its a confusing issue for me especially now I have neighbours and allsorts of electrical and Wi-Fi equipment around me. We are always looking for issues that may impact negatively on this illness.