If only I’d known

March 28, 2025

This could have been the heading for David Ashton’s recent article about his personal experiences with electromagnetic pollution.

In it, Ashton describes his descent from vibrant health and energy to Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS) – the experience of symptoms from exposure to electromagnetic fields.

His journey began in 2007 with intermittent symptoms such as chronic headaches, dizziness and vertigo. He tried painkillers and, when they didn’t work, he visited hospitals and medical practitioners. They couldn’t help him. His condition continued to worsen.

Ashton says, ‘The treatment that I received from the NHS [National Health Service in UK] consisted of a number of different prescription drugs (tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants and anti-vertigo preparations), all of which made me much worse; some sessions with a cognitive behavioral therapist and then a psychologist, with no improvement seen, and some physiotherapy.’

Six years, countless pounds and much suffering later, Ashton purchased meters to measure the electromagnetic fields in and around his home. What he found amazed him. He was being exposed to fields from more sources in his home than he’d realised, not to mention a base station on a building nearby.

He was also able to determine that the locations where he experienced worst symptoms were the places with the highest electromagnetic readings.

Then began his efforts to reduce his exposure.

Ashton wishes he’d known about EHS much earlier. ‘Had I been diagnosed with EHS, I would have started reducing my exposure to EMFs much sooner, and I would not have represented such an ongoing drain on scarce NHS resources,’ he says.

The experience has taught him many difficult lessons about EHS. He says, ‘an EHS individual may encounter stigma, disbelief and ridicule. They may stop working, and have to rely on alternative sources of income. Their quality of life may be harmed. They may flee their home, move to an area with lower EMFs, and limit time spent in places where EMF levels are high. They may have to sacrifice their careers and interests. Their relationships may suffer. They may experience discrimination. They may lose faith in the authorities, and in the healthcare system.’

Ashton D (2025) Self-diagnosing electromagnetic hypersensitivity—A case study. Front. Public Health 13:1535513. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1535513.

Discover your exposure to electromagnetic radiation

The CEMProtec 31 is a great tool for detecting radiofrequency radiation from mobile phones, wireless routers, WiFi devices, mobile phone towers, baby monitors, microwave ovens and other wireless devices in and around your home. It detects 5G signals up to 10 GHz.

You can see more here.

What else can you do?

• See our shielding clothing for protecting you from wireless radiation.
• See our free resources about EHS here. 
• Take a look at the March issue of our free newsletter EMR and Health here.
• Forward this email to others so they can learn more, too.