Mobiles and the thyroid

Mobiles and the thyroid

Could mobile phone radiation affect the thyroid gland, situated as it is on the neck and close to the position where the phone is held?

To answer this question, researchers in the US conducted a review of relevant studies published after 2001.

They found that mobile phone radiation could be linked with hypothyroidism (an underactive thyroid) and changes to thyroid hormone levels. They also found changes in thyroid gland follicles in the thyroids of exposed rats. The more exposure and the longer the exposure, the greater were the effects. 

The thyroid gland is part of the endocrine system and its hormones regulate important body functions such as breathing, heart rate, the nervous systems, weight, muscle strength, menstrual cycles, body temperature and cholesterol. 

Effects on the thyroid gland could, therefore, have wide-ranging effects on the body.

Among these effects could be thyroid cancer.

A previous study examined rates of thyroid cancers in all Nordic countries from 1970 to 2017. The authors found that the steepest increases occurred between 2001 and 2017, the period during which mobile phones have been widely used. 

‘We postulate that RF radiation is a causative factor for the increasing thyroid cancer incidence,’ they concluded.

  1. Alkayyali T, et al, An Exploration of the Effects of Radiofrequency Radiation Emitted by Mobile Phones and Extremely Low Frequency Radiation on Thyroid Hormones and Thyroid Gland Histopathology. Cureus. 2021 Aug 20;13(8):e17329. doi: 10.7759/cureus.17329. PMID: 34567874; PMCID: PMC8451508. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34567874/

  2. Carlberg M, et al, Is the Increasing Incidence of Thyroid Cancer in the Nordic Countries Caused by Use of Mobile Phones? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Dec 7;17(23):9129. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17239129. PMID: 33297463; PMCID: PMC7730276.


What can you do?

  • Limit your use of mobile phones by using our radiation-free equipment for internet and landline phones.                
  • Use our shielded phone cases and airtube headsets.

 

  • Protect your neck with our shielding scarves.

 

What else you can do

  • If you found the information above of interest, please forward this email to others.

  • If you’d like more information, you can download the November/December issue of EMR and Health here.

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  • Book a phone consultation to find answers to your questions here. 

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