Do Cell Phones Cause Cancer or Brain Tumors?

Cellular phones are a huge part of our every day lives.  You rarely find anyone who doesn't have one of these convenient devices, and you rarely leave the house without seeing people talking on them or using them to be on the internet, day plan, or whatever they happen to be using them for now.

Studies have been done that have tried to answer the question of whether or not cell phones pose any danger to the human body.  More particularly, whether they may cause brain cancer or tumors because of their close proximity to the head.

And yet, the mystery still remains on this open debate as research studies fail to make any conclusive findings. So, what's the answer, are cell phones dangerous or not? Do they increase your risk of cancer? Lead to brain tumors? Harm your hearing? These are all questions that people have and are legitimately concerned about, and yet can't seem to get any definitive answers to from the scientific community.

Personally, I'm convinced that too much cell phone use is definitely not good for you. Why? Well, I'm surely no scientist, but I know that burning feeling accompanied by a severe ache after a long time on my cell phone can't be good for my health. Why did I not experience this when I was on my land line phone for 45 minutes to an hour, yet my ear feels like it's on fire after this time period on a cell phone?

Lots of others feel the same as I do, and they try to limit their time on their phones. After all, when there is more at stake than losing your treasured minutes from being on the phone too long, it tends to make you leery of spending too much time on the device.

Even though we may be able to feel the adverse effects of too much time on our cellular phones, studies still are not conclusive. The most recent study was commissioned by an organization that goes by the name of IARC, or the International Agency for Research into Cancer. They are charged with trying to find answers to potential cancer causing agents and how we can avoid them, or whether they even add to the risk of cancer to begin with.

This large and promising study included about 13,000 participants. So why, after a respected institute led a study with so many people, can't the "experts" agree on the findings? Well, they say that the study was flawed and skewed, and that the findings therefore should be null and void, or at least viewed with such skepticism as a flawed study would be charged with.

The problem was, the study leaders were asking participants to recall their cell phone usage over the past several years, and this of course leads to errors in judgment automatically. Also, they used different criteria to select the participants throughout the different geographic areas it covered. The study was a huge disappointment when it was supposed to be a win for those of us who are wondering if we are truly harming our health by using these devices.

You cannot argue the fact that cellular phones have changed our world. They are a major convenience, and not having one these days can really affect your ability to be productive and easily accessible to your family and friends when emergencies or questions arise. They have become a part of American life, and they are here to stay.

If only we could answer the question, do the electromagnetic currents that come through your phone harm your brain or your other tissues in such a way that they may cause cell damage and possibly cancer? I tend to err on the side of caution myself, and I always use the speaker phone when possible. This way, the phone is not right against my ear and I am not being exposed to the potentially harmful currents as directly as if I had it right up against my ear.

Blue tooth headsets also may be a good way to help protect yourself against these currents, since you are not holding the cell phone close to your head. Blue tooth technology supposedly emits less radiation wattage than a cell phone, and therefore may be the safest choice.