Wireless technology has become a part of our daily lives more and more with every debut of new and exciting wireless devices like cell phones, tablets, e-readers, and the like. With our dependence on wireless technology seeming to increase every day, more and more scientific and medical studies have been undertaken to understand exactly how the emission of radiofrequency waves from the many wireless handheld devices that are constantly kept near our bodies affects our health.
These studies focus on quantifying how average use of common devices that emit radiofrequency waves interact with our bodies and how the combination of several such devices may or may not change these effects. This research does not only concentrate on the possible negative side effects of radiofrequency waves – it has also helped doctors use radiofrequency technology both for medical treatments and medical identification methods, helping millions of people around the world. What are some of the effects of radiofrequency waves on the human body?
Dangers of Radiofrequency Technology
The Death Ray and Microwave Ovens
Radiofrequency waves can kill human beings if concentrated, high frequency waves are pointed in the direction of people. The US military realized this and created a weapon known as the Death Ray to kill its enemies, reminiscent of futuristic fears of Star Wars laser beams. The Death Ray used the same sort of technology that we can find in modern day microwave ovens, though in higher levels and in a more concentrated form.
The radiofrequency waves used to heat our food in microwave ovens can damage and kill living tissue, but it deemed safe for use in our homes because of the insulation required in the construction of all modern microwave ovens. In fact, research has found the microwave ovens are only dangerous when misused or if the seal around the door has corroded or been damaged, allowing for the radiofrequency waves to escape the oven and harm its users. Make sure your microwave oven does not act like a death ray by keeping it in good working condition.
Wireless Technology
The other major concern of radiofrequency technology is that, although research has already deemed individual wireless devices to emit save levels of radiofrequency waves for human use, our increasing dependence on multiple wireless devices may be placing our health at risk.
Although some disagreement exists in this area, the general consensus in the scientific community is that people who use several wireless devices on a daily basis should make an effort to keep the devices as far from their bodies as possible; This means that, for a businessman constantly on his mobile phone, it is best for him to invest in a headset that would allow him to keep the device away from his body but still be able to meet his needs.
Doctors also recommend that those who have any sort of internal electronic device, like a pacemaker, be very careful. In some cases, high usage of devices emitting radiofrequency waves has been shown to interrupt normal functioning of such devices.
Health Benefits of Radiofrequency Technology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
If you have ever had a health scare at the hospital, your doctor probably recommended that you receive an MRI to get a picture of what was happening in your body. MRIs use radiofrequency technology to bounce low frequency levels of radiation off of your body’s tissues to create a black and white image of what is happening inside your body – without cutting you open. Without radiofrequency technology, the millions of lives doctors have saved since the invention of the MRI would have been lost.
Medical Treatment
Radiofrequency technology is necessary for more than just the identification of medical problems. It is also now used for the treatment of chronic pain and nerve disorders. With RF waves at low frequencies, doctors are able to target areas of nerve tissue to lessen or even completely remove pain for patients seeking pain management and injury relief. Medical treatments using RF technology have helped innumerable people overcome their pain management issues and finally get back to their normal lives.
Technology using radiofrequency waves has revolutionized our society, from our communication methods to our hospital visits. Although it can be dangerous for our bodies when we receive too much of its strong rays in an uncontrolled manner, radiofrequency waves can also help people discover the nature of their medical conditions and control pain. For more information on the drawbacks and benefits to radiofrequency technology, see the U.S. Department of Labor.
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Writer Biography This is a guest post by Nate Miller, a part-time guest-blogger. His main interests are Finance and Business, with a recent focus on Technology. He is constantly extending his fields of interest to incorporate news suggested to him by his readers. Also, if you like his writing, make sure to follow him on Twitter.