How to Avoid Radiation from Cell Phones

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One of the most common email topics I receive is  people asking how they can avoid cell phone radiation.

Some feel desperate like it’s a lost (they ARE everywhere these days).

But I always assure them, there ARE protections you can put in place to shield yourself from phone EMF.

Today, I’m sharing a few of my free, cheap, and effective strategies.

Do Cell Phones Emit Harmful Radiation?

As our world evolves into a high tech place, it’s becoming harder and harder to live without our phones. 

And I’m afraid that’s going to have far more consequences that most people realize. 

That’s because cell phones emit a form of electromagnetic radiation referred to as radiofrequency (RF) energy. 

This emission of radiation occurs when a phone sends out signals to cell phone towers. And it’s not just during calls or texts. 

Your phone emits radio waves the whole time any WiFi, data, and/or Bluetooth features are turned on. 

Compared to other types of electromagnetic radiation, the RF energy from phones isn’t as powerful as those from UV rays or X-rays.

However, many researches have suggested that prolonged exposure to high levels of EMF from phones can cause adverse effects in humans. 

According to some scientists, these negative effects can be as mild as headaches but can become as severe as cancer. 

Health professionals also worry about how radiation can cause brain tumors, low sperm count and mobility, hearing loss, behavioral changes, and sleeping problems. 

With this in mind, you need to know how to protect yourself from cell phone radiation.

Yes, it’s all around you. And you can’t control your neighbor’s usage or the person next to you at the coffee shop, but there are things you can do to decrease your exposure. 

The Basics of Cell Phone Radiation Protection 

When it comes to protecting yourself from radiation, it’s important to remember two things:

Distance and Duration. 

These factors are the keys to decreasing the impact of cell phone radiation on your body. 

Let’s look at them both individually…

You Can Decrease Cell Phone Radiation with Distance

The farther you are from the radiation source, the less amount of radiation you will absorb. 

Every second that your phone is on, it transmits a signal, thus emitting radiation. While most phone users don’t “feel” anything, the EMF is affecting your cells nonetheless. 

But then there are those who are electrosensitive, and they feel the agony of living in a wireless world. 

When a cell phone is nearby, they get headaches, feel dizzy, develop a vibrating/buzzing sensation, and the one that affected me personally – a deep tissue burning in my hands and head.  

Whether you feel it or not, the same cellular effects occurring in an electrosensitive individual is happening in you too.

So to avoid this, make sure your cellphone is away from your body at all times. 

The part of your body closest to the phone gets the largest amount of radiation exposure.

The ideal distance between you and your phone is 6 feet minimum. At that point, the radiation levels that reach you drop off to nearly zero. 

Now obviously. 6 feet isn’t realistic when you need to make a phone call. In such cases, you can still take advantage of distance by using a headset or switching to speaker phone.  

You Can Decrease Phone EMF via Duration and Modification 

The second rule for preventing radiation exposure is to lessen your phone usage and modify its settings. 

The more you limit your phone use, the less you absorb its harmful RF energy. 

More than that, you can turn your phone on airplane mode when not in use.

This modification stops the microwave transmitter of your phone so that it doesn’t constantly ping cell towers or search for bluetooth devices to pair with. 

The #1 Easiest (and Free) Way to Avoid Cell Radiation: Airplane Mode

This bears repeating:

Use airplane mode.

For most phones, all you have to do is swipe up (or down) from the home screen and select the “plane” icon. 

If not there, you can always locate airplane mode in your phone’s settings.

The original purpose of airplane mode was to prevent the RF signals from your phone from interfering with the plane’s sensors and equipment (which also operate via radio waves). 

But even when not flying, we can use airplane mode as a quick and cheap way to turn off all your wireless networks like WiFi, cellular data, and Bluetooth. 

Despite this, you can still listen to downloaded music, use reminders, set alarms, and take pictures and videos (but not upload them to the cloud). 

I get asked all the time, “Does airplane mode reduce radiation?”

Yes it does. When you turn it on, you literally disable the signals that create radiation. 

Airplane mode is especially useful when your phone is running low on battery or when it can’t establish a steady signal. It’s during these times that radiation levels are at their highest.

Now let’s look at a few other ways to shield yourself.

12 Easy Ways to Avoid Cell Phone Radiation

1. Take Advantage of Distance with Speaker Phone

As much as possible, use speaker phone when you’re talking to someone. This will allow you to absorb less of the radiation emitted from your phone. 

Just think of the amount of radiation you can decrease when your body doesn’t have direct contact with your device.

In cases when you can’t use the speaker, try to keep the conversation short (that’s where “duration” comes into play).

2. Don’t Carry Cell Phones in Your Pocket

Be sure to keep your phone away from your body even when you’re not using it.

Putting your device in your pocket leaves just a thin material separating the radiation source from your body – and delicate reproductive organs.

If you carry your phone close to your skin for a long time, you’re likely to absorb high levels of radiation.

Instead of your pocket, try placing your phone in a bag or at your desk.

3. Keep Cell Phones Away from Children

The effect of radiation, when absorbed by an adult’s body, is already alarming.

But it’s much worse for children and babies because their bodies and brains are still developing. 

Radiation easily penetrates their thinner skulls, and the damage can be much more severe over time. 

4. Use Headphones 

Using headphones is a great way to keep your phone at a safe distance. But you can’t just use any type of headphones.

Wireless headphones work via Bluetooth, which again, uses radio waves. And since they sit directly in or on the ear, they put you at risk for cranial exposure. 

The best option is to use an air-tube headset. This type works best because it provides a wired connection but without the metal wiring – so EMF doesn’t travel up the cord. 

5. Use a Landline When You’re at Home 

If you need to take or make calls at home, try using your landline instead of your cell phone. 

Corded phones are a safer alternative that doesn’t need WiFi or Bluetooth, and therefore, do not emit radiofrequency radiation.

Noticed I said corded.

I know it’s such a foreign concept in this generation to use a phone with an actual cord, but they’re far safer as cordless phones have to communicate to their base station via RF.

6. Counteract Its Effects by Grounding/Earthing Regularly 

Grounding, or sometimes referred to as Earthing, means walking barefooted on the ground in order to soak up the electrons straight from the Earth’s soil. 

Doing this practice is an easy and inexpensive way to detoxify your body from the radiation it has absorbed. 

7. Don’t Use Your Phone When its Signal Is Low

When your phone can’t establish a steady signal, it uses more energy and emits more radiation. 

If you’re in a place with poor reception and your phone starts to show two signal bars or less, that means your phone is giving off high amounts of RF energy as it tries to remain connected to the nearest cell tower. 

This is a very dangerous time to use your phone because you’re at risk of absorbing even higher levels of radiation than normal. 

To prevent this, be patient enough to wait for your phone to get better reception before calling.

The same goes for circumstances when you’re in a vehicle and the signal is shaky. 

If you really need to use your phone, consider texting instead of calling. At least that way the exposure won’t be directly to your head and brain.

8. Don’t Use a Cell Phone While It’s Charging

While charging, cell phones can emit EMF levels that are 10 times higher than when they have full battery. 

It would be best to let your phone charge for a while in another room (again, taking advantage of that distance).

9. Don’t Use It if the Battery Is Low

Just like when your phone is charging, your device emits increased levels of radiation when it’s also running low on battery. 

If you can avoid it, don’t use your phone during these times. 

10. Keep Your Phone Out of Your Bedroom

Another big no-no is placing your phone near your body when you’re sleeping.

Keeping your phone in your bedroom at night, especially when it’s still connected to wireless networks, means that you’re exposed to its EMF all night long. 

Before tucking in, be sure to turn your cellphone off, switch to airplane mode, or at the very least, keep it on the other side of the room. 

You can still use your phone’s alarm while it’s in airplane mode.

And putting it at the farthest point in the room forces you to get up to turn it off. Might help fight that morning drag!

11. Increase Your Distance When It’s Downloading or Streaming Something

Downloading media or streaming videos on the internet requires constant connection and data usage, so the RF emissions will be sky high. 

Put it on your desk or nearby table – anywhere away from you – while it downloads. Just definitely don’t be holding it. 

I like to listen to music and podcasts as much as the next person. You can still do so without the EMF exposure by downloading it in its entirety, then switch to airplane mode while playing it. 

12. Switch to a Low SAR Cell Phone 

SAR refers to the specific absorption rate value of cell phones. It’s the measurement of the amount of RF energy that the phone gives off. 

While there is a legal limit, some phones teeter on the edge of that limit while others are far below it. 

When choosing a phone, the lower the SAR value of a phone, the better. In general, android phones are much lower than iPhones. 

Keep an eye out for the Mudita Pure phone that will debut in a few months. That’s what I’ll be getting as soon as it’s ready to launch.

How to Block Phone Radiation

It’s fortunate for cellphone users that there are several free and easy ways to reduce radiation exposure. 

But to take that level of protection a step further, you can utilize certain materials and products that reflect radiation away from your body. 

The best materials for this are silver, copper, stainless steel, and nickel. These materials have properties that effectively deflect radiation. 

Here are some of the best options currently out there:

EMF Shielded Phone Pouch: Phone pouches like this one from Shield Your Body reflect the phone’s EMF away from your body.

They’re shielded on one side only, which ensures your phone’s signal and battery life are intact.

I have a detailed review on this case you can read here – it covers both the pros and cons.

EMF Cover Shields: They also make flip cover cases for phones that are designed with additional protective layers to deflect EMFs from the user. DefenderShield has a few good options here.

Shielded Blankets: Use anti-radiation blankets to drape over your lap and abdomen while you text.

This one is marketed as a baby blanket, but it’s just stylish shielded fabric and plenty big enough for an adults abdomen, stomach, and upper legs.

RF Safe Headsets: These types of headsets make use of acoustic tube technology to prevent radiation from traveling through the wires and into your brain.

I also like the H.A.R.D. by Shield Your Body as a universal adapter that can be used with any headphones to decrease radiation by 95%.

A Brief Note About Cell Phone Radiation Scams

I can’t close out without mentioning that while there are certainly effective products out there (like those mentioned above), there are also a few scams. 

These mostly come in the form of so-called anti-radiation stickers, chips, or “diodes” that claim to protect you from the effects of radiation without actually blocking it. 

They’re popular because of their clever marketing and convenience (just put the sticker on – easy peasy!), but they do nothing but give the consumer a false sense of protection.