Q. I've been trying to figure out just what microwave radiation does. Some people say it affects melatonin and is not safe, others say it doesn't affect melatonin and we shouldn't worry about it. Which is it?

It looks like you've been told two half truths. Microwaves are not safe and they don't affect Melatonin. These radiofrequency EMFs do three things, they:

• Decrease norepinephrine levels  - a neurotransmitter involved in memory,
  behaviour and temperature regulation.
• Decrease the permeability of cell walls disrupting normal cell function
  and the ability of cells to communicate with each other.
• Increase the permeability of the blood brain barrier allowing the passage of larger molecules in the bloodstream to pass into the brain and spinal cord. 

Q. Can you give me a simple explanation of the difference between Wi-Fi and Wi-Max? 

The main difference beteen the radio frequency EMFs is in the distance that they cover and the power they require to cover those distances.

• Wi-Fi has a range of 33 feet and is usually used for short range internet access within homes and businesses. It uses a lot of power and tends not to be great for cell phones.
• Bluetooth has a range of 30 ft. and lends itself to short range, low power, communication between two devices like cellphones and wireless headsets. 
• WiMax has a range of almost 2 miles. It provides long-range Internet access for laptops and cellphones and lends itself to the subscription services of cellphone carriers who simply add a WiMax transmitter to their cellular towers.
• Cellular Wireless has a range of almost 2 miles and is most suited to laptop and cellphone use. It includes a range of wireless Internet options like Evolution-Data Optimized (EVDO) and Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA). 

Q. I don't have wireless internet and yet I'm able to access it on my laptop in several places in my house. Where's it coming from and is it going to be a health problem. 

The hotspots in your house are probably being created by a neighbour. It shouldn't be a health problem as long as the areas where your head is during sleep at night aren't 'hot spots'. To make sure that you're in a safe zone Set your computer on your pillow and check to see if you can access a hotspot just before you go to bed. If you can then you should change the location of the head of your bed. Use your laptop, at pillow height, to locate an area without a hotspot.  

Q. Since my workspace was moved last month I feel terrible at work. As soon as I walk into the room I start feeling overwhelmed and foggy. My efficiency has dropped significantly.

You don't say much about the new location of your workspace. You should probably find out what's on the other side of the closest wall or in the room below and above you. I suspect that you've been relocated to a space closer to a 'server room', or the power source for the building. Some telltale signs include boxing on the walls that run floor to ceiling, or an abundance of electrical equipment.

Q. I'm considering moving into a house that overlooks an airport. There are no visible cell phone transmitters but there is a radar that I can see very clearly from my living room window. Should I be concerned? (T.R. Seattle, Washington)

I would be concerned, particularly if the house is uphill from the radar at all. Radar are designed to bounce signals off airplanes and the signals they bounce are far greater than those transmitted by cell phone transmitters.

Q.  I get chronic indigestion  during my drive to work and coming home but I'm fine the rest of the time?

You're route may include a stretch of road that's under heavy load powerlines. You may find that using a different route that doesn't go under powerlines helps. If that's impossible then reducing the time you spend on this section of road - maybe leaving at a time that doesn't put you in slower rush hour traffic, or turning off earlier may help. 

Q. Since I installed my wireless internet 4 months ago my son has been sick with headaches and aching legs. His grades have dropped significantly and he's miserable. 

Many wireless devices, from baby monitors to doorbells, use microwave frequencies to transmit their signals. These frequencies interfere with the blood brain barrier, hormones and neurotransmitters leaving susceptible people with a range of symptoms. If he's sensitive to the wifi his symptoms may also be provoked by other wireless devices in your house, including cordless phones and motion detectors. I'd suggest you replace your wireless devices with 'old fashioned' wired versions.

Q. Is a cordless phone safer than a cell phone?

A cell phone may be marginally safer than a cordless phone but both rely on microwaves to receive their signals. Keep both types unplugged at night or during sleep. 

Q. My doctor and family are urging me to see a psychiatrist. They don't understand that I'm not sick when I leave the house, or when I sleep in the living room. Am I going crazy?

A psychiatrist may be able to help you with the anxiety caused by persistent symptoms. Your living room sleeping position is clearly better than that offered in your bedroom. Could you try switching beds with your huband or moving the bed out from the wall? Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs) affect the hormone that regulates sleep and it may simply be that your current sleeping position puts your head in a hot spot.

Q. Why do I sleep well when I'm away from my house but have trouble staying asleep when I'm home? (J.B. Newmarket, Ontario)

The EMF activity around your head can vary considerably, even between beds in your house. This activity reduces the hormone, melatonin, that controls the sleep cycle and that makes you wake up. Some things to try include moving your head to the other end of the bed, moving your bed a few inches and unplugging any appliances or gadgets in your bedroom or close to shared walls. (EMFs move through walls, floors and ceilings with ghostly ease.

Q. My wife suffers from Migraines when we're home but she's fine when we're away. Am I right in thinking this could be related to our house. (W.T. Windsor, Ontario)

I'd certainly agree that you should be suspicious of your house. Fortunately it may not be the whole house that is the problem. Typically migraine sufferers crawl right back up into the corners where their migraine developed. So I'd start by checking that 'corner' for electrical interference. Call a friend on a cordless phone and then move into your wife's chosen 'corner', particularly the place where her head would normally be. You'll notice a buzzing on the phone if there's electrical interference. Use the same procedure to locate an area without interference and then move your wife's 'corner' into that location.

Q. Since starting my new job I've been getting migraines. I never had them before and they knock me out for days.  Can you help (J.P. Boston, Maine)

I would suspect a combination of stress, residual cleaning products, chemicals from the office equipment and energy fields from the equipment or possibly an external source (cell phone transmitter, substation etc.). Since your migraine seems to be continuing at home you may need to do a quick scan of the location you retreat to at home. Is it away from power and chemicals and is it well ventilated with adequate humidity?

You Tube videos worth watching

Invisible cell phone dangers Part 1

Cell Phone War

The Tower of Babble

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Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to replace the advice of a well chosen medical doctor.