Is my mobile phone killing me?

The internet is full of horror stories supposedly linking mobiles and smartphones to health problems, but finding conclusive evidence can be difficult.

So if you’re concerned that your mobile phone might be affecting your or a loved-one’s health we’ll run you through everything you need to know about mobile phones and their possible health implications.

Mobile phone radiation

Mobile phones emit radiation, but it’s still unclear whether they emit enough to harm you.

Most discussion of mobile phone radiation - a possible cause of cancer - is related to telephone calls because it’s during these sessions that you hold your phone against your head - unless you’re wearing a Bluetooth headset.

The largest study so far into whether such activities expose your brain to dangerous levels of radiation concluded that mobile phones don’t put you at “an increased risk of brain cancer”.

Conversely, a separate study by a neuroscientist at the National Institute of Health in America later found that mobile phones increase “brain activity”. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is still unclear, however.

Mobile phone radiation has also been linked to:

• Weakened bones
• Childhood cancer.

If you’re concerned about the possible dangers of mobile phone radiation then the best advice is to check its “Specific Absorption Rate” (SAR) - a figure mobile phone manufacturers now routinely publish about each model.

Infections

Office workers who eat lunch at their desks are often told that their keyboards are dirtier than toilet seats, but it has recently become apparent that mobile phones are even filthier.

When Which? tested 30 mobiles for bacteria and other nasties it found that seven were infested with dangerous levels of “environmental bacteria”, which can act as a breeding ground for more harmful bugs.

You can keep your mobile phone clean by:

• Habitually cleaning it with alcohol wipes
• Washing your hands regularly
• Not using your phone in the toilet.

You can even buy “antimicrobial” phone cases and screen covers that retailer Proporta claims “help protect against any possible nasties”.

Read our guide to cleaning your mobile phone.

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

It’s long been claimed that repeatedly using a mobile phone for things like text messaging may cause RSI. And experts seem to agree.

If fact, Tim Hutchful of the British Chiropractic Association, told the BBC back in 2006 that texting for prolonged periods could cause RSI because “small, fine movements tend to aggravate more than larger movements”.

There isn’t much evidence to show which type of phone - one with a keypad or one without - is more likely to cause RSI. But by sending shorter messages and texting less often you may be able to limit the chances of suffering mobile phone related RSI.

Seek medical advice if you’re worried.

Depression

In recent years it has been claimed - by people from all walks of life - that those who constantly surf social networking websites from their smartphones could develop depression.

The condition, dubbed “Facebook Depression” by newspapers, supposedly occurs when people start to feel insignificant or unpopular after reading about and seeing photos of the wild nights and exciting things their friends get up to.

The condition is more common among children, according to the American Academy of Paediatrics, which says Facebook Depression occurs “when preteens and teens spend a great deal of time on social media sites, such as Facebook, and then begin to exhibit classic symptoms of depression”.

If you think you or a loved one could be at risk of depression then seek medical advice.

Hearing loss

Loud music can damage your hearing, everyone knows that. But now that more people rely on their mobile phones for music, greater numbers of people are concerned that frequent listening at excessive volumes may be causing irreparable damage.

For example, when medical research compared the hearing qualities of 100 mobile phone users aged between 18 and 25 against 50 non-users, the results suggested a link between long-term regular usage and hearing loss.

The best way of protecting your hearing is by switching on the “Automatic Volume Limit” or “Volume Limit” on your phone - usually activated within its “Settings” menu.

Switching this feature on means songs won’t be played above your predefined volume.

Galaxy S3(blue) £0.00	300 min Unlimited texts	£32.00
Galaxy S2(black) £0.00	100 min Unlimited texts	£18.50
iPhone 4S (16GB)(black) £0.00	Unlimited min Unlimited texts	£36.00

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