Firstly, please read this short article by Charlie Teo.
Then let me refer you back to this posting which was a response to ABC's Mark Colvin's question about where to go for from that point.
Lastly, I want to refer you to directly to just one part of Teo's article - the summary.
Dr Teo's tips to reduce brain tumour risks
- Get eight hours sleep a night and eat well to boost your immune system
- Keep electrical appliances like clock radios at the foot of the bed
- Turn electric blankets off before retiring
- Put mobile phones on hands-free
- Wait until the microwave finishes beeping before opening it
- Keep electrical appliances like clock radios at the foot of the bed
- Turn electric blankets off before retiring
- Put mobile phones on hands-free
- Wait until the microwave finishes beeping before opening it
You might be skeptical. That's your privilege. You're not going to get a brain tumour, are you?
Probably not - the odds are that you won't.
But I did. I don't know how much difference these might make, but it's foolish to ignore them. I was not aware that there could be the slightest possible risk with electric blankets being left on, electronic clocks and radios up close to your head, or waiting right till the end of the beep cycle when your microwave often stops. (I figured that microwaves travel at the speed of light - 192,000 miles per second - and when the stop button was pressed, it was not possible for there to be any residue of radiation unless the oven was faulty. Maybe there isn't, in most modern microwave ovens - but why risk it?)
Help protect your life!
Thanks, Charlie Teo. You're a good man. Some of the medical establishment turn their noses up at you, because you do unorthodox things along with the standard good medical practice you always use. But I respect you greatly. Without unorthodoxy, there can be no progress.
I love the frivolity of the comments on his article. (Interesting that it's nearly 2 yrs old though!) These guys are never going to die.... are they?
ReplyDeletepretty stupid comment about the microwave though... there's no residual 'radiation' from them.
bigjimmystyle
28-10-2009, 11:23 AM
Until someone proves this to be true I will continue to sleep with my head in a microwave next to an alarm clock whilst talking on a mobile phone.
No evidence means no one gives a shit.
Baz
28-10-2009, 11:52 AM
Everything gives you cancer.
Mullet87
28-10-2009, 11:55 AM
We better err on the side of caution then Baz. I'm not doing anything ever.
hellboy44
28-10-2009, 11:57 AM
Well actually I've been encouraging others (and doing it myself) to use speakerphone for quite some time.
You see, Dr. Teo was on Enough Rope a couple of years ago, and (I'll never forget this) commented casually that he uses his Mobile ONLY on speaker phone as he believed there was a risk - he also said this extended to CORDLESS Phones (the kind we all use at home for Landlines!) so this is not news to me.
He never mentioned the other risks at the time, (I don't know enough about microwaves to comment) but I have heeded (and will continue to) his advice re phones.
He's not an idiot, and we ALL use Mobile and/or cordless phones.
Honestly, why take the risk?
Baz
28-10-2009, 12:04 PM
We better err on the side of caution then Baz. I'm not doing anything ever.
Me either. I can't even buy a car with heated seats since they have the risk of giving cancer and frying my millions of mini me's.
DjVu
28-10-2009, 12:12 PM
Well since noone else wants those mini me's you might as well fry them for some easy weight loss.
Big Col
28-10-2009, 01:30 PM
This just in: Everything is bad for you and will kill you... unless you wait for the microwave to stop beeping :chortle:
Baz
28-10-2009, 01:36 PM
Well since noone else wants those mini me's you might as well fry them for some easy weight loss.
Your sister did.....
gta3freak_2001
28-10-2009, 01:44 PM
He did say you'd need a genetic disposition for these things to even have a chance at giving you cancer. So this is merely another few things to throw on the millions of things list of things that can give you cancer. Unless you worry about the unlimited possibilities of death or harm towards you from everyday life you've got nothing to worry about. Infact isn't worrying about stuff something that so called experts reckon can give you *insert medical condition* anyway?
Shane
28-10-2009, 01:46 PM
haha yeah, stress causes ulcers so worrying needlessly about the many ways that there is to die, will most likely cause stress... :p
Dick
28-10-2009, 05:29 PM
The only safe way for long distance communication is by fox.
Unless it has rabies, or you mistake a fox for a crocodile.
DjVu
28-10-2009, 05:57 PM
Your sister did.....
That was actually Skyline Pete at the drag queen contest show thingy.
Silver
28-10-2009, 05:58 PM
Everything gives you cancer.
^ This.
Hell I've even heard that too much sun increases risk of cancer as does too little.
I figure if I worry about all these environmental factors I'd be more likely to die from stress than cancer anyways.
Droll
28-10-2009, 07:01 PM
I just had some crunchy peanut butter and a few beers. I'm gonna be riddled with cancer.
Johnny Zappa
28-10-2009, 07:51 PM
With all of this goddamn cancer, I might as well just kill myself then. Just so I can beat cancer to the punch.
Droll
28-10-2009, 07:58 PM
With all of this goddamn cancer, I might as well just kill myself then. Just so I can beat cancer to the punch.
Suicide causes cancer.
Well, something causes cancer. It's not the causeless cause.
ReplyDeleteI recently read an article in the NewScientist (so it must be true :)) that artificial light disturbs the body clock, and this disturbance makes one more prone to diabetes, heart disease, and yes, cancer. So go to bed early, wake up with the birdies and enjoy the sunrise (before it gets too full of UV to enjoy). Get plenty of Vitamin D from the sun (the deficiency of which is also implicated in cancer and other diseases), but don't O.D. on UV.
Remember the middle path, moderation in all things, and get rid of those bloody microwave ovens. It's also strongly suspected that food, especially meat, microwaved in those specially designed microwave plastic dishes is highly carcinogenic.
Use a hot water bottle or a couple of cats instead of that cursed blanket.
I've tried 5 times to post this using my google account, and it won't work. So I'll try anonymous. Pity, as now I can't be notified when people respond to the blog.
Joan
Hi Denis,
ReplyDeleteAn interesting post. I agree about the comments too. I think people put there head in the sand too often. If it wasn't so serious, it would almost be laughable when people say things like "it must be safe or the Government wouldn't allow it". Strange that the Government" is so "trusted" and distrusted at the same time.
And to quickly add something to what ananymous said, there is a book title "Slow Death by Rubber Duck". It talks a lot about plastics and the potentially harmful effects.
I will be reviewing some of the older posts with interest, and look forward to new updates for quite some time toi come.
Hey, Denis! Hope you're feeling better by the time you read this. :D
ReplyDeleteI'm even more paranoid, I constantly wonder about ALL the wireless signals/cell phone transmissions/microwaves, etc. going around. They may be perfectly safe, but since we haven't had a wireless/bluetooth society for very long, how soon before we know for sure?
I always wonder about my cell phone because when I lay it on my desk next to the (turned off)speakers, it will periodically make the speakers buzz. Then, when there's an incoming call ABOUT to come through (before it vibrates or rings), it will make a weird "beep beep beep beep - beep" noise (through the turned off speakers) & then start buzzing. And I'm supposed to put that thing up against my head??? Please - I have enough brain problems as it is. :P
Sorry you're having 'puter problems. I got my 1st infection in 14 years 2 weeks ago. Annoyed me no end. Luckily it wasn't anything MAJOR major, just sort of (lol). Took a week to get the last vestige gone, but now my beast is once again clean. :)
I bet Teo's right. And as for artificial light, the slightest bit -even from a power plug (why do they DO that now!!) -keeps me awake. As a 'bad sleeper', I fully believe that the 8 hours advice is excellent. I feel unhealthy without it, strung out,rattled -can't be good. 10pm to 6.30am would be my wish!
ReplyDeleteI've just heard bad news about mobile phones on the ABC this morning. Deciding they're implicated in brain cancer is the easy part. Taking them away from kids is the difficult part.
ReplyDeleteWhy am I the only one who can't post using google?
Joan
Apparently it's OK to text, or to use phones on loudspeaker ie not against your head. But yes, what a problem! M has to use one for work as he's not in one particular place, therefore no landline. There are ways to minimise use of course.
ReplyDeleteI often have trouble posting on Google too.
I am just as concerned with the use of cordless remote landline phones which most of us use. I keep remembering that with better hearing with the left ear, I always used it there. That's the tumour side. By itself, it proves nothing of course.
ReplyDeleteHow desperately we need good data on people with brain tumours - data of all types - and how little of it's being collected.
Do you actually USE a gmail account?
That was in reply to Julie - I have several more up there I want to respond to... Hang on. It's not been a great day here....
ReplyDeleteJoan
ReplyDeleteMay 31, 2011 11:39 AM
Yes. Everything has a cause – or causes, to be more precise.
I have a Vit D supplement each night as I don’t get out in the sun much (and Armidale weather lately certainly hasn’t been encouraging! )
Middle path, yes. And for me that includes mw ovens. I am as sensible as possible in using them, but we do. Problem is, what people will die from in 50 yrs may be caused by what we’re doing now, even if it’s sitting in cars where the air’s been tainted overnight by carcinogenic materials.
Cats I’m often allergic to! :) I know you love them (so does Peggy!) but I’m afraid I wouldn’t ever sleep with them on the bed.... No problem if others want to. The warmth factor (and others) would certainly be there. But I don’t want to turn this into a cat debate....
Do you have an *active* gmail account, Joan?
The Ethical Adviser
“The Government wouldn’t allow it” is painfully laughable! Good point. Take fracking, e.g.
I sometimes wonder if I shouldn’t be posting more about brain tumour experience. It’s staggering how varied they are and therefore how only partially relevant mine is. Your comment about plastics relates also to what I was saying about cars above. Like using DDT in the 50s as if it were talcum powder, there are going to be some frightening findings on things we use today that are ‘harmless’ and laughed off as fear-mongering.
Tracey says I used to scoff at some of the things she feared as carcinogens. She’s right – something there’s not much pleasure in being in this instance. I would much rather feel in a position to still scoff.
pegsiskatzencats
Ah, great Twitter companion and computer guru! :) Thanks for the good wishes. Your point on Bluetooth is well noted. We are surrounded, bombarded by radio waves of various signals, ultra-low to ultra-high. Remember when the Curies carried Radium around in their pockets and people did x-raying for fun? They came to a sad end.
Cell phones send out strong signals. Very strong. I use them very little but no-one avoids them. By the time the jury comes back with a verdict most of the plaintiffs will be dead, I fear. But we’re locked in to them, aren’t we? I do have concern for those kids who won’t give them up anyway, because as we all know, we were going to live forever when we were kids. (or in some cases, to think suicide at 25 would be a good idea because anyone older than that had one foot in the grave anyway.)
I won’t respond further. I’m preaching to the converted anyway!
There’s further discussion of this on an Oct 2010 blog entry. It was mainly about outside agencies and cancer, but there’s far more to be said. http://deniswright.blogspot.com/2010/10/how-come-i-got-brain-tumour.html It’s also followed by an interesting discussion.
Thanks for the shoutout & reply. :D
ReplyDeleteFunny about "over 25" - when WE were that age, the mantra was "Don't Trust Anyone Over 30". Now that I'm over 50, it's "Don't Trust Anyone UNDER 40" (& even the 40somethings are suspect). Since I'm still learning & discovering at this advanced age (lol), I'm actually leaning towards "Don't Trust Anyone Under 70). :)
Hi Denis,
ReplyDeleteI don't think 'enjoy' is the right word for how i feel about your blog, but I find it genuinely interesting and insightful.
I agree wholeheartedly about the fracking issues, and feel people don't question enough. I recently wrote my own blog post (isn't everyone a blogger these days) about V.O.C's and concerns we had with them with regard to paint. This isn't meant to be a plug for it, so i won't add a link, but it is not hard to find if you are interested. All the 'big chains' of hardware stores laughed at my concerns, and it took a few weeks to find some products that I felt I could really trust. None available at the big players.
Anyway, all the best, and I will keep reading.