A healthcare professional describes patients reporting headaches, sleep problems, palpitations and functi…

I am submitting this comment in response to HHS’s Request for Information on Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs), Radiofrequency (RF) Radiation, and Wireless Radiation Exposure. I am responding from the perspective of a healthcare professional who has cared for a subset of patients who report significant symptoms that they associate with exposure to wireless technologies and electromagnetic fields. In my clinical practice, I have encountered patients who describe symptoms occurring or worsening in environments with higher levels of wireless or electromagnetic exposure. Reported symptoms have included headaches, sleep disturbance, fatigue, difficulty concentrating or “brain fog,” dizziness, palpitations, anxiety, heightened nervous system symptoms, and a general sense of feeling unwell. Some patients report that these symptoms improve when they reduce their exposure or spend time in environments with fewer wireless devices. These experiences can have a meaningful impact on patients’ daily lives. For some, concerns about exposure affect where they can comfortably work, sleep, travel, or spend extended periods of time. Regardless of the ultimate mechanisms involved, patients experiencing these symptoms deserve to have their concerns heard, studied carefully, and addressed with scientific rigor rather than dismissed. As a healthcare professional, I believe there is a need for continued high-quality, independent research examining the potential biological and health effects of chronic and cumulative exposure to RF and other electromagnetic fields, particularly as wireless technologies have become increasingly prevalent in homes, workplaces, schools, healthcare settings, and public spaces. I support HHS taking an active role in examining the potential health and environmental effects of wireless radiation. Questions about human health should be addressed by federal agencies with appropriate expertise in medicine, biology, epidemiology, and public health. Patient experiences and clinical observations should be considered alongside epidemiologic, laboratory, and mechanistic evidence when identifying areas requiring further investigation. I urge HHS to carefully evaluate the existing scientific evidence, identify important gaps in current research, support well-designed independent studies, and give particular attention to children and other potentially vulnerable or susceptible populations. I also encourage HHS to investigate whether certain individuals may experience biological or clinical effects at exposure levels that do not produce obvious effects in the general population. Finally, healthcare professionals need evidence-based guidance for evaluating and counseling patients who report symptoms associated with wireless or electromagnetic exposure. Additional research could help clinicians distinguish potential exposure-related effects from other medical conditions, better understand possible mechanisms, and provide patients with appropriate recommendations based on reliable evidence. Thank you for providing patients, families, healthcare professionals, researchers, and scientists with an opportunity to contribute their experiences and perspectives to this important public health discussion.