ORIGINAL COMMENT · UNEDITED TEXT
I am submitting this comment to share my personal experience with symptoms that appeared to be strongly associated with electromagnetic-field and wireless exposure.
A couple of years ago, I developed severe brain fog. It became so bad that I genuinely worried I was developing dementia. I occasionally teach classes and webinars, and I had to write out exactly what I planned to say because I could suddenly lose my train of thought, forget what I was discussing, and not know how to continue.
Around the same time, my hair began falling out in clumps in the shower, with noticeable thinning around my hairline. I also developed severe low-back pain. It became so debilitating that I often needed help getting out of bed and getting dressed. I could walk after moving around for a while, but working became very difficult. I am self-employed and had to significantly reduce my schedule. I could no longer even walk my dogs normally.
I tried many approaches and doctors to determine what was wrong. I used over-the-counter and prescription medications, physical therapy, bodywork, had an MRI, and underwent PRP treatment. My MRI did not show findings that seemed consistent with the severity of my pain, and nothing gave me any relief.
Eventually, I came across information discussing EMF exposure and symptoms such as neurological problems, fatigue, and pain. I did not immediately assume EMFs were causing my symptoms, but I decided to investigate my environment.
I hired a building biologist to measure my home and help reduce stronger exposures. One finding involved electrical interference in the wall directly behind the head of our bed. We turned off the breaker to that wall as we did not need electricity there while sleeping.
I also turned off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on my phone and in my car.
This was particularly important because I drive extensively for work. Before making these changes, I would often arrive at appointments with severe brain fog and fatigue and need approximately 30 minutes before I felt normal again.
I also began turning off WiFi in our home at night before bed. This change was the most remarkable. Literally the next morning after the first night of turning off Wifi, the severe low-back pain I had experienced for approximately one year completely disappeared. I got out of bed normally and experienced zero pain. I could not believe it. This was even tested as about 3 weeks after we began turning off WiFi, one night my husband forgot to turn it off unbeknownst to me. That night I didn't sleep well and the next morning I could barely get out of bed again. Once he saw this, he became a believer and never forgot again. At the same time, my brain fog lifted dramatically. I could again have normal conversations without long pauses, losing my train of thought, or forgetting what I was saying.
Looking back, I realized that my health deterioration began approximately one week after our home WiFi was changed from cable service to fiber-optic internet with a new wireless setup. I cannot prove which aspect of that change was responsible, but the timing and subsequent improvement after reducing electrical and wireless exposure were significant to me.
I am substantially better today, but I still notice symptoms with certain exposures. I avoid using my laptop while it is plugged in. If I use it for too long, especially later in the day, my fingers can develop an intense burning sensation while touching the keyboard or trackpad.
I have also noticed that my former back pain can begin returning after spending extended periods in environments with a great deal of wireless or electrical equipment. Several months ago, I spent most of a day in a hospital while my husband underwent surgery. By the end of the day, the familiar back pain was beginning to return. After leaving that environment, it subsided.
I had also received a COVID-19 vaccination before these problems developed. I cannot say whether vaccination had any relationship to my later sensitivity, and I am not claiming that it did. I do believe the timing is worth documenting and studying.
Before these symptoms, I also routinely worked with my laptop directly on my lap and gave little thought to cumulative technology exposure. I have since changed the way I use technology considerably.
I am sharing my experience because the relationship I observed between reducing exposure and the improvement in my symptoms was profound. I encourage HHS to investigate EMFs, radiofrequency radiation, cumulative wireless exposure, and whether there may be susceptible individuals who experience neurological, musculoskeletal, or other symptoms at exposure levels considered acceptable for the general population.
For people who experience symptoms like mine, this can significantly affect their ability to think clearly, work, drive, exercise, and function normally. I hope personal experiences like mine will be considered alongside laboratory and epidemiological research.