Reports arrhythmia and insomnia after a meter installation, a normal clinic EKG and perceived improvement…
ORIGINAL COMMENT · UNEDITED TEXT
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 an individual who has been negatively effected by EMFs and RF radiation.
In 2011 my home town became a pilot for the installation of Smart Meters by our electricity provider. I was not asked for permission to have this RF radiating device installed on my home. Within a day or so after the Smart Meter was installed, I was startled awake at night by a severe heart arrhythmia. It felt like my heart was going to leap out of my chest. The arrhythmia continued every night from then on. I developed insomnia as well, and both conditions continued whenever I was in my home. Interestingly, when I was away on a vacation (especially camping), I was fine. I sought help from my doctor and a cardiologist, but in their offices my EKG was text-book perfect. (WiFi was not widely used at medical offices at that time.) After a couple of years, I learned that my health problems were caused by the smart meter, especially when its data was downloaded during the night. Because I lived in a neighborhood close to other houses, I was also affected by my neighbors’ meters. In order to regain my health, I had to move to a different home with no close neighbors, and payed substantial fees for a non-transmitting electric meter. Even non-transmitting smart meters produce electrical harmonic frequencies throughout a home’s wiring. People who are electro-sensitive, like me, are negatively affected by these, too. So, I spent additional money to have my home evaluated by a building biologist, who installed electrical filters. I also became sensitized to WiFi and cell phone towers. I still get headaches from prolonged exposure to them. Therefore, I do not use WiFi in my home and keep my distance from cell phones and towers. Having a home that is free from RF radiation has helped me to cope with the omnipresence of these technologies.
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, and the experiences of individuals and families who report being affected should be considered alongside the scientific evidence.
I urge HHS to carefully evaluate these experiences and the scientific evidence, identify gaps in current research, give particular attention to children and other potentially vulnerable populations, and establish appropriate federal research priorities regarding wireless radiation and public health.
Thank you for providing individuals and families with an opportunity to be heard.