In our EMFSA March 2025 Newsletter we look at what effect long term antibiotic treatments can have.

• Long term antibiotic use for chronic Lyme treatments
• Did individuals receive sufficiently transparent informed consent?
• Can misdiagnosis occur?
• What additional testing methods are available to assist patients and medical practitioners?
• The risk of missing a serious illness.
• Long term financial output and personal cost.

RF-EMFs can interfere with active implants.

The International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) acknowledges that RF-EMFs can interfere with active implants. ICNIRP considers such exposures outside the scope of its guidelines. This means that the responsibility falls on pacemaker manufacturers and patients’ medical providers.

Pacemakers

Individuals with active pacemakers should keep their distance from an active microwave. Patients and doctors should take note of this advice.

The Frontiers Research Topic on Individual Sensitivity to Wireless Radiation

The Research Topic now contains 5 articles, with the first article published in 2024. Since 2024 these articles have been open access and freely available to everyone. Read more about the latest opinion article and the conclusions of the author, who himself is Electrohypersensitive (EHS).

“All in your head“

The “All in your head” mantra—what are the consequences of such hurtful and dismissive statements?

Why is the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) concerned about food supplements containing Garcinia cambogia? Noteworthy is that ANSES commissioned an expert assessment to take stock of the adverse effects caused by the consumption of Garcinia cambogia Desr-based food supplements.

Read about the advice Linda S. Birnbaum, Scientist Emeritus and Former Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences has for the essential oil industry.

Nestled in the Blaeberry Valley of Golden, BC, this unique, spiritual, and peaceful riverside retreat offers a chance to reconnect with nature. As you immerse yourself in the surroundings, you’ll nourish your being and feel empowered by the mountains.

Link to our March 2025 Newsletter https://mailchi.mp/emfsa/emfsa-march-2025-newsletter-chronic-lyme

We send our newsletter only once a month. Want to stay updated? Subscribe today! Newsletter – EMFSA

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Link to our free August 2024 newsletter https://mailchi.mp/emfsa/august2024news

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29th of January 2024

Tinnitus is a common symptom among individuals with environmental sensitivities, such as electrohypersensitivity and multiple chemical sensitivity.

Could tinnitus be caused by something you are taking or an indication of an undiagnosed medical condition?

Prescribed medications, supplements, or herbs, invariably influence our bodies in some way. Therefore, it’s important to ascertain whether any of these products might inadvertently contribute to the issue at hand. It is thus worthwhile to check whether anything we take could unintentionally be part of the problem. Additionally one must be mindful of medical conditions that could cause tinnitus symptoms and ensure that these are excluded as part of a thorough investigation into chronic tinnitus.

Ototoxicity

Ototoxicity is inner ear damage that develops as a side effect of taking certain medications. It can cause problems related to hearing and balance, functions your inner ear controls. It may be helpful to think of ototoxicity’s effects in terms of the word’s origins: “Oto” means ear. “Toxicity” means poisoning. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24769-ototoxicity

List of Ototoxic Medications That May Cause Tinnitus or Hearing Loss

There are more than 600 prescription and over-the-counter drugs that can trigger tinnitus, make existing tinnitus worse, or cause a new tinnitus sound to appear.

Knowledge is power when it comes to protecting your hearing health from ototoxicity. Before beginning prescription medication, ask your doctor about any potential ototoxic effects. While taking medication with potential ototoxic effects may be inevitable for certain health conditions, your doctor may be able to prescribe an alternative that does not affect your hearing health. https://www.soundrelief.com/list-of-ototoxic-medications/

Hidden ototoxins?

“Natural Compounds as Occult Ototoxins? Ginkgo biloba Flavonoids Moderately Damage Lateral Line Hair Cells”

This research demonstrates the potential for ototoxic damage caused by unregulated herbal supplements and suggests that further supplement characterization is warranted.

FDA-approved drugs are not routinely tested for ototoxicity, so their potential to affect hearing often goes unrecognized. This issue is further compounded for natural products, where there is a lack of FDA oversight and the manufacturer is solely responsible for ensuring the safety of their products. Ref. Neveux S, Smith NK, Roche A, Blough BE, Pathmasiri W, Coffin AB. Natural Compounds as Occult Ototoxins? Ginkgo biloba Flavonoids Moderately Damage Lateral Line Hair Cells. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol. 2017 Apr;18(2):275-289. doi: 10.1007/s10162-016-0604-6. Epub 2016 Nov 28. PMID: 27896487; PMCID: PMC5352612. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5352612/

While not very common, acoustic neuromas and other head, neck, and brain tumors can cause tinnitus

Acoustic neuromas

Acoustic neuromas are also known as vestibular schwannomas, and are noncancerous tumors that grow in the ear, and can affect hearing and balance.

Tinnitus is a very common symptom of acoustic neuromas and many other inner ear conditions. Symptoms include balance problems and vertigo, headache and pressure, numbness in the face, facial twitching or weakness, swallowing problems, change in taste and tear production. These symptoms can be caused by many other, more common health issues. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/brain-tumor/vestibular-schwannoma

In children tinnitus often goes unnoticed. In some cases, the child is too young to describe what they are hearing, has come to think of it as normal, or is not troubled by the experience enough to mention it.

Although it is rare, more severe cases of tinnitus can cause enough distress that it interferes with sleep and concentration in school. https://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/tinnitus-in-children

Acoustic Neuromas in Children

Although they are more common in adults, acoustic neuromas can occur in children and teens, and may grow large before they are diagnosed. Children with acoustic neuromas most often have the genetic disorder neurofibromatosis type 2. In children with this disorder, acoustic neuromas may arise on both sides. Symptoms of acoustic neuroma in children are usually hearing loss, headache and unsteady gait (ataxia), elevated pressure inside the skull, tinnitus and dizziness. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/brain-tumor/vestibular-schwannoma

Noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)

Loud noise exposure can also cause tinnitus.

•Can be prevented

•Most NIHL is caused by the damage and eventual death of hair cells inside the cochlea of the ear. Unlike bird and amphibian hair cells, human hair cells don’t grow back. They are gone for good. Ref. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/noise-induced-hearing-loss

Video gaming and esports

Risk of sound-induced hearing loss from exposure to video gaming or esports: a systematic scoping review

This article was recently published in the BMJ Public Health (open access)

• The limited available evidence suggests that gaming may be a common source of unsafe listening, which could place many individuals worldwide at risk of hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

•Additional research on these relationships is needed along with steps to promote safe listening among gamers.

Ref: Dillard LK, Mulas P, Der C, et al Risk of sound-induced hearing loss from exposure to video gaming or esports: a systematic scoping review BMJ Public Health 2024;2:e000253. doi: 10.1136/bmjph-2023-000253 https://bmjpublichealth.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000253

Tinnitus can be a debilitating disease for some, leading to severe depression and loss of quality of life. It is concerning to note that adolescents and adult gamers might be at special risk that could have life-long consequences. Most of these individuals are not only exposed to loud noise from gaming but also to RF-EMF, ELF-EMF and blue light exposure from screens. Sometimes for extended periods of time. 

A 2018 study noted that the tinnitus prevalence in Korean adolescents is relatively high, and thus, intervention may be necessary to prevent or reduce depression and suicidal ideation to ensure that other areas of life are not negatively affected. Ref. Kim JS. Association between tinnitus and mental health among Korean adolescents: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Cent Eur J Public Health. 2018 Mar;26(1):65-70. doi: 10.21101/cejph.a4514. PMID: 29684301. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29684301/

Less common tinnitus risk factors include

• Chronic conditions: diabetes, migraines, thyroid disorders, anemia, and certain autoimmune disorders such as lupus and multiple sclerosis are among the chronic conditions that have been linked to tinnitus.
• Ménière’s disease: tinnitus can be a symptom of Ménière’s disease, an inner ear disorder that can also cause balance problems and hearing loss.
• Jaw joint problems: the joint that connects the lower jaw to the skull is close to the ear. Jaw clenching or tooth grinding can damage surrounding tissue, causing or worsening tinnitus.
• Blood vessel problems: high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, or malformations in blood vessels, especially if they are in or close to the ear, can alter blood flow and cause tinnitus https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/tinnitus

Tinnitus research and challenges

•Although it is a common condition, there is still no standardized classification of tinnitus: Hackenberg B, O’Brien K, Döge J, Lackner KJ, Beutel ME, Münzel T, Pfeiffer N, Schulz A, Schmidtmann I, Wild PS, et al. Tinnitus Prevalence in the Adult Population—Results from the Gutenberg Health Study. Medicina. 2023; 59(3):620. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina59030620

•There is no consensus or standardization for a specific questionnaire in either research or clinical use. There have also been recent efforts to distinguish tinnitus as a symptom and tinnitus as a disorder. Tinnitus disorder specifically reflects the associated psychological and physical impacts of the disease. Standardization of these processes will prove paramount for creating a lasting impact on future tinnitus research. Ref. Park, K.W.; Kullar, P.; Malhotra, C.; Stankovic, K.M. Current and Emerging Therapies for Chronic Subjective Tinnitus. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 6555. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12206555

•A new study from Mass Eye and Ear investigators shows that individuals who report tinnitus, which present as a ringing in the ears in more than one out of ten adults worldwide, are experiencing auditory nerve loss that is not picked up by conventional hearing tests.

By measuring the response of their auditory nerve and brainstem, the researchers found that chronic tinnitus was not only associated with a loss of auditory nerve but that participants showed hyperactivity in the brainstem. https://www.masseyeandear.org/news/press-releases/2023/11/loss-of-auditory-nerve-fibers-uncovered-in-individuals-with-tinnitus

Ref. Vasilkov, V et al. “Evidence of cochlear neural degeneration in normal-hearing subjects with tinnitus” Scientific Reports DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46741-5 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-46741-5

•Otorhinolaryngologic complications after COVID-19 vaccination, vaccine adverse event reporting system (VAERS)

A potential correlation between COVID-19 vaccines and the onset of tinnitus

Adverse events following immunisation (AEFIs)

A significant finding of the study was the identification of tinnitus as a notable AEFIs following COVID-19 vaccination. While the precise mechanisms underpinning the development of tinnitus post-vaccination remain elusive, the accumulating evidence denotes a potential correlation between COVID-19 vaccines and the onset of tinnitus, necessitating more comprehensive clinical and mechanistic investigations. Ref. Shin, Shim, Lee, Ryu and Kim. Ref. (VAERS) Shin J, Shim SR, Lee J, Ryu HS and Kim J-Y (2024) Otorhinolaryngologic complications after COVID-19 vaccination, vaccine adverse event reporting system (VAERS). Front. Public Health. 11:1338862. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1338862 Copyright © 2024 Shin, Shim, Lee, Ryu and Kim. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1338862/full

•Personalized treatment: tinnitus symptoms are diverse, with different people hearing different sounds in different patterns. The results of brain imaging studies in people with tinnitus also vary considerably from person to person. Using data gathered from study participants who are tracking their tinnitus using a smartphone app, along with brain imaging data, scientists are working to characterize the many forms that the condition can take. They aim to describe distinct tinnitus profiles and to identify the most effective treatment approaches for each one. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/tinnitus#5

•The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus, migraine and non-specific symptoms in the general and working population: A systematic review and meta-analysis on human observational studies

Interpretation (according to the authors) – This is currently the best available evidence to underpin safety of RF-EMF. There is no indication that RF-EMF below guideline values causes symptoms. However, inherent limitations of the research results in substantial uncertainty.

Ref. Martin Röösli, Stefan Dongus, Hamed Jalilian, John Eyers, Ekpereonne Esu, Chioma Moses Oringanje, Martin Meremikwu, Xavier Bosch-Capblanch, The effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic fields exposure on tinnitus, migraine and non-specific symptoms in the general and working population: A systematic review and meta-analysis on human observational studies, Environment International, Volume 183, 2024, 108338, ISSN 0160-4120 ,https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.108338. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412023006116)

Current Options for Tinnitus

Management strategies include hearing aids, sound masking, tinnitus retraining therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and emerging therapies including transcranial magnetic stimulation and electrical stimulation. Although current treatments are limited, emerging diagnostics and treatments provide promising avenues for the management of tinnitus symptoms. As of November 2022, 50 clinical trials of treatments for tinnitus are registered at ClinicalTrials.gov as currently recruiting or preparing to recruit. Ref. Park, K.W.; Kullar, P.; Malhotra, C.; Stankovic, K.M. Current and Emerging Therapies for Chronic Subjective Tinnitus. J. Clin. Med. 2023, 12, 6555. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm12206555

•EMFSA: cost effective solutions for EHS and MCS individuals that experience tinnitus (quick tips, not comprehensive).

Medical disclaimer: the information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical diagnosis or treatment.

Aim to maintain optimal circadian and mitochondrial well-being. Note the impact of light, whether natural/artificial/beneficial/detrimental and use it to your advantage. It is free!

Disconnect the electricity (including the lighting circuits) from the distribution board to the bedroom when you sleep. Demand switches are available but are expensive and need to be installed by an electrician.

If possible have electrical “smart meters” replaced or moved.

Practice EMF Hygiene, starting with your cell phone use. Avoid using a phone in close proximity to your head or body.

Photobiomodulation can be helpful as part of a treatment protocol for tinnitus.

It is evident that we must be vigilant in our choices, whether opting for alternative medicine or conventional/mainstream medicine, and simultaneously, where applicable, exclude other medical conditions.

Teaching our children about the permanence and irreversibility of hearing loss is crucial, given that human hair cells in the ear do not regenerate.

While there are many clinical trials on the horizon, interdisciplinary research in the fields of environmental sensitivities should be encouraged.

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Link to the May 2023 newsletter https://mailchi.mp/emfsa/ergonomics-children-adolescents-mental-health-ehs-mcs

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https://mailchi.mp/b00984f500d1/emfsa-october-2020-newsletter

The post EMFSA October 2020 Newsletter appeared first on EMFSA.

•What is the context of these MRI biomarkers and the relationship with other biomarkers?

•Could these biomarkers be helpful for those with EHS/MCS?

The studies below will be discussed in our webinar:

•Yang, L., Zhang, C., Chen, Z. et al. Functional and network analyses of human exposure to long-term evolution signal. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-020-10728-w
Abstract: Human exposure to the electromagnetic field emitted by wireless communication systems has raised public concerns. There were claims of the potential association of some neurophysiological disorders with the exposure, but the mechanism is yet to be established. The wireless networks, recently, experience a transition from the 4th generation (4G) to 5th generation (5G), while 4G long-term evolution (LTE) is still the frequently used signal in wireless communication. In the study, exposure experiments were conducted using the LTE signal. The subjects were divided into sham and real exposure groups. Before and after the exposure experiments, they underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging. Within-session and between-session comparisons have been executed for functional connectivity and network properties. Individual specific absorption rate (SAR) was also calculated. The results indicated that acute LTE exposure beneath the safety limits modulated both the functional connection and graph-based properties. To characterize the effect of functional activity, SAR averaged over a certain tissue mass was not an appropriate metric. The potential neurophysiological effect of 5G exposure has also been discussed in the study. 

• Chutinet A, Rost NS. White matter disease as a biomarker for long-term cerebrovascular disease and dementia. Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med. 2014 Mar;16(3):292. doi: 10.1007/s11936-013-0292-z. PMID: 24496967; PMCID: PMC3964019.  

We have also decided to add the following study and reflect upon the data presented in the paper:

•No Increased DNA Damage Observed in the Brain, Liver, and Lung of Fetal Mice Treated With Ethylnitrosourea and Exposed to UMTS Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/bem.22301

To atttend the free webinar, kindly contact us at: https://www.emfsa.co.za/contact/

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Dear everyone, if you are Canadian, please sign this petition, and no matter where you are, please share this with all the Canadians you know!

e-2729  Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:

We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:

1. Create an international classification of disease designation code in Canada for environmental sensitivities so that those affected may have access to medical care;

2. Include environmental sensitivities as a disability that must be accommodated on all relevant documents and forms in governmental departments and organizations that minister social assistance, housing, medical, and other public services; and

3. Ensure all indoor public spaces are declared scent and fragrance-free.

https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-2729

For more see: https://seriouslysensitivetopollution.org/2020/08/18/canadian-petition-for-people-with-chemical-and-environmental-sensitivities/

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What if you were only able to leave a room once a year?

People with environmental illnesses suffer from extreme sensitivities to chemicals. And the medical community has been slow to recognize something from which millions of Americans suffer.

What is known about these mysterious illnesses? And what support is available for people who experience them?

GUESTS

Oliver Broudy: journalist; author, “THE SENSITIVES: The Rise of Environmental Illness and the Search for America’s Last Pure Place”

Dr. Ann McCampbell: environmental health consultant and chemical sensitivity advocate.

Listen to the discussion: https://the1a.org/segments/the-invisibility-of-environmental-illness/?fbclid=IwAR0_-qnsyI7481SDoMbPp4epZ7KJ0rL0YryM4gvDUbQnLL7_6JJNjluatXQ

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https://governor.alabama.gov/assets/2020/07/Multiple-Chemical-Sensitivity-Month.pdf

https://governor.alabama.gov/assets/2020/07/Electromagnetic-Sensitivity-Month.pdf

The post Acknowledgement of MCS and EHS by Governor of Alabama appeared first on EMFSA.

Ultrasonic cerebral tomosphygmography (UCTS), also known as “encephaloscan”, is an ultrasound-based pulsatile echoencephalography for both functional and anatomical brain imaging investigations. Compared to classical imaging, UCTS makes it possible to locate precisely the spontaneous brain tissue pulsations that occur naturally in temporal lobes. Scientific publications have recently validated the scientific interest of UCTS technique but clinical use and industrial development of this ancient brain imaging technique has been stopped notably in France, not for scientific or technical reasons but due to a lack of financing support. UCTS should be fundamentally distinguished from transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TDU), which, although it also uses pulsed ultrasounds, aims at studying the velocity of blood flow (hemodynamics) in the cerebral arteries by using Doppler effect, especially in the middle cerebral artery of both hemispheres. Instead, UCTS has the technical advantage of measuring and locating spontaneous brain tissue pulsations in temporal lobes. Recent scientific work has shown the possibility to make an objective diagnosis of electrohypersensitivity (EHS) and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) by using UCTS, in conjunction with TDU investigation and the detection of several biomarkers in the peripheral blood and urine of the patients. In this paper, we independently confirm the clinical interest of using UCTS for the diagnosis of EHS and MCS. Moreover, it has been shown that repetitive use of UCTS in EHS and/or MCS patients can contribute to the objective assessment of their therapeutic follow-up. Since classical CT scan and MRI are usually not contributive for the diagnosis and are poorly tolerated by these patients, UCTS should therefore be considered as one of the best imaging technique to be used for the diagnosis of these new disorders and the follow-up of patients. View Full-Text

Added notes by EMFSA: Professor Dominique Belpomme:

“Given the technical and scientific interest of this method to localize precisely the spontaneous pulsometric defect that we have observed in temporal lobes in EHS and/or MCS patients, we therefore now push international companies to manufacture this type of software which could be included in the widespread and presently existing echo doppler machines.”

Reviews 

https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4418/10/6/427/review_report

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