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Among the many health concerns of the aging population, hearing loss is so common that past a certain age, it comes as no surprise. Around one-third of adults between ages 65 and 74 report some degree of hearing loss, and about half of elderly adults over 75 have difficulty hearing.

A related condition that often accompanies hearing loss is tinnitus, or “ringing in the ears”. The sound patterns and intensity/volume of the tinnitus experience varies widely between individuals, but the definition of the disorder is “a perception of sound that does not have an external source, so others cannot hear it”. The actual sounds may be described as ringing, buzzing, popping, clicking, hissing, humming, and even squealing or roaring. It can be mild and barely perceptible, only minimally interfering with everyday life, or may be incredibly disturbing to the point of affecting one’s ability to perform daily tasks and enjoy life. It can be experienced temporarily, or can become chronic and persistent. It usually begins between ages 40 and 60, but can occur in younger individuals and even children, as well.

Although tinnitus and hearing loss can occur separately in some cases, it’s very common to experience them together, as they are both a result of some form of damage to the delicate structures and nerves of the inner ear. This damage may have an obvious cause, like excessive and prolonged exposure to very loud noise, but it may just as likely be the result of more internal forms of damage from an overall decline in health from a variety of causes.

Modern medicine is quite undecided on the cause of tinnitus, but speculates that it could be related to nerve damage, allergies or autoimmune conditions that cause nerve and tissue inflammation and fluid buildup in the inner ear. It is often theorized to be a disruption in communication between the nerves of the inner ear and the auditory cortex of the brain that processes and interprets sound. When the nerves and brain do not communicate accurately and effectively, signals can be misinterpreted, and one may “hear” sounds that have no external source. This is a purely physiological event, and is not at all the same as the auditory hallucinations that can occur with psychological disorders like schizophrenia. Other possible causes of tinnitus include side effects from various pharmaceutical drugs, excess earwax production, ear infections that have damaged the eardrum or inner ear, head/neck/jaw issues, and other chronic issues such as Ménière’s disease (a more serious inner ear disorder), diabetes, and even tumors on the acoustic nerves.

In contrast to modern medicine’s general philosophy of dividing the body into separate parts that are thought to rarely affect each other, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a simpler and more holistic take on tinnitus. Anything related to the ear and hearing is thought to be connected to the kidney system of the body, which governs the deep energy reserves, or ‘life force essence’. Tinnitus and hearing loss are usually thought to indicate a kidney yin deficiency, where life force is depleted by overwork, poor lifestyle habits, toxins, drugs and alcohol over a long period of time.

From a scientific viewpoint, this could be translated as the breakdown of organs and tissues from long term exposure to sources of oxidative stress, which raises cortisol levels and puts the body into a catabolic state, where the body is directed to break down its own tissues for use as an emergency energy source. Many external and internal stressors can produce oxidative stress in the body, including exposure to toxins (chemicals and heavy metals), the body’s own immune response from exposure to viruses, bacteria and parasites, chronic stress and overwork, drugs and alcohol, and even artificial manmade electromagnetic fields.

In the absence of adequate nutrients to help the body recover from stress, and dietary sources of antioxidants that counter the oxidative stress directly, a degradation of the body’s organs and tissues occurs. Over time, if the oxidative stress load is continuously higher than what the body can defend itself against or repair from, this results in tissue breakdown and an acceleration of the aging process.

Tinnitus is not usually indicative of a major health issue, but it can diminish the quality of life of those who suffer from it. It can result in insomnia, difficulty concentrating, moodiness, anxiety and depression, and when combined with hearing loss, interferes with social interaction, enjoyment of life, and even personal safety. Those who suffer from tinnitus and hearing loss are also far more likely to suffer from dementia and neurocognitive issues.

Are tinnitus and hearing loss caused by EMFs?

Among EHS (electrohypersensitivity) sufferers, tinnitus is one of the most commonly reported symptoms. Various population groups have been studied, and those who reported suffering from EHS had a considerably higher incidence of tinnitus (about 50%, versus only 17% of those without EHS). It seems that in EHS individuals, their nervous systems are more sensitive than most, and a sensitive system may pick up the signals from normally inaudible frequencies and interpret them as something audible to that individual. Those with sensitive nervous systems also generally have higher cortisol levels (autonomic nervous system hyperexcitability) and decreased adaptive abilities, so react more strongly to many kinds of environmental stimuli, compared to most people.

A study review that examined 165 clinically relevant studies relating to tinnitus and electromagnetic fields found evidence of a causal link between the two, including increased tinnitus incidence from talking on a cell phone regularly for more than 4 years, as well as an increase in symptoms in the preferred ear of the cell phone user, compared to the opposite ear. The study authors advise cautionary and safe use of cell phones, as there is enough reason to suspect a link between EMFs and tinnitus, as well as more serious health issues.

Links have also been established between EMFs and hearing loss. This study found significant hearing loss in the preferred ear of cell phone users, compared to the ear that was rarely or never directly exposed to the cell phone. Another study on rats showed neuronal degeneration in the auditory system from exposure to cell phone radiation.

Several studies have linked cell phone use with the growth of acoustic neuromas, which are normally benign and slow growing tumors on the nerve of the inner ear. These growths could in themselves be a cause of both tinnitus and hearing loss, and are definitively linked to electromagnetic field exposure.

Improving tinnitus and hearing loss with EMF protection, diet and herbs is possible

With the link between electromagnetic fields, tinnitus and hearing loss fairly well established, many people are looking for EMF protection that will reduce or eliminate their symptoms.

We have gotten several reports of a reduction or elimination of tinnitus symptoms from using a Blushield device, especially from those using the C1 Ultimate Cube home model. Improvements in other areas like sleep, mood, energy levels and overall well-being from using Blushield are often felt right away or after only a few weeks of use, but it’s important to remember that some conditions are much more deeply rooted, and took many years to develop in the first place. Conditions like tinnitus and hearing loss should be perceived as a type of injury, from long term or extreme exposure to some kind of external stressor. When it comes to healing injuries that were long in the making, the body’s healing process doesn’t have an “on/off switch” where a significant chronic condition is suddenly or quickly resolved. Much more realistically, healing will occur over such a long and gradual period of time that someone may not even realize that it’s happening at all, until months down the road when one day they realize their symptoms are considerably lessened or gone completely. However, some people’s bodies are more responsive and adaptable, and/or their tinnitus and hearing loss was of the more mild and recently developed type, so they may experience positive results quickly. Of course, we can’t guarantee that Blushield will help your tinnitus or hearing loss, since there are so many factors that may affect your individual condition.

Along with using an appropriate strength Blushield device for your overall EMF exposure, there are other ways you can support your body to heal damage to the auditory nerves and the brain, potentially reducing or eliminating symptoms of tinnitus, and even restoring hearing to some extent. Ensuring adequate nutrition, especially rich sources of zinc, magnesium and B vitamins, can give your body what it needs to heal. Herbs like ginkgo biloba and ginseng may be effective at improving circulation in that area, lessening symptoms and accelerating the healing process, as well as neutralizing oxidative stress due to their natural antioxidant and polyphenol content.

Nourishing the kidney system of the body, in accordance with TCM principles, can replenish the deep reserves of the body and increase vitality, which will often improve ear related issues like tinnitus and hearing loss. High quality herbal formulas that are focused on nourishing the kidney yin can be very helpful. Our top recommendations are the He Shou Wu Formula and Fire/Water Formula created by Shen Blossom, both of which contain expertly crafted blends of the highest quality herbs. Acupuncture can also increase blood and qi/chi flow to the head and ears, supporting the healing process.

Reducing exposure to triggers is also important, especially as you’re healing. This includes reducing EMF exposure by cultivating safe habits when using radiation emitting devices. Using your devices less often, and keeping them further away from you when you do use them, can go a long way. This article we wrote gives more specific ideas on how to sensibly reduce your exposure with some simple habit changes.

Interestingly, various kinds of sound therapy are some of the most effective treatments for tinnitus. Although the audible frequencies we can hear are technically mechanical waves, not electromagnetic waves, they are still frequencies. The fact that frequencies can be used to treat this issue warrants further consideration of the potential effects of electromagnetic frequencies on brain/nerve/ear disorders like tinnitus and hearing loss, as well as the potential therapeutic effect of a scalar frequency generator like Blushield.

Hearing aids – how to reduce your EMF exposure

The most common conventional treatment for both hearing loss and tinnitus is the use of hearing aids. They are not intended to heal either condition, but to provide a way of coping with the conditions, which mainstream consensus deems incurable. If you or someone you know is in a more advanced stage of hearing loss or tinnitus, hearing aids may be necessary for basic daily life functions. If you need hearing aids to stay safe and functional on a daily basis, and to enjoy life, are there any options to lower your EMF exposure from these radiation emitting devices?

Yes! While you cannot eliminate EMF exposure entirely if you’re using hearing aids, there are methods to considerably reduce it.

The first hearing aids were invented in the late 1800s, were analog in function, and consisted of a tiny microphone, an amplifier (to amplify the external sounds), and a speaker to direct the sounds into the ear or the wearer. Since analog amplification will distort sound to some extent, this method was not able to perfectly reproduce external sounds. In 1990, the invention of the digital hearing aid solved this problem, as the microphone delivers the sounds to a microchip, which then digitally reproduces the sound as a much more authentic rendition of the original source. The EMF exposure from these types of hearing aids is negligible, and only minimally harmful.

This all changed around 2010, when wireless connectivity capabilities were added to digital hearing aids. This allowed the hearing aids to communicate with each other, and to connect directly with your cell phone, computer and TV, so you can answer calls and listen to music straight from the hearing aid. These enhanced capabilities were so popular that almost all modern hearing aids now offer wireless connectivity. Unfortunately, this exposes the wearer to radio-frequency radiation right inside of the ears and dangerously close to the brain.

Short range wireless connectivity is achieved using near-field magnetic induction that operates within the 3 to 11MHz (megahertz) range, and allows the two hearing aids to be able to communicate with each other. Long range connectivity operates in the Bluetooth frequency range of 2.4 to 2.45GHz (gigahertz), and allows hearing aids to connect to other devices like your cell phone and computer. Although both of these connectivity options increase convenience and improve user experience in various ways, neither are necessary for the hearing aids to function in a basic sense, and both magnetic and radio-frequency fields so close to the brain can cause health issues.

The companies claim that the radiation level is extremely low, and well within the SAR limits for wireless radiation exposure, but these FCC regulations have considerable flaws. SAR stands for Specific Absorption Rate, and refers to the amount of EMF absorbed by the body resulting from proximity to a specific radiation source. SAR limits are only based on the thermal (heating) effects of RF exposure, even though non-thermal levels of EMFs have been consistently shown to have harmful effects on health. Another concern is that hearing aids will subject you to these EMFs consistently, as most people wear them for 16 hours per day. Long term, daily exposure, even at very low levels of power, can be considerably more harmful than short term or sporadic exposure.

If you need to use hearing aids and you’re concerned about EMF exposure, there is usually a way to turn off wireless connectivity, depending on the device. Some hearing aids do not allow it to be switched off, but most probably do, or at least allow the device to be switched to airplane mode. If you have moderate to severe hearing loss or tinnitus, you likely have prescription hearing aids. If it’s not easy for you to figure out how to turn off the wireless capability of your hearing aids, you can visit the healthcare provider who prescribed them and see if they can do it for you. If you have mild to moderate hearing difficulties, you may be able to purchase generic hearing aids online or OTC (over the counter), and you can specifically select a brand that does not include wireless connectivity, or allows it to be turned off.

If you absolutely need some aspect of the wireless functionality provided by your hearing aids, you can at least turn off Bluetooth whenever you don’t need it, by switching it off from your phone and any other device the hearing aids are coupled with. That way, at least there will be less radio-frequency activity going back and forth between the devices.

If you have moderate to severe hearing loss or tinnitus, you may decide that for you, hearing aids are in the category of “EMF exposure that you can’t control”, which is what Blushield is for. We always recommend minimizing EMF sources as much as possible, practical or desirable, and then making sure you have the appropriate strength home and portable Blushield devices to protect you from the inevitable exposures in your life.

Feeling stressed over every little bit of EMF exposure can do more harm than good, as it’s truly impossible to get away from all of it! The feeling of well being that comes from knowing you’re protected from these inevitable exposures will ensure that your mental health is protected just as much as your physical health.

References:

• Study review: “Tinnitus and cell phones: the role of electromagnetic radiofrequency radiation” – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9444668/

• Study: “Association of Tinnitus and Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity: Hints for a Shared Pathophysiology?” – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2657824/

• Study: “High-Frequency Hearing Loss Among Mobile Phone Users” – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3918279/

• Study: “Effects of exposure to 2100MHz GSM-like radiofrequency electromagnetic field on auditory system of rats” – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27865708/

• SaferEMR: “Acoustic Neuroma and Cell Phone Use” – https://www.saferemr.com/2017/04/acoustic-neuroma-and-cell-phone-use.html

In a 12-week, independent review board (IRB) certified, PubMed-indexed clinical pilot study of 25 relatively healthy adults, Blushield devices were found to be feasible, safe, and associated with statistically significant improvements in cognitive function, deep sleep, heart rate variability, blood glucose, immune markers, voltage-gated ion channel gene expression, and overall self-reported health. No adverse events were reported, and 100% of participants complied with device usage. Here's the full story of how the study came together and what it found.

How the Study Began

Back in September of 2020, we were contacted by Tom Blue, the owner of a research company and Executive Director of the American Academy of Private Physicians. Tom is connected with a large network of doctors. He had recently discovered Blushield EMF protection devices and noticed significant positive results from using them on himself, his wife, and their son. All three regularly track various health markers using the Oura Ring device, and the improvements they saw in sleep quality and heart rate variability were impressive enough to inspire Tom to reach out to us.

Tom proposed studying the health effects of our devices on humans, on a larger scale than we had attempted previously. Tom and his partners, Helen Messier, MD, PhD, and DeAunne Denmark, MD, PhD, had great ideas about the structure and focus of the study, a variety of health markers to track, and how to recruit participants within their network of doctors. They also had connections with independent labs that could perform the study for us.

Many months were spent ironing out seemingly infinite details, signing contracts, recruiting participants, and navigating the biggest worldwide slowdown of many of our lifetimes - the Covid lockdowns - which kept pushing back our ideal timeline. Finally, in March of 2022, test kits were made and sent to all participants, along with a Premium Ultra home device for each participant, plus a Plugin and/or Premium Portable for those who worked away from home or traveled often, to ensure they were within the Blushield field as often as possible during the 12-week study.

Study Design and Participants

The focus of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility and preliminary signs of efficacy of our devices on a small sample group within a fairly short time frame, to determine whether a full-scale research project would be worth planning in the future.

All 25 participants worked in the health and wellness industry, including general practitioners and physical therapists, and all self-reported being in relatively good health at the start. This was a single-arm study - in this case, a "before and after" study - in which all participants were tested before using Blushield, then again during and after 12 weeks within the influence of the Blushield device.

100% of participants reported compliance with device usage for the study duration, meaning they remained within the Blushield field. This increases both the validity of the results and the feasibility (ease and practicality) of using the devices, even for the busy professionals in our sample. No adverse events were reported during the 12 weeks.

A variety of health markers were tested using several methods, including:

• Laboratory panels assessing overall physiological health
• A panel of blood markers related to inflammation, oxidative stress, DNA damage, and cellular senescence
• A genome-wide assessment of DNA methylation (including the voltage-gated calcium channel sites)
• A full neurocognitive assessment every 4 weeks of the study
• A wearable health tracker (the Oura Ring) to analyze changes in sleep quality, heart rate variability, and related markers
• Self-reported health questionnaires

Analyzing and Interpreting the Results

Our study paper was written by Christopher D'Adamo, PhD, an epidemiologist who has served as Principal Investigator on a wide variety of observational and interventional studies of nutrition and other healthy lifestyle modalities. His findings have been published in several well-known peer-reviewed scientific and medical journals and publicized through several popular media outlets.

The study co-authors include the researchers involved in compiling and interpreting the data: researchers from TruDiagnostic (the epigenetic data analysis company that provided the genome-wide DNA methylation assessment); doctors Helen Messier and DeAunne Denmark, who organized the study; and Tom Blue, who got the ball rolling initially.

In the study paper, it is stated:

"Preliminary data from in vitro and agricultural animal studies suggest changes in biomarkers of health and functional status may be detectable after a period of continuous BluShield device usage."

This refers to our prior Blushield studies from several years ago - the grassroots-style testing where we initially found impressive positive results in animals and humans, including live blood cell analysis, human urine analysis, and health improvements in chickens and cows.

We knew it was time for a more thorough study on a greater number of human health markers, using a newer, more powerful Blushield device - and we're thrilled the study is now complete. So, what improvements were found in this IRB-certified pilot study?

Cognitive Function Improvements

The CNS Vital Signs test is a full neurocognitive assessment that each participant completed once before introducing the Blushield device, then again every 4 weeks of the 12-week study, for a total of 4 times. The test records performance across areas of cognitive function, including memory, executive function, and processing speed.

Statistically significant positive results were found in composite memory, cognitive flexibility, executive function, and processing speed. There were several areas where no changes were noted (visual memory and simple and complex attention), but the areas of positive change are quite notable.

Electromagnetic field exposure has been definitively linked to impairments in cognitive function, with the mechanism of harm theorized as overactivation of the voltage-gated calcium channels, as described in our previous article: Memory, Learning & Attention Impairment From EMF Exposure.

Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel Improvements

Could our positive cognitive results be linked to the voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs)? The study paper states this is a valid hypothesis that warrants further exploration. The reason a link is suspected: in the genome-wide DNA methylation assessment, researchers identified a key VGCC gene (CACNA1G) that was hypermethylated, indicating a likely under-expression of that gene - essentially a quieting of the voltage-gated calcium channels that are chronically overactive and overstimulated in the constant presence of modern EMF levels. Hypermethylation is most often associated with downregulation of a gene's expression, placing it in a "locked" state, whereas hypomethylation usually refers to active expression and transcription.

204 total CpG sites were found to be differentially methylated between the before and after measurements, and 94% of those genes were hypermethylated. A considerable number of these sites were connected with the ATP-sensitive potassium channels, which are known to be influenced by EMFs. Besides the one key VGCC gene that was hypermethylated at a level of statistical significance, 4 other VGCC-related genes were very near the threshold of significance.

CpG is short for Cytosine-phosphate-Guanine, the most common methylation pathway in DNA. DNA methylation is an incredibly important epigenetic health marker. Epigenetics is the study of genes activating or silencing (commonly through methylation) in response to changing environmental factors, and it can explain why family members - even identical twins - with nearly or exactly the same genome can experience widely different health outcomes. It calls upon the "nature versus nurture" question, where "nature" is the static state of the genome you were born with, and "nurture" refers to the outside influences you encounter throughout life that actually switch genes on and off, dynamically altering the trajectory of your health.

Another fascinating purpose of DNA methylation is to silence intragenomic parasites. It's hard to believe, but at least 35% of our genome is made up of parasite DNA. These parasites are called transposons, and include endogenous retroviruses that have inserted themselves into human DNA over a very long period, long before our lifetimes. When functioning optimally, DNA methylation should keep this parasitic DNA quiet and dormant for our entire lives. When environmental influences such as toxic heavy metals and electromagnetic fields disrupt our bodies' ability to methylate properly, dormant retroviruses can become active, often wreaking havoc throughout the body.

Meaningful Improvements in Sleep Quality and Heart Rate Variability

All participants wore an Oura Ring throughout the entire study, from the pre-Blushield "before" period through the 12 weeks of use. This wearable continuously records a variety of relevant health markers, making it easy to track the effects of lifestyle changes in real time.

The device tracks the full sleep cycle and provides detailed data on minutes of deep sleep, REM sleep, light sleep, and awake time. It also records heart rate variability (HRV) on an ongoing basis - a key marker of vitality, resilience, and adaptability. "Variability" refers to the heart's ability to respond immediately to environmental demands by speeding up or slowing down as needed; the body's ease in changing heart speed instantaneously is strongly linked to overall health and vitality. You can learn more in our article: Heart Rate Variability (HRV) as an Advanced Biomarker is Affected by EMFs.

Our participants saw impressive improvements in heart rate variability, average and lowest resting heart rate, body temperature, and deep sleep - all reaching statistical significance. Average deep sleep time increased by 9 minutes, from 90 minutes before to 99 minutes after. There was also an increase in average awake time (by 5 minutes), which in some cases wouldn't be desirable - but it's a logical assumption that if you're getting 9 extra minutes of deep sleep (the most restorative type) per night, you may not need quite as much sleep overall.

Reduction in Blood Glucose

EMF exposure has been shown to be linked to elevated blood glucose, and in some cases even prediabetes and diabetes. This is thought to be related to the voltage-gated calcium channels, as our previous article elaborates: Blood Glucose & Insulin Negatively Affected By EMFs.

All participants had glucose levels within a healthy range at the start, and we still found a statistically significant reduction in blood glucose during the study. The results may have been even more dramatic if diabetics and prediabetics had been included - a topic of particular interest for a potential future study.

Glucose and insulin are also strongly affected by the ATP-sensitive potassium channels, so it's possible the positive effects on blood glucose are linked to the hypermethylated ATP-sensitive potassium channel complex our study recorded, as well as the VGCCs.

Changes in Immune Markers & Self-Reported Health Improvements

The study also found an increase in monocytes and a decrease in natural killer (NK) cells, both within a healthy range. Monocytes remain in their basic form in the bloodstream and organs when there are no active threats, but as soon as a threat is perceived, they differentiate into either macrophages or dendritic cells. NK cells, however, remain in their original form while fighting infection. When monocytes differentiate into dendritic cells, this alerts other cells (including NK cells) to the presence of an imminent threat.

There is a hypothesis that electromagnetic field exposure triggers the immune system, as our bodies perceive the foreign frequency patterns as invaders to attack and defeat. Since there is nothing physically present to attack and destroy, this can result in a chronically elevated immune response, which eventually depletes the immune system's power and steals vital resources from other essential processes. Our long-held theory, based on previous studies, is that being within the influence of a Blushield gives the body a healthy field to preferentially resonate with, calming and subduing the futile immune response against the perceived invasion of harmful fields.

An increase in circulating monocytes could indicate they are now "ready and waiting" in their natural form, rather than actively fighting infection by differentiating into other forms. A decrease in NK cells could signify the immune system calming down from a previously chronically overactive state, as the monocytes are not actively signaling a threat that would tell the NK cells to get to work. More targeted and larger-scale studies will be needed to confirm this hypothesis.

Each participant also completed a self-reported health questionnaire at various times throughout the study, and there was a statistically significant improvement in participants' subjective experience of overall health and well-being.

Understanding P-Values and Confounding Factors

To fully understand the study paper, it helps to understand p-values, the calculations used in clinical studies to determine whether a result is statistically significant or more likely random and insignificant.

P-value stands for probability value and is directly connected to a concept called the "null hypothesis." This refers to the potential - present in every scientific study - that the intervention being studied (the device, drug, or other influence) is having no positive or negative effect, and therefore the results are due to random chance. To achieve statistically significant positive results, you want the p-value as low as possible. The lower the value, the less likely the results are due to chance; if it's low enough, it's almost certain the intervention is truly affecting the subject. Even when the value is extremely low, there's always a tiny possibility it's due to chance, which is why the number can never reach zero.

Depending on the parameter being studied, the significance threshold is set at a certain number. P<0.05 is a common one, which most of our study parameters used. 0.05 means 5%, so P<0.05 means "the probability that this result is due to random chance is less than 5%." Any result below that threshold is considered statistically significant.

So a study result with a p-value of p=0.01 means there's only a 1% chance the result was random and a 99% chance the intervention (in our case, the Blushield device) directly affected the result - as we saw with resting heart rate. Some of our other results had even lower p-values, like p=0.0007 (our cognitive flexibility result), meaning only a tiny fraction of a percent chance of being random.

Later in the paper, there is a discussion of confounding factors - uncontrollable factors in the study design that may have influenced results, which are essential to consider in any study lacking a control group. Some confounding factors are external influences from daily life; in this case, they may include changes in physical activity or diet due to changes in season. Another factor is a lack of diversity in the health status, education level, and race of the subjects. All subjects self-reported as relatively healthy; if more chronic-illness sufferers had been studied, there may have been even more room for improvement from baseline.

Accuracy Score of Our Methylation Results Was Very Close to Perfect

Observing changes at the DNA level is a very complex process, as you can imagine. Those performing the measurements must have specific, extensive training, and they must create a model that factors in all the variables (age, sex, immune markers, and an infinite number of other potential variables) so the result is as accurate as possible. The theoretical goal is a model that shows pure cause and effect, where variables applicable to this particular study group (called covariates) are factored in as a "perfect fit." Pure cause and effect, in our case, would be results measuring exactly how Blushield use affected methylation of the CpG sites, with the model already adjusted to erase the impact of covariates.

There are ways to assess the accuracy of the model, although a perfect fit is impossible. The perfect score is a "1" - anything less than 1 means there are too many covariates and the results aren't as significant as they would be in a pure model; a number higher than 1 means there aren't enough covariates and the results are more significant than they should have been. Our study's model was mapped on a Q-Q plot, which gave a score of 1.05. This score is almost perfect, and we were told it isn't easy to achieve. This means the methylation results we saw on the CpG sites, including the voltage-gated calcium channel genes, were almost as pure and accurate as they possibly could have been.

Final Thoughts

This study was a long time in the making, involving extraordinary levels of hard work and patience. Almost daily here at Blushield, we hear reports directly from customers - and in the reviews they post voluntarily on our website - that these devices have affected their lives in positive ways, with some calling them life-changing. Honest customer reports help inform new potential customers of what others have experienced, clarifying their decision to invest in our EMF protection devices.

Now, with our first IRB-certified clinical study results under our belt, customers can be even more fully informed of the potential benefits this technology may have on their lives. Although it was a fairly small-scale pilot study, in some ways it is genuinely groundbreaking: we are the first EMF protection company we're aware of to test the effects of our devices on the voltage-gated calcium channel genes and find notable improvements. This is something we will certainly test more extensively in future, larger-scale studies.

The study paper concludes that Blushield devices appear to be feasible, safe, and associated with improvements in cognitive function, sleep, heart rate variability, voltage-gated ion channel gene normalization, blood glucose, immune response, and overall self-reported health among relatively healthy adults. It also emphasizes that the devices "appear to be a reasonable component of a comprehensive EMF mitigation strategy to minimize RF exposure" - which is always how we encourage people to use our devices.

You're welcome to share this with anyone in your life who is concerned about the harmful effects of EMFs and is looking for sound, research-backed solutions.

Read our PubMed-indexed study, with the full study abstract →

Read our full study in the medical journal IMCJ →

References

• "Cytosine methylation and the ecology of intragenomic parasites" – https://www.cell.com/trends/genetics/pdf/S0168-9525(97)01181-5.pdf
• "P-Value And Statistical Significance: What It Is & Why It Matters" – https://www.simplypsychology.org/p-value.html
• "Epigenetics: The Science of Change" – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1392256/
• "ATP-sensitive potassium channelopathies: focus on insulin secretion" – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1392256/

If you’re familiar with the biohacking movement that’s rapidly growing in popularity, you know that modern technology is becoming very impressive. Moving beyond just using technology to improve worldwide communication and automate many tasks to save us time and energy, forward-thinking innovators are discovering and inventing ways to utilize technology to become more informed about our state of health, and to improve it in many ways.

One of the most fascinating innovations bridging technology and health are the various types of health trackers available. They are usually wearable devices with highly sensitive instrumentation that can read and interpret the continuous fluctuations in various health biomarkers, including our sleep cycles, body temperature, resting heart rate, blood oxygen levels, and a particularly complex biomarker known as heart rate variability (HRV).

This article will focus specifically on the topic of heart rate variability, as it’s an incredibly complex measurement that requires a thorough understanding to be able to interpret accurately. Once you know how to read it, you can access a treasure trove of information about how your own personal health and well-being is affected by many internal and external factors on an hourly, daily and long-term basis.

What is heart rate variability?

Heart rate variability measurements record each beat of our heart, and the milliseconds that elapse between each heartbeat. Contrary to a common assumption, our heart should NOT beat like a metronome, at the exact same intervals all the time, if we are in optimal health. A healthy heart actually beats in a highly variable pattern, as our body responds promptly to a massive number of internal and external cues on a moment-to-moment basis. The ability of our heart to easily change its pace to adapt to these cues signifies resilience, adaptability and deep energy reserves.

Even though the pacemaker of our heart (the sinoatrial node) is programmed to keep our heart beating at a consistent pace, another bodily system directly modulates (slows down or speeds up) this otherwise steady rhythm: the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS is a component of our peripheral nervous system that regulates involuntary processes in the body, including heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, digestion and arousal. It continually receives information from our body and environment, and responds by either stimulating or inhibiting various bodily processes.

The ANS consists of sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions. The sympathetic nervous system, popularly known as the “fight or flight” state, is triggered anytime our body perceives a threat in our environment. The intensity of the response exactly correlates to the severity of the perceived threat. The sympathetic nervous system increases our heart rate, constricts blood vessels, dilates our pupils and airways, stimulates sweat production and glucose utilization, and inhibits salivation and digestion (and turns off the appetite).

The parasympathetic nervous system, known as the “rest and digest” (and heal) state, does the exact opposite: it increases feelings of relaxation and well-being, slows breathing and heart rate, and stimulates normal digestive processes. The body defaults to a parasympathetic state when it perceives that it’s in a safe and secure environment, and resumes all normal and necessary bodily maintenance functions.

The nerves that control the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems are linked directly to the pacemaker of the heart, and will automatically speed up or slow down the heart rate to a small or large degree as needed to match the situation at hand.

It may be easy to oversimplify this and conclude that anything that triggers the SNS (sympathetic nervous system) is bad for our health, and anything that triggers the PSNS (parasympathetic nervous system) is good for our health, but this is not really true.

We know that short term exposure to certain types of stressors is actually good for our health, as long as it’s not in excess of what our body can effectively recover from. Exercise is a great example, as it’s a type of stress that increases our resilience and abilities by stimulating the production of additional muscle tissue. When a load is put on the muscles that the musculature is unable to bear easily, the body perceives this as a need to build additional functional mass for the next time it encounters a similar challenge. Consistently challenging the body with this type of stress actually creates micro tears in the muscle tissue, but as long as the challenge is followed by adequate rest and nutrition, the muscles are rebuilt with more strength and density. Short term, controlled exposure to certain types of stress is called hormesis, and when approached intelligently, results in considerably more resiliency and overall health.

Coming back around to the topic of heart rate variability, this is exactly why we want these variations in our heart rate over time. As we encounter a variety of stressors over the course of days, months and years, the body will always do its best to react quickly to the source of stress, and then recover fully, if given the opportunity. A quick, appropriate reaction to stress will often register an immediate increase in our heart rate, and once the stress has passed, a healthy nervous system should recover quickly, indicated by a natural slowing of the heart rate close to resting levels. In a less resilient system, the variability will not be as wide, as the system is not very adaptable, and will not be able to respond adequately to either a stressful or restful situation.

How is HRV measured?

Heart rate variability is usually measured by wearable devices that monitor and track your heart rate over time. This may be a chest strap, a smart watch, or even your phone camera, but potentially the best and most convenient device for this purpose is a ring tracker like the popular Oura Ring. It records all the biomarkers listed at the beginning of this article, and whenever you want to see the recorded data, it can be transmitted to a connected app on your phone. You can even keep the device on “airplane mode”, so it won’t be transmitting data via Bluetooth while you’re wearing it (which would increase your EMF exposure), but will still collect and store data that can be accessed as desired.

Heart rate variability is usually measured by a calculation called RMSSD, which stands for “root mean square of successive differences”. It measures the time difference of each successive heartbeat in real-time, and is very effective for transforming lists of numbers into valuable health data.

Usually, heart rate variability and heart rate are inversely correlated: a lower heart rate, since there is more time for wider variations between beats, supports a higher HRV score; whereas a higher heart rate (with less time for variation between beats) leads to a lower HRV score. Any lifestyle factor that improves your heart rate variability will almost always also lower your average resting heart rate. This means that most of the time, increased parasympathetic activity will increase the variance in your heart rate, improving your HRV score. Past a certain point, however, if parasympathetic activity dominates for too long (with very low sympathetic activity), the body and heartbeat will get “lazy” and no longer vary that much, actually decreasing HRV. This is why you can’t get a healthier heart and nervous system by relaxing all the time, and avoiding all sources of stress. Our bodies do thrive on appropriate levels of healthy stressors, balanced by adequate recovery time.

When you’re observing your heart rate variability score over time, you want to see it generally trending towards higher numbers. This doesn’t mean that occasional low numbers are bad, as that may indicate the body reacting appropriately to a short term stressor like vigorous exercise or a challenge at work. Likewise, if you see an abnormally high HRV score (compared to your average), it could also indicate the body attempting to recover from extreme stress, like an accident or very intense, prolonged physical exertion. As you can see, it isn’t a simple metric, as the body is incredibly complex and intelligent in its responses.

As all bodies are different, depending on genetic makeup, age, sex, hormones, illness, emotional state, and lifestyle factors, you can’t really compare your HRV score with anyone else’s. Average “normal” HRV scores vary between 20 to 200 milliseconds, but your personal range will be much smaller. The best way to use this information is to track your own HRV for a period of time, and get to know what’s a normal range for you. Then you can begin to discern what factors affect your score positively or negatively. Some factors known to affect HRV are sleep quality, stress levels, alcohol, stimulants, diet and hydration. You can improve your heart rate variability gradually, over time, by making better lifestyle choices and engaging in controlled forms of healthy stress (like exercise and cold exposure) to increase your resilience. Those who never train or purposely challenge themselves often have lower HRV scores, as the body has not learned resiliency.

Do EMFs affect heart rate variability?

Our body’s heart rate variability is extremely sensitive, and can pick up subtle changes in the environment that are often imperceptible to our senses. There are quite a few studies on the effects of commonly encountered types of electromagnetic fields on heart rate variability in humans and animals. Almost all the studies we have seen show statistically significant changes in heart rate variability, but interestingly, the results seem mixed: some studies show a decrease in HRV, and some actually show an increase. Why isn’t it just one or the other? This is very likely due to the complex adaptive mechanisms of the body, and the short term exposure durations of these studies (of the studies that state the duration of exposure, it was only between 15 and 150 minutes).

Due to hormetic effects (hormesis is explained earlier in this article), acute exposure may have a different effect than chronic exposure to the same stimulus, and sometimes even the opposite effect, especially on a complex biomarker like heart rate variability. If the body has enough internal resources available, the stressor may cause increased heart rate variation as the body attempts to adapt in the initial stages of exposure. If the stressor is continued for a longer period of time, the body’s resources may become exhausted, and the initial HRV increase will lead to an eventual decrease. We would like to see longer term studies on the effects of EMFs on heart rate variability (days, weeks or months), to see how the stats change over time.

All that said, the big takeaway from even these short term duration exposure studies is that the body immediately responded to this invisible, imperceptible stimulus. If EMF levels from modern devices were too low to affect biology, as claimed by the telecom industry, there would be no effect at all, one way or the other! The current body of science on EMFs and HRV is very similar to the neurocognitive studies that we detailed in this article, where the body’s complex adaptive responses sometimes demonstrated a stimulation response, and at other times an inhibitory response, but whenever the duration of exposure was continued, the biological systems tested would eventually lose resilience and show negative effects from EMF exposure.

EMF protection should improve your heart rate variability over time

Over time, and with consistent use, effective EMF protection devices and methods should improve your overall HRV scores. Many of our customers who own Blushield devices also use an Oura Ring, making it a convenient way of documenting the more subtle effects of using our technology to protect yourself from harmful EMFs.

For those who are curious, we encourage you to keep track of your heart rate variability trends, average resting heart rate, and sleep stats using a health tracking device like the Oura. It’s ideal to get your baseline stats before you begin using a Blushield, and then take note of the changes you see after you start using it. Be sure your personal study duration is of a long enough period – at least a few weeks, or ideally a few months – to reflect accurate trends and rule out other factors.

References:

• Study review: Effects of man-made electromagnetic fields on heart rate variability parameters of general public: a systematic review and meta-analysis of experimental studies – https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/reveh-2022-0191/html?lang=en

• Study: Exposure to cell phones reduces heart rate variability in both normal-weight and obese normotensive medical students – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1550830720300872

• Study: Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field Affects Heart Rate Variability in Rabbits – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8549896/

• Study: The Influence of the Call with a Mobile Phone on Heart Rate Variability Parameters in Healthy Volunteers – https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/indhealth/46/4/46_4_409/_article

• Study: Effect of generated radiofrequency electromagnetic field to heart rate variability in students – https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8242251

• Study: Heart rate variability in workers exposed to medium-frequency electromagnetic fields – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0165183896000094

• Study: Heart rate variability affected by radiofrequency electromagnetic field in adolescent students – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29469164/

• Study: Heart rate variability in healthy young adults exposed to global system for mobile communication (GSM) 900-MHz radiofrequency signal from mobile phones – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32846174/

• Study: Heart Rate Variability Components in Electromagnetic Hypersensitive Persons – https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-3-319-75479-6_54-1

• Oura Ring: Heart Rate Variability – https://support.ouraring.com/hc/en-us/articles/360025441974-Heart-Rate-Variability

• Oura Ring: What Is Heart Rate Variability (HRV)? – https://ouraring.com/blog/what-is-heart-rate-variability/

• Welltory: Mistakes during the HRV measurement and how to fix them – https://welltory.com/the-12-mistakes-when-measuring-hrv/

AngelWings - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kRgNIzac8w

Paul Bolton - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iRv4vsLZDo

Gary Beck - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-HAgoQ0BI8

Vinny Eastwood - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsSDJOGsTcg

Kelly - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HuX6kDVWTI

Mark - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=649x5Q0XuuU

Felix - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpVye9PbwhE

Linda - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuvQVwkXjds

Have you ever lived or visited somewhere in the world that just had “good vibes”, for no obvious or discernible reason? Likewise, have you ever been somewhere that just made you feel bad, and you couldn’t pinpoint why you felt that way? Do you sometimes sleep deeply in some places, and toss and turn all night in other places?

Although there are many easily discernible reasons a certain area could feel good or bad – air quality, manmade electromagnetic field density, the type of lighting in a home, or the overall harmony or disharmony of society at large in that area – a lesser known aspect that may considerably affect how you feel in any given area is the quality of the emanations from the Earth itself.

Just like us, the Earth is a living organism that emits its own low frequency, low intensity electromagnetic field. The EM field of the Earth emits specific frequencies at specific intensities, which also affects the Schumann resonances that are produced between the Earth’s surface and the ionosphere.

From our perspective living on the surface, the Earth just looks like an expanse of solid ground, with varying terrain and occasional water. What’s not so obvious, since it’s hidden underneath this mostly solid surface, is that there is an entire network of underground channels and veins underneath this solid surface, very much like the veins and arteries in our own bodies. If an uneducated observer were to look at a human body, at first glance they may assume that its form is simple and solid, while in truth, under the surface there’s an extremely intricate network of not just veins and arteries, but also the neural circuits that make up our central and peripheral nervous systems, which are the channels of our body’s own endogenous electromagnetic fields.

The living body of the Earth has its own underground network that allows the movement and channeling of nutrients, electricity and magnetism, to ensure the optimal flow of life force energy. These channels mainly take the form of underground waterways and caverns. The ancient Chinese knew about these subterranean courses, and of their incredible importance, even further back than 2,000 BC. The Chinese called these channels “the veins of the Dragon”, and the smooth and unobstructed flow of these underground channels was considered to be of vital importance to removing impurities and depositing essential minerals into the body of the Earth.

This subterranean circulatory system, the bloodstream of the Earth, was thought to be mirrored above ground by the atmospheric currents that constantly travel through the air, distributing essential oxygen across the Earth, which has been said to be the Qi (chi) of the Earth. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) states that blood and qi are interconnected, yet have different qualities. Qi is associated with air (which is yang) and blood is associated with water (which is yin). Blood is known as the “mother of Qi” (feeding and physically supporting it), while Qi directs the movement of blood through the body.

The microcosm is reflected in the macrocosm: It makes sense that if a primary aspect of our living bodies is the interconnected dance of blood and qi that keeps all life animated and flowing smoothly, that the living body of the Earth would have its own version of this same system.

In fact, one of the main purposes of the tools used in TCM (notably herbs, diet and acupuncture) is to clear obstructions from these energy channels in the body, to keep the blood and qi flowing smoothly so the body will thrive.

What happens if the vital energy meridians of the Earth become blocked or obstructed? How does that happen, and what are the effects this may have on OUR health, as the interconnected residents living on the surface of the Earth?

Geopathic stress, black streams and human health

Geobiology (“earth life”) or geomancy (derived from Greek, meaning “study of earth energy”) has its roots in the ancient cultures of the Chinese, Incan and Celtic peoples, among others. However, the term geopathy (meaning earth pathology) was coined in the 1930s by Georges Lakhovsky, who suggested that geopathic stress can cause the body to vibrate at much higher frequencies than what is normal and healthy, putting significant stress on the immune system. Over time, this can result in immune exhaustion and dysfunction, making one much more susceptible to viruses, bacteria, parasites, and unchecked abnormal cell growth.

Why do certain spots on the Earth negatively affect our health in this way? A large part of this phenomenon is thought to be connected to underground waterways that have become obstructed or traumatized in some way, usually due to harmful human activity. These are referred to as “black streams”. Alterations to the flow of subterranean streams can be caused by cutting deeply into the earth to build highways, railways and tunnels, quarries and mines, and building foundations with steel footings. It can also be caused by the presence of heavy industry sites, power stations, steel pilings (buildings heavily reinforced with long steel poles and walls), and even old battlegrounds and historical sites that involved trauma to the earth and/or humans.

If the Earth is viewed as a living body, you may be able to see how any of the above activities could result in a type of energetic trauma that could alter the quality of the natural electromagnetic field. This can cause the Qi, or energy, flow to stagnate in a certain area, which will change the frequency emanation at that point on the Earth.

The base natural frequency range we constantly bathe in as living organisms on the surface of the earth is centered around the Schumann range of 7.8-8.2 hertz, which is close to the alpha waves our brains produce when we’re in a calm and relaxed state. However, zones of strong geopathic stress can create emanations anywhere up to a consistent 250 hertz! These higher frequencies can be beneficial when encountered periodically, as they are in nature, but this should not be the base frequency of where we live. The fastest frequencies our own brains produce (when we’re intensely focused on solving a problem), known as gamma waves, usually only reach around 100 hertz, maximum.

The health of humans and all life forms that inhabit the Earth is dependent upon being constantly bathed in the healthy emanation of the Earth’s electromagnetic field. If this field is distorted and becomes sickly, the emanation that rises up from the ground in that area can cause sickness in a living organism that spends a lot of time in that spot. This is especially the case if a person is regularly sleeping in a geopathic stress zone, since these unhealthy emanations are thought to be stronger at night, and also because sleep is the time when our bodies are supposed to heal and regenerate from stresses encountered during the day

Even at this time, with all of our advanced modern scientific instruments, the ancient practice of dowsing is still thought to be the most reliable way to locate underground streams and geopathic stress zones. Dowsing is done using simple instruments (like a forked stick or a pair of L-shaped rods), and although the instruments have no power in themselves, they are designed to amplify the extremely subtle bodily responses of a good dowser that indicate a change in the subterranean landscape, so the change can be noticed and verified. Dowsers are regularly hired to locate the best areas to dig a well on a property, but a lesser known use for their skills is to locate underground black streams that may be negatively affecting the health of a resident.

In 1929, German dowser Baron Gustav von Pohl was asked to dowse a small town in Bavaria that had exceptionally high rates of cancer. Without being given any pertinent information about the town or the health of the residents in various parts of the town, he drew a map of all the geopathic stress lines he could locate through dowsing. Afterward, a doctor produced information on all the cancer patients, and the map was overlaid onto the living spaces (and especially the bed locations) of all the residents who had died of cancer. To everyone’s amazement, 100% of those who died from cancer had slept for at least some time over geopathic stress lines!

Figure 1: Baron von Pohl's geo-attic street line map of Vilsbiburg, Germany

Baron von Pohl then investigated another town with a lower cancer incidence, and once again found a 100% correlation between cancer cases and geopathic stress locations. He then returned to the original town, where 11 more people had since died of cancer, and found that all of them had also slept on geopathic stress zones.

At that time (around 1930), von Pohl estimated that about 2.5% (or 1/40th) of the Earth’s surface consisted of geopathic stress zones. Now in 2023, with all of the additional Earth disturbance that has been done in the 93 years since, who knows what percentage of stress zones we are dealing with now!

It’s important to note that underground streams aren’t inherently an unhealthy influence, and if they are flowing smoothly and without obstructions, they are referred to as “white streams”. They only become black streams when some kind of trauma has occurred nearby or across where that stream flows. Usually this is due to manmade causes and events, but sometimes the innate natural topography can obstruct a stream, particularly underground concentrations of iron ore, or geological fault lines.

Geological faults, ley lines and geomagnetic grids

Although black streams (stagnant or polluted underground waterways) are said to be the cause of most geopathic stress, there are other earthly attributes and phenomena that may cause magnetic field abnormalities that could negatively affect human health, as well.

Geological fault lines are fractures, or fracture zones, between two areas of rock that allow each section or plate to move independent of the other. Areas of the Earth with a lot of geological faults will have more earthquakes than other places. The Western US (coastal and interior mountain ranges) and the Rocky Mountains contain the highest concentration of fault lines in the United States, with other fault areas showing up around the Gulf coast, small sections of the Atlantic coast and around the Mississippi river basin. The movement of the plates on either side of a fault line can disturb underground waterways and caverns, distorting the Earth’s electromagnetic field in that location, which can be a cause of geopathic stress. The United States Geological Survey website has a very interesting map of fault lines and fault areas in the U.S.

Ley lines (so named by the Celtic peoples) are larger, stronger pathways of energy, often correlated with large, wide underground waterways. They are more rare than underground streams, but are still found all over the world, and ley line areas were considered sacred by all ancient cultures, due to the high “spiritual” energy of these zones. A large number of sacred structures, temples, ceremonial sites, palaces and cathedrals, as well as the processional routes to these places, have been constructed upon ley lines.

The Chinese called them “veins of the Dragon”, and the ancient Incas left evidence of a similar system they called the ‘seques’ which connected the center of their empire in Cuzco to the four corners, and they invested a large amount of time and energy into caring for and maintaining these sacred pathways. Likewise, in Europe, most of the ancient temples and holy sites, as well as Christian churches up to the 18^th century, have been sited on ley lines. The sites of Avalon in England and the temples of Delphos in Greece are said to be connected by a ley line.

However, these high energy zones are usually not considered suitable for living spaces. Homes constructed on these lines can be a site of various disturbances, and are considered a type of geopathic stress. This is especially the case at points where two ley lines cross, which are thought of as very potent energy zones, too strong for daily living.

One more potential source of geopathic stress are areas along the geomagnetic grids where the grid lines cross black streams or ley lines. These grids mark pathways where the Earth’s magnetic field is stronger, and are alternately known as Hartmann lines, Curry lines and by other names. The grid lines are usually considered mostly neutral in their effect on living organisms, except where these stronger magnetic fields cross areas of disturbance, which potentiates the distortion effect and amplifies negative symptoms. Besides changing the strength of the magnetic field in those areas, grid lines can alter the electrical conductivity of the ground, increase the concentration of positive ions, and sometimes even increase gamma radiation. These grid lines are considered to be 6-10 inches wide, and occur approximately every 4-7 feet, throughout the world. Areas where two grid lines cross may also be considered stress zones under certain circumstances.

Geopathic stress zones can also be areas where radon gas (a type of ionizing alpha radiation) is emitted at higher levels, which has many deleterious health effects.

What are the negative health effects of geopathic stress, and how can we negate it?

Although the modern, materialistic scientific community is often dismissive of the existence of geopathic stress, this topic has been surprisingly well studied over the past century. Various symptoms, disorders and serious diseases have been linked to the effects of geopathic stress. These include insomnia, nightmares, infertility, miscarriage, migraines, arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, asthma, eczema, rheumatism, hyperactivity in children, and various conditions of a chronically depleted immune system. It has also been linked in studies to multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Crohn’s disease, mental disorders (including addiction, depression and schizophrenia), and even cancer.

It is widely thought that geopathic stress primarily affects the immune system, putting it under considerable stress. It seems likely to us that geopathic stress affects the immune system in a very similar way as manmade electromagnetic fields, as the body perceives the distorted frequencies of both types of fields as foreign, unfamiliar and unsafe, and mounts an immune response against them. The constant battle and overactive immune response eventually depletes the immune system, rendering it less capable of fighting off pathogens and misaligned cells.

We get asked fairly often if Blushield will protect against geopathic stress, which is the reason we decided to do a deep dive into this topic! Blushield produces an alternative, nature-based, biologically coherent frequency field that the body can entrain with preferentially. Whether the stress is due to manmade electromagnetic fields from cell phones, Wifi and home electricity, or distorted electromagnetic fields in geopathic zones, Blushield’s nature-based frequency field gives your body an alternative “radio station” to tune into, removing the majority of the stress from these harmful, discordant frequencies.

There are other methods one can utilize to minimize geopathic stress, but these methods all depend on locating and pinpointing the exact areas of stress, so they can be neutralized with techniques such as “earth acupuncture” or other devices like copper wire shaped in specific ways. If you suspect that you regularly interact with a geopathic stress zone, you can find a dowser to pinpoint the exact locations and help you remedy it. You can also use a Blushield in your home, which can solve the issue in a much simpler way for most people who don’t have access to these other services, as the large coverage area of the Blushield home units will “blanket” all the areas of stress without you having to determine their specific location.

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Chinese Emperor Kuang Yu (2205-2197 BC) proclaimed an edict, effective to this day, which reads: “No dwelling shall be built until the earth diviners have confirmed the intended building site to be free of earth demons.”

Likewise, all the way to this current day, after a broad and extensive study done in Vienna, Austria in the 1980s, there are now parts of Austria where permission will not be granted for many types of buildings unless the site has been dowsed and determined to be free of distorted earth radiation and geopathic stress.

From ancient to modern times, in many parts of the world this subject is considered very important, and we think that it’s worthy of consideration.

References:

• “The History of Geopathic Stress Research” – https://landandspirit.net/geomancy-articles/history-geopathic-stress-research/

• “What is Geopathology: Professional Researches” – https://www.drgeo.life/professional-researches/

• Alexstark.com: “Guidelines for Earth Energy Analysis” – https://www.alexstark.com/guidelines/blog-post-title-four-hrd53-6awsy

• Alexstark.com: “Geomancy” – https://www.alexstark.com/geomancy

• United States Geological Survey (USGS.gov): U.S. Quaternary Faults – https://usgs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=5a6038b3a1684561a9b0aadf88412fcf

• “Note On Geopathic Stress: Magnetic Grid Lines And UG Water Streams” – https://lfeglobal.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Note-on-Geopathic-Stress.pdf

• “Apparatus for combating the effects of geopathic stress” – https://patents.google.com/patent/IES68066B2/en

From inception, WiFi has represented an indispensable part giving us the access to be connected at home, school, work and in public. It has actually made life so much easier that we now have adapted expectations of standards of connectivity to be everywhere we go and now more than ever we are relying on that same WiFi to support productivity and help us maintain organization. One thing is for sure, WiFi has come a long way from delivering two megabytes per second of data transfer between wireless phones.

With all this progress there has to be some form of a price, right? Well, yes. There is always a price. Philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” In 1910, Henry Ford worked hard to deliver a reliable product that would assist people getting from place to place in a more efficient way. I am sure he was not the most aware of the detriments of vehicle pollution when working on the car, how could he?

Fast forward 50 years later, and cars became produced at greater volumes allowing customers to have more preference, more choices of personal style and it became a little less about utility. As of today, the U.S Bureau of Transportation Statistics states that there are 264 million motor vehicles registered and potentially on the roads in this country making daily trips and work commutes.  I’m sure Henry Ford couldn’t even predict those numbers.

In the same way, cars provide utility they can also emitted substances not intended for greater amounts of exposure. The same can be said for our the appliances that we know and love and have really become an extension of who we are as individuals. Over the years we have seen the research and myths about some of our beloved household items being linked to cancers and a host of other illnesses due to electromagnetic radiation. Appliances such as television sets, microwaves and well, essentially any product that relies on a source of energy to make our lives easier has been on the grand stage of investigation to find their impact on the bodies and minds of humans. Fortunately, there are some things within your control.

Practical Adjustments

I am sure reading these articles can cause a little uneasiness. It is tough to hear the products that have made you more efficient and have entertained you can also be harmful. I felt the same, luckily we’re not alone. There are people who are EMF sensitive, individuals seeking protection against WiFi radiation, and business owners alike, all working on creative ways to inspire us to create more distance between our devices and draw us more aware of each other and the world around us.

In more tech-industry dense populations such as San Francisco and Chicago, cities have taken notice by creating “No Tech Zones” in bars, restaurants and popular cafes. These owners have created unique one-of-a-kind entertainment experiences offering exotic cocktails, themed nights, and creative local bites. This concept has paid off handsomely for some of these businesses as lines often wrapped around the block. These establishments are among the growing number of private locations that have prohibited the use of technological devices as a way of offering you greater protection against WiFi radiation, but more than that it is protecting the ideology of their operations. In the future don’t be surprised to see more of these “tech-free” zones pop up in your neighborhood as a way to get you more in tune with real life.

How to Protect Yourself from Electromagnetic Fieldsents

It is true that it is hard to make choices and determinations over what you have no control over such as how to rest of the public use of WiFi. However, there are lots of personal measures that you can take to offer yourself the best possible protection against WiFi radiation and electromagnetic fields. The first thing to do is make a list of all the products in your home that use WiFi, Bluetooth or any other radio transmitted source of energy. On that list, place a checkmark against the products that you use daily. For the ones that you require daily use, try unplugging them. This will eliminate the radiation from entering your body and home. For the other products check out the alternatives below that might positively impact your life.

One of the easiest ways of how to reduce EMF exposure in your home is investing in a router guard. These devices are specially designed to reduce the amount of radiation emitted from your WiFi router. This device can offer protection against WiFi radiation

For those of you wanting to know the dangers of EMF exposure, you could greatly reduce the issue by re-tuning your life from a wireless to more wire and cord operated devices. Instead of wireless headsets, try using a phone that uses digital enhanced cordless technology. DECT phones work like a landline in the sense that it has a base and several cordless phones that connect, but they also allow you to move around and be mobile. When using the computer try using an ethernet cable instead of WiFi. When using a laptop trying using a heat or radiation shield. These devices usually are very thin and many already functioning as a stand, especially for tablets and other e-readers.

There are also several products that will assist your family in how to reduce radiation from WiFi. Rather you work from home, running more energy-efficient lights for the holidays, live near a smart meter, or just generally spending extended amounts of time on devices that use WiFi try the Tesla Gold Series Plugin found HERE. All of these devices were crafted for protection from WiFi radiation, and any other possible electromagnetic field. These products are designed to be easy to carry and perfect for home, work, for business trips, vacations you name it. For anyone who keeps their cell phone close, try BlueShield's Tesla Gold Series Portable found HERE. This device easily fits insides a pocket or purse. It is intended for use outside of the home. It comes equipped with a rechargeable battery. It is perfect for quick errands or outings.

References:

1. U.S. Department of Transportation, Bureau of Transportation Statistics, Transportation Statistics Annual Report 2017 (Washington, DC: 2017).

Exposure to electromagnetic fields affects our biology in many different ways. Several of our recent articles have been focused deep dives on how EMFs detrimentally affect a specific aspect of our biology, by exploring the current body of research in each area, considering the possible mechanisms of harm, as well as proposing ways to minimize or negate that harm. Our most recent deep dives have been on the subject of blood glucose and insulin, as well as cognitive effects including memory, attention and learning impairment. The most probable way that EMFs are causing damage in these areas relates to the highly electrically sensitive voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) in our cells, as we have extensively elaborated on in these previous articles.

With the VGCC groundwork we have already laid, which should give you a thorough understanding of this complex and fascinating electrochemical system in all of our bodies, we are now going to build on that and address the issues of DNA damage and fertility problems that can be caused by electromagnetic field exposure.

DNA damage and fertility issues are some of the most well studied and well known effects of excessive exposure to harmful EMFs. They are also some of the most dangerous and alarming, if you consider the implications. Let’s touch on some of the most profound studies in each area, and then ponder the potentially devastating domino effects of both issues.

DNA damage results in cell destruction and mutation

One of the most well known initial studies that found DNA damage from radiofrequency radiation was in 1995, by Henry Lai and Narendra Singh, a prolific research team who have done extensive studies on EMF harm over the years. This study found single strand DNA breaks in cultured rat brain cells exposed to low intensity microwave/Wifi frequency radiation of 2.45 GHz. The harm was found to be dose dependent, meaning longer exposure times resulted in more damage. This is important to note, since most people in modern times are exposed to this exact type of radiation 24/7 from their Wifi routers (and Wifi connected computers), and for shorter durations (but still regularly) from any device that uses Bluetooth, as well as cooking with microwave ovens.

Then in 2004, a comprehensive report sponsored by the European Commission, called the Reflex Report, demonstrated that radiation from 2G cell phone handsets was found to cause both single and double strand breaks in the DNA of cultured human and animal cells.

A study report published in 2011, by Martin Blank and Reba Goodman, examined existing studies and found increased stress protein levels and DNA strand breaks from EMF exposure, and interestingly, the effects persisted across a wide spectrum of frequencies, from extremely low frequency (ELF) up to the high radiofrequency (RF) spectrum. Being affected by such a wide spectrum points toward the likelihood of DNA acting as a fractal antenna, as the fractal nature would allow it to resonate with and pick up frequencies across a very wide range. The authors explained how DNA actually appears to possess both attributes of a fractal antenna: electronic conduction and self-symmetry. This could imply that DNA is an especially sensitive receiving instrument for all EMFs in the vicinity – from natural, “good” EMFs to harmful, repetitive ones! This could also mean it’s highly prone to damage from biologically harmful types of frequencies.

The current body of research on DNA damage from EMF exposure shows evidence of single strand breaks, double strand breaks, and oxidized bases in the cellular DNA. Each of these three types of DNA changes can play roles in cell mutation and cancer causation, by triggering chromosomal breaks, rearrangements, deletions and duplications, copy number mutations, and gene amplification. In the process of DNA destruction, essential genes that control cell division can be damaged or lost, causing cells to mutate because they lack proper instruction for their division.

As mentioned previously, DNA damage from EMFs is thought to be caused by the cascade of effects from excessive signaling of the VGCCs. When the calcium channels are overstimulated, it creates a chain reaction of other processes: the excess calcium creates a large quantity of nitric oxide, which then turns into peroxynitrite. Peroxynitrate degrades into free radicals like ROS (reactive oxygen species), which creates oxidative stress. These free radical breakdown products directly attack the DNA, causing cellular DNA damage. The free radicals have a damaging domino effect, where each free radical creates another of itself, continuing the cycle of damage until it meets up with an antioxidant of some kind, which halts the process of that particular free radical chain.

Cell and DNA damage from non-ionizing radiation may be a lot more similar to how damage from ionizing radiation (like gamma rays and x-rays) is inflicted than previously thought. Free radicals are the cause of much of the damage from ionizing radiation, as well, in a similar process. Ionizing radiation is considered dangerous because it can ionize (split apart) atoms inside the cell. Turns out non-ionizing radiation also damages cell membranes, causes DNA fragmentation and does considerable collateral damage to other cell components, which can result in cell death. So the end product of damage from all types of radiation can be one and the same.

Potentially the largest and most important study showing DNA damage and cancers of the brain and heart was executed by the U.S. Government itself – the National Toxicology Program study that cost $30 million dollars and took 10 years to complete, with a verdict (after an expert peer review panel) in 2018 of “clear evidence of carcinogenic activity”. The shocking dismissal of these results by our government since that time represents what many see as one of the most egregious crimes against humanity in the world of EMF research. They took a meticulously designed, perfectly executed study, funded wholly with U.S. taxpayer money, and shoved it under the rug. You can read all about the NTP study in this article.

EMFs are also linked to breast cancer, prostate cancer, ovarian cancer and melanomas. Much of this is thought to be related to how EMFs suppress melatonin production. Most people think of melatonin as the “sleep hormone”, but it’s vastly more than that. Melatonin does help you have deep, restful sleeps, which allows your cells to rejuvenate and your immune system to restore itself, which is very important in cancer prevention. Melatonin also massively increases the ability of vitamin D to stop tumor growth – by 20 to 100 times! Also, melatonin is a powerful antioxidant that deactivates free radicals, such as the ROS that is produced through chain reaction by EMF exposure.

Reduced fertility & increased risk of miscarriage & birth defects

Although DNA damage and fertility issues may seem unrelated, lowered male and female fertility are associated with the same oxidative stress process that causes DNA damage. Fertility issues and birth defects are a result of DNA damage, but of the germ-line cells instead of the somatic cells.

Changes in somatic cell lines affect the health of that organism, without affecting its reproductive cells. Germ-line changes refer to alterations that DO affect reproductive cells (within the sperm and the egg), thereby altering the cells of future offspring. DNA damage from EMFs was found to affect both types of cells, affecting our current state of health, as well as the health of future generations!

EMF exposure reduces the synthesis of steroid hormones, including testosterone and progesterone, which can reduce libido and fertility. The VGCC activation chain caused by EMFs can also prevent sperm from effectively fertilizing an egg.

A study by the prestigious Cleveland Clinic showed that the more hours a man spends on his cell phone, the lower his sperm count, and sperm quality was substantially diminished. Men who used a cell phone for more than 4 hours a day had a 25% lower sperm count than those who rarely used a cell phone. They also noted a 50% drop in the number of properly formed sperm! Overall, they found significant effects on sperm count, mobility, viability and appearance.

In one of many studies linking EMF exposure and miscarriages, it was shown that almost one thousand pregnant women had a 180% increased incidence of miscarriage when exposed to slightly stronger than average magnetic fields of just 16 milligauss. Miscarriage is often caused by chromosomal mutations. We know that a man’s sperm is continually created throughout his life, so any mutations reflect his current and recent level of health. However, with women, we have a much more serious situation. All of a woman’s eggs she will ever have are created when she is in utero. She goes her entire life with these eggs, so if any are damaged at any point in her life, and a damaged egg gestates into a baby, it significantly increases her risk of either miscarriage or birth defects.

The eggs of a female baby and young girl are still immature, so they are more susceptible to damage during growth. Once an egg is damaged, it has been found to be irreversible, and the genetic damage in that egg is passed down to her female offspring’s eggs, and their female offspring!

This excellent and comprehensive study review from 2018 concludes from the available data that electromagnetic fields of various frequencies (especially the most highly tested 2.45 GHz Wifi frequencies and 60 Hz home electricity) have detrimental effects on human and animal reproductive health, including fertility and pregnancy and birth outcomes, even at very low levels of exposure. The studies found significantly reduced sperm motility and viability, increased sperm DNA fragmentation and damage, reproductive organ damage and carcinogenic risk, lower serum testosterone, increased testicular temperature, germ cell death, oxidative stress induced endometrial damage, altered hormonal cycles in females that reduced fertility, as well as DNA fragmentation in female egg cells with negative effects on embryonic development and fetal abnormalities.

Protecting your DNA and healthy reproduction

Cancers rates are increasing worldwide, with 19 million new cases diagnosed in 2020. Predictions state that cases per year could rise to nearly 29 million by the year 2040! At the same time, human sperm count has dropped to below 50% of what used to be considered normal throughout the technologically advanced countries of the world, and reproductive rates have fallen below replacement levels in most places, as well. Many factors are thought to contribute to the cancer and fertility crises, and our approach to protecting our health (and the health of our descendants) should be multifaceted. Based on the many available studies we just touched on, linking EMFs to DNA damage and fertility issues, we would do well to include EMF reduction and protection in our health strategy!

EMF protection in itself should be approached from several angles. Minimizing EMF exposure sources (much as possible and practical) is the best first step. After that, you can add effective EMF protection technology (like Blushield) to protect you from the EMF exposure sources you cannot control or eliminate. Optimizing your melatonin levels will also go a long way to ensuring your body has enough of this precious and potent endogenous super antioxidant to protect all of your cells from damage. Lastly, a nutrient rich, clean diet with abundant sources of antioxidants (such as vitamin C and E, polyphenols and flavonoids) will ensure that any oxidative stress from EMF exposure will be neutralized quickly.

References:

• Study: “Acute low-intensity microwave exposure increases DNA single-strand breaks in rat brain cells” – https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/bem.2250160309

• Reflex Report: “Risk Evaluation of Potential Environmental Hazards From Low Frequency Electromagnetic Field Exposure Using Sensitive in vitro Methods” – https://itis.swiss/assets/Downloads/Papers-Reports/Reports/REFLEXFinal-Report171104.pdf

• Study: “DNA is a fractal antenna in electromagnetic fields” – https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/09553002.2011.538130

• Study review: “Effect of radiofrequency radiation on reproductive health” – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6469375/

• Study: “A Population-Based Prospective Cohort Study of Personal Exposure to Magnetic Fields during Pregnancy and the Risk of Miscarriage” – https://www.jstor.org/stable/3703242

• Study review: “Cell phones and brain tumors: a review including the long-term epidemiologic data” – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0090301909001451

• Cleveland Clinic study review: “Radiations and male fertility” – https://www.clevelandclinic.org/ReproductiveResearchCenter/docs/publications/692_Radiations_and_male_fertility.pdf

If you have been following our several years long coverage of the ongoing (and quite exhausting) power struggle saga of the FCC and telecoms vehemently denying all reported and documented harms of wireless radiation exposure, and trying to push forward with ever more cell tower and antenna installations in spite of the rapidly accumulating opposition, here is the next segment for you.

In one of our most recent articles on this subject, we reported on the U.S. Court of Appeals mandamus order against the FCC, demanding that they properly address the many reports of harm from wireless radiation that were ignored when the FCC recently decided not to reassess and change their 1996 wireless exposure guidelines, which are grossly outdated and inadequate. In the light of that verdict, it really made us wonder what else the devious and conniving FCC and telecoms could possibly do to avoid accountability, as it really seemed like they had been backed into a corner!

It’s looking like their next move on the chess board has been made, this time in the form of a proposed Federal bill, named the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023, or H.R. 3557.

As with all deceptive legalese, the wording of this bill makes it sound like a helpful and generous move on the part of the U.S. Government, using the trendy catchphrases “bridging the gap” and “fixing the digital divide” so that low income, rural residents will have access to the same online services and opportunities as higher income, urban folks.

If you think this sounds good and reasonable, you need to understand why wireless will NEVER properly address the digital divide, and how the FCC actually created this divide in the first place, which we explain in this article.

Their stated intention to “streamline” Federal, state and local permitting and regulatory reviews to “expedite” the deployment of communications facilities is some pretty major red flag wording, in our estimation.

What this bill is actually seeking to do is remove local municipal opposition to the placement of new cell towers, by eliminating moratoriums (temporary suspensions of activity due to concerns or potential issues), and setting a strict limit on the time that a local municipality is allowed to take to respond to applications for new cell towers. If an application is not approved or denied within this very short timeline, it would be automatically approved with no permit required, and with no public safety protection rules. If the local government denies the application, this bill would give the FCC the power to review and contest application denials, rather than the local federal district courts who are empathetic to the voices of their local community.

The bill would remove local zoning laws, allowing telecoms to build cell towers in neighborhoods and close to schools and playgrounds. It would also remove environmental and historic preservation reviews as potential road blocks to cell tower placement. This may result in new cell towers placed in protected historic areas and natural areas with abundant wildlife diversity, while the community is rendered helpless to protect their local treasures. This is clearly in response to the looming September deadline that requires the FCC to consult with NEPA (the National Environmental Protection Agency) on the environmental impact of wireless radiation, which we covered more about here.

This bill only grants more freedom to the telecoms and more restrictions on local and state decision making, while imposing zero obligations on the telecoms. Although the bill states an intention to “serve rural areas”, it does not present any new rules requiring that the telecoms do anything of the sort. If this bill passed, these large, incredibly rich and powerful corporations would have even more legal allowance to do whatever they want, and with our own tax dollars, of course.

All freedom, no responsibility!

This kind of bill would completely upend many open court cases between the public and the telecoms, including the recent case we wrote about in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, regarding a cell tower installed in a neighborhood that made 17 residents sick and unable to continue living in their houses. This bill would silence their efforts, and they would suddenly no longer have a valid case in the court of law.

It may also make the FCC’s court-ordered review of documented harm from wireless radiation totally irrelevant legally. They may be able to say whatever they want, address the reports of harm minimally, and still get away with “expediting” more and more cell tower and small cell antenna placements, for the sake of “progress”.

Essentially, if this bill passes in the U.S. House and Senate, the implications are terrible and widespread.

Help us #KillHR3557 by telling your elected officials to oppose H.R. 3557, the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023.

Blushield joins Kansans For Health Freedom event next month!

The Blushield USA team will be attending an exciting event coming up next month in Kansas, focused on health freedom and featuring speakers from the Children’s Health Defense organization (including Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.), who are leading the fight against unsafe wireless radiation projects and unchecked cell tower placements.

Blushield is supporting this event at the highest sponsorship level, and even better, we will be physically present during the entire event, with a booth set up with our products and information. We will be doing several product giveaways during the event, so if you attend, you will have a chance to win one of several Blushield home and portable devices!

Plus, this is a great opportunity to meet our team in person, which would be so much fun for us!

The event is August 25^th and 26^th, 2023, in Olathe, Kansas. Find out more details here:

Freedom Revival in the Heartland

References:

• Children’s Health Defense: “Take Action to Prevent the Next Wireless Invasion – Stop the American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023 from Being Enacted” – https://childrenshealthdefense.org/community-forum/take-action-to-prevent-the-next-wireless-invasion

• Americans for Responsible Technology: “Stop Big Government Takeover of Local Control” – https://www.americansforresponsibletech.org/stop3557

• Energycommerce.house.gov: “E&C Advances Seven Bills to Close the Digital Divide and Improve American Leadership in Wireless Communications” – https://energycommerce.house.gov/posts/e-and-c-advances-seven-bills-to-close-the-digital-divide-and-improve-american-leadership-in-wireless-communications

• Congress.gov: “H.R.3557 - American Broadband Deployment Act of 2023” – https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/3557

• “US House Committee Advances Bill to Gut Local Zoning and Community Input, Advance Corporate Interests” – https://conduitstreet.mdcounties.org/2023/05/31/us-house-committee-advances-bill-to-gut-local-zoning-and-community-input-advance-corporate-interests/

In 2020, when most of the world shut down in response to a declared viral pandemic, the lives of dozens of residents of a small town in Massachusetts were changed drastically, but from a completely different type of threat. Although schools and workplaces were shut down, one type of activity ramped up even more fervently: the clearing of forests, destruction and displacement of entire ecosystems of animals and insects, and the unchallenged construction of large, looming metal structures that characterizes the placement of new cell phone towers.

As almost all social activity in their lives had ceased, the residents of a neighborhood in Pittsfield, Massachusetts were bewildered and mortified as huge trucks (and trucks carrying other trucks) spent full days on the previously quiet, calm streets of their small town, building something unknown but clearly massive that nobody knew was coming. The many trucks coming and going daily changed the peaceful and quiet atmosphere to one of constant noise, air pollution from exhaust, and even damage to their roads and water lines from the heavy weight of the trucks, one time leaving them without water in their homes for a full day, with no way of leaving to seek out water elsewhere as the trucks blocked the roads.

In a place where kids used to play safely on the streets and neighbors would take their daily walks, the residents now found themselves cowering inside their homes, wondering what kind of behemoth was going to be their new neighbor.

When one resident questioned the construction company directly, they were told that a Verizon cell phone tower was being built.

Legally, a city that approves the construction of a new cell tower is required to send notice of the impending buildout to all residents within 300 feet of the construction zone. When questioned, the city of Pittsfield claimed they did just that, but did not have any proof, and none of the nearby residents had received any notice at all.

Upon further digging, they discovered that the tower was silently granted a permit in 2017, with only one resident in attendance. After being informed by residents of where the construction was occurring, City Councilor Christopher Connell told them the initial permit application raised no red flags to him, as the address that Verizon gave was deceptive – it implied that the tower would be placed at the other end of the 60-acre private lot, considerably further away from the residents’ homes than the space directly adjacent to the residential neighborhood where the tower was actually being built. Even more alarming, it was being built through an illegal access point to the property, located in the residential neighborhood.

“For this to appear at the other end, into a neighborhood, is deplorable in my opinion," Connell said.

As building continued, some of the residents took all the action they could think to take – taking photos of the construction, contacting the city and all local departments that could assist them in the matter, and even talking to the construction workers, who begin to verbally harass them. Even though the private lot the tower was being built on was technically zoned residential and had a height restriction of 35 feet, workers told residents that their area was okay to build on, as it was considered “open space” and “no one lived there”, and that the residents are considered “collateral damage” and “people of low education, living on land of low value.” They were told that the tower was going to get “up and on” before the residents had a chance to organize and try to fight back.

Later that year, there was a 115-foot cell phone tower right at the end of their street, all trees within the vicinity cleared to the ground, surrounded by a barbed wire fence.

At first, residents were most concerned about the ambiance of their neighborhood, the ugly view of the tower that replaced the beautiful forest outside their windows, and the inevitable plummeting of their property values as a result of the tower being placed so close to their homes. The local historical society was upset that the Herman Melville House Museum property was directly adjacent to the cell tower, marring the historical feel and appeal to tourists.

At that point, residents didn’t know they also needed to be worried about the health effects of the radiation... until the tower was turned on, and dozens of residents simultaneously began experiencing a kind of ill health they had never dealt with before.

17 residents fall ill after neighborhood cell tower is turned on

Soon after the tower was turned on, children and adults living nearby began experiencing symptoms of ill health they had never felt before. The day the tower was fired up, 13-year-old Amelia Gilardi’s little sister started feeling dizzy, headachy, and complaining of a buzzing in her head. Amelia didn’t even know what a cell tower was until construction began on their street, but soon her entire family was experiencing troubling symptoms they had not anticipated.

Neighbors began complaining of various health issues. Elaine Ireland, a local resident who had never been prone to headaches, began experiencing frequent headaches and ringing in the ears. Reports of dizziness, insomnia, heart palpitations, headaches, nausea and vomiting, skin rashes, and memory and cognitive issues began adding up. One person was so dizzy that he could no longer drive his car. Another got tinnitus so bad that he was considering moving. Some of the kids had to sleep with “vomit buckets” next to their beds. By the end of that year, the Gilardi family knew of at least 13 neighbors that were sick, and one had even developed cancer. After a couple years of continued exposure, there are now 17 neighbors complaining of issues, and 3 now have cancer.

Some of the residents were awakened to a sense of urgency that they needed to do whatever they could to either have the tower turned off, or moved further away – continuing to live in their homes, without their health being threatened, depended on it. Amelia’s mother, Courtney Gilardi, became one of the leading activists in this cause, repeatedly attempting to contact the local Health Department and calling attention to the issue at City Council meetings. At first, no one would listen, or do anything to help them.

The response from the city was not quick enough, and as the residents’ symptoms continued and even worsened, some had to sell their homes and move elsewhere, and others had to go stay with friends or even live in their cars. Amelia’s family had access to a small cottage a few miles away, where they retreated to find relief from their symptoms. The house was old, tiny, and infested with rats, with no personal space for the kids. Yet, the relief they felt from their radiation symptoms made it the only acceptable option. Over time, as their family dynamic became stressed and disrupted due to poor living conditions and their mother working full days just on the cell tower issue, the children yearned to be back in their home and living their normal lives.

One day, Amelia’s little sister told their mom that she doesn’t remember what it was like to live in their own house.

Amelia spoke in person at a local City Council meeting for the first time at age 13 – you can listen to her speech here. Since then, at only age 15, she has already spoken at more than 50 Board of Health and City Council meetings on this issue!

Pittsfield residents’ fight back finally gains traction

Finally, after much discussion, the City Council decided to send the issue to the Pittsfield Board of Health for an investigation. After combing through stacks of research papers and questioning a dozen scientists and doctors, which took a full 18 months, the members of the Board began waking up to the true potential for danger that wireless radiation has on human health. For the first time in United States history, a local Health Board issued an emergency cease-and-desist order, directing a cell phone company to shut down a cell tower. It was a bold move, but the stakes were high, and the residents were not backing down, as they were desperate for relief and resolution.

Unfortunately, the reaction was retaliatory – Verizon sued the City of Pittsfield, stating that their cell tower radiation was well within FCC exposure level guidelines, and essentially blaming the residents of faking their illnesses by stating that they must have psychological problems. Since the Pittsfield Board of Health had not allocated funds to support a lawsuit, they unfortunately chose to withdraw the order.

But Verizon and the other telecoms know just as well as the rest of us that the FCC guidelines were set way back in 1996, based on the comparatively meager radiation levels most of humanity was exposed to at the time from the sporadic fancy flip phone, pagers and cordless home phones. Furthermore, the guidelines are based only on exposure levels that produce thermal (heating) effects, while thousands of studies have proven there are non-thermal harmful effects of RF radiation. Of course, they are dead set on never admitting publicly that they know all this, as it would cut a huge chunk from their profits.

For a detailed explanation of why the FCC guidelines are outdated and allow nearly every life form to be exposed to dangerous levels of radiation with no recourse, you can read our article on the current court order requiring the FCC to address the mountain of evidence on health harms and update their 1996 safety guidelines accordingly:

FCC Under Fire: The Pressure Is On For Radiofrequency Safety Guideline Updates

At this point, they are just delaying the inevitable. Sooner or later, justice will find them, and they will have to backtrack so far that the industry itself may face a kind of collapse! But how long is it going to take for the final blow to be dealt, illegal and harmful cell towers shut down (or at least moved further away from people), so that people like Amelia Gilardi’s family, Elaine Ireland, and over a dozen of their neighbors can move back into the homes they own, and resume their normal lives?

Children’s Health Defense steps in to help

Since the city withdrew the cease-and-desist order, and the story has gained traction in the media, Children’s Health Defense stepped in and picked up the case. CHD is determined to help these people get back in their homes safely, and to fight to set a new precedent to win future cases where the telecoms are unjustly driving people out of their homes.

The attorney on the case is Scott McCullough, CHD’s leading litigator for electromagnetic radiation cases, and the very same attorney who recently fought (and won!) to require the FCC to update their outdated safety guidelines!

This legal battle is still ongoing. In June, a superior court judge ruled that the lawsuit can move forward, after some objections from Verizon tried to put a halt to the case. The court is admitting that the plaintiffs (the local residents and CHD) have a valid case to be made, and they want to hear more.

The revolutionary and incredibly important work that Children’s Health Defense attorneys are doing to protect children (and all living beings) from harmful environmental factors including wireless radiation requires continuous funding, as they are a non-profit organization.

Our Blushield USA team is made up of a few families, and most of us have children of our own. We strongly believe in the importance of the work CHD is doing, which is why we support them with monthly financial contributions! When you purchase your Blushield home and portable EMF protection devices, know that you are helping us to financially support the vitally important cases that Children’s Health Defense takes on.

You can read more about Our Causes here

References:

• Children’s Health Defense: “15-year-old Activist Stands Up to Big Telecom” – https://live.childrenshealthdefense.org/chd-tv/shows/good-morning-chd/15yearold-activist-stands-up-to-big-telecom/

• Safe Tech International: “5G Earth Day Countdown: Children – Amelia’s Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Cell Tower Days” – https://safetechinternational.org/5g-earth-day-countdown-children-amelias-terrible-horrible-no-good-very-bad-cell-tower-days/

• Children’s Health Defense: “Lawsuit Over Verizon Cell Tower Can Proceed, Judge Rules” – https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pittsfield-verizon-cell-tower-lawsuit-proceeds/

• Environmental Health Trust: “Pittsfield, MA Board of Health Unanimously Votes to Issue Cease and Desist for Verizon Cell Tower” – https://ehtrust.org/pittsfield-ma-board-of-health-unanimously-votes-to-issue-cease-and-desist-for-verizon-cell-tower/