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Electrical sensitivity (ES), also known as electrical hypersensitivity, produces symptoms in a patient when exposed to common levels of electromagnetic fields (EMF) from electrical sources in the environment such as power lines, motors, computers, and so on.
Electrical sensitivity is more well-known in Europe than the United States, due in part to Sweden's active support group, FEB, which has about 2,000 members.
Risk Factors
ES patients often are also Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) sufferers. Other at-risk groups for developing ES seem to be CFS patients and those experiencing mercury toxicity from dental amalgams. Overexposure to EMF can bring on ES, independent of other illness.
Signs & Symptoms
Some ES patients experience only one symptom when EMF exposed, but often more than one symptom is apparent.
Diagnosis & Tests
In the past, if daily computer use at work caused symptoms, a cause-and-effect relationship could be determined by noticing that these symptoms abated evenings and weekends and intensified at work. It would become clear that the workplace, at least, was responsible for the development of the symptoms. However, it could instead be a "sick building" problem in the workplace due to chemical exposures.
For the newly electrically sensitive, it will now be more difficult to pinpoint the cause of their symptoms if they are also reacting to the ambient EMF exposure from various wireless services. The new digital cellular phone is particularly troublesome for some ES; the previous analog cellular system, operating at a lower frequency, was much less of a problem.
Treatment & Prevention
Once a patient realizes that proximity to electrical sources is the triggering event that leads to their symptoms, they find EMF avoidance helpful for reducing reactions. Unfortunately, with the advent of increasing wireless technology, such as cellular phone service and paging systems, EMF avoidance is becoming very difficult for the sensitive, creating more suffering and leading to life-threatening consequences for the severely ill. The chemical sensitivity equivalent of this wireless technology might be aerial pesticide sprayings, a life-threatening event for many MCS patients.
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Signs, symptoms & indicators of Electrical Hypersensitivity:
Conditions that suggest Electrical Hypersensitivity:
Electrical Hypersensitivity can lead to:
KEY | | Weak or unproven link |  | | Strong or generally accepted link |
GLOSSARY
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS, Chronic Fatigue)
A disorder of unknown cause that lasts for prolonged periods and causes extreme and debilitating exhaustion as well as a wide range of other symptoms such as fever, headache, muscle ache and joint pain, often resembling flu and other viral infections. Also known as Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS), Chronic Epstein-Barr Virus (CEBV), Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), "Yuppy Flu" and other names, it is frequently misdiagnosed as hypochondria, psychosomatic illness, or depression, because routine medical tests do not detect any problems.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (Chemical Hypersensitivity, Environmental Illness, MCS)
The diagnostic label of Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) is being applied increasingly, although definition of the phenomenon is elusive. MCS has become more widely known and increasingly controversial as more patients receive the label. Persons with the label of multiple chemical sensitivity are said to suffer multisystem illnesses as a result of contact with - or proximity to - a spectrum of substances, including airborne agents. These may include both recognized pollutants and other pollutants ordinarily considered harmless. Some doctors believe that MCS is a purely psychological issue. Others, however, counter that the disorder can cause the kinds of problems that keep those who are affected from leading a normal life.
Last updated: Sep 28, 2008
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