EMF & The Brain

Symptoms, Mechanisms of Impacts, The Most Vulnerable & Ways to Lower Vulnerability

I look forward to the day when lowering exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) will be right up there with other basic health recommendations, such as getting adequate sleep and exercise, managing stress and limiting or avoiding sugar. In the meantime, I’ll try, in this newsletter, to convince you of why lowering exposure is a good idea. 

I’ll discuss:

• Symptoms associated with EMF exposure.

• How EMF appears to impact the brain.

• Factors that increase our vulnerability to the effects of EMF.

• Ways to lower that vulnerability.

As will become evident, these vulnerabilities very much overlap with vulnerabilities to brain conditions and chronic complex illness.

When I use “EMF,” I’m referring to the more concerning types - radio-frequencies, magnetic and electric fields and dirty electricity.  For simplicity, I’ll be talking about these collectively, though much of the emerging research is on radio-frequencies (cell phones, WiFi, SMART or wireless technology).  

Symptoms Associated With EMF Exposure:

• Insomnia

• Memory problems

• Irritability

• Depression

• Personality changes

• Inattention

• Fatigue

• Disorientation and confusion

• Headache

• Ringing in ears

• Dizziness

• Numbness

• Tingling

• Skin - stinging or burning sensations, redness, itching or rosacea

• Heart palpitations

• Swelling of hands and feet related to dilation of veins

How Many People Are Impacted?

5-35% of the population may be adversely affected by EMF.  Prior to 5G (and thus a big step up in exposure), US estimates suggested that 30% of the population had mild sensitivity, 5% moderate and .65% had high sensitivity.  In Europe, it was estimated that 5-10% of people had electromagnetic sensitivity.  

Despite the seeming lack of public awareness (especially here in the US), there is a great deal of research into the biologic impacts on plants, animals, and humans.   As with any toxin or toxicant, research is made difficult by the varying amounts and duration of EMF exposures and varying combinations of different types of EMF.  While you can put mice in a controlled environment, expose them to radio-frequencies and measure certain outcomes such as changes in brain structure and even tumor growth, that is more difficult to do with humans.  Add to these challenges the ongoing research promoted by cell phone companies that not surprisingly counters what is otherwise being learned.

Some of the human studies have focused on those who are electromagnetically hypersensitive or have “EHS.” That shouldn’t minimize what these studies can mean for all of us.  Just as with any toxin or toxicant, there will be the canaries in the coal mine who will first feel the impacts. Because a trigger for EHS is high exposure and because EMF is increasing rapidly, the incidence of EHS is expected to increase. 

Here are ten ways EMF appears to impact the brain:

1. Oxidative Stress & Neurotoxicity

Oxidative stress is when our antioxidant systems are overwhelmed by free radicals, resulting in the depletion of our protections against cellular damage - our antioxidants.  There are a number of biological markers that have been used to measure oxidative stress from radio-frequencies. One example is a decrease in glutathione levels. Glutathione is one of, if not the most important antioxidant in the body.

EMF has been shown to damage DNA, cell membranes and mitochondria (the energy sources in our cells).  Cell death, in this case, brain cell death, can lead to damaged brain tissue and thus structural changes in the brain.   

Aside from damaging nerve cells, radio-frequencies have been shown to damage sperm, ovarian, cardiac, blood and immune cells.  For example, higher exposure has been associated with lower sperm counts, decreased sperm motility and changes in sperm cell structure. 

2. Disruption of Our Innate Electricity

We are electric beings.  We have electrical impulses that travel through nerve tissue, that make our brains work, help our muscles contract, and cause our heart to beat. This is why pacemakers exist, why when someone’s heart stops beating, an electrical device is used to reactivate their heartbeat, and why the measurement of electrical activity in the brain is used to determine how likely someone will awaken from a coma.

Our health depends on the proper functioning of our innate electricity.  Electrical impulses travel down our nerve cells by way of voltage dependent calcium channels. The opening and closing of these channels, which is impacted by voltage or the electric activity within our body, creates a wave that travels down the cell as an electric impulse.  The interference of this process by EMF can create symptoms. 

3. Immune Dysregulation

Not unlike mold toxicity, EMF appears to both decrease an effective immune response and also add to an exaggerated immune response. EMF exposure has been associated with decreased white cell counts, but also mast cell activation and histamine release. Facial skin samples of people with EHS (electromagnetic hypersensitivity) had a “profound increase in mast cells.” Other studies have found mast cells to be in greater density and larger in size in those with EHS.  

Is this because those with a susceptibility to mast cell activation are just more reactive or is it that the EMF is causing this increase in mast cells?  Either of these would be an argument for lowering exposure, since mast and micro-glial activation are fairly common in psychiatric conditions. 

4. Autonomic Dysfunction

This automatic aspect of our nervous system operates outside of our conscious awareness. It is what has us in fight, flight, or shut down or into a rest and digest state.  We can feel threatened from the outside (a person we don’t trust) or the inside (a bio-toxin or microbe).  EMF similarly can be putting us into a fight (irritability), flight (anxiety) or shut down (emotional numbing, depersonalization) without our knowing why.  

Ways to measure the impacts of EMF on the autonomic nervous system include measuring blood pressure, heart rate and heart rate variability in the presence and absence of EMF.  These are just a few of the biomarkers that can be used to diagnose electromagnetic hypersensitivity.  

5. Hormonal Impacts

Cortisol levels have been shown to increase in the presence of EMF.   Again, the body appears to be experiencing EMF as a threat.  Salivary cortisol levels have been used as another biomarker for diagnosing electromagnetic hypersensitivity. These biomarkers are not necessary to recognize EHS.   If someone suspects they may have EHS, they can lower their exposure and notice if there is a change in symptoms when they return to the exposure. 

EMF can lower melatonin, a hormone produced by the brain. Both high cortisol and low melatonin can contribute to sleep issues.  This is why turning off devices and Wifi at night can have a big impact.  Interestingly too, melatonin has protective benefits against EMF exposure.

Testosterone levels can also be decreased.

6. Disruption of Microbiome

Just as our body has a threat response, as just described, microbes do too.   When microbes feel threatened, they multiply and make more toxins, which make them more virulent. When they feel threatened, they can also change forms and in doing so, become more resistant to antibiotics.  

Each of these microbial defenses have been shown to be used by gut bacteria in the presence of EMF.  Yeast has even been shown to use radio-frequencies as an energy source for growth and mold has been shown in labs to make more toxins in the presence of EMF.  This is why lowering EMF exposure can be an important part of treatment for mold colonization.  

7. Limbic System Dysfunction

This part of our brain is involved in memory, emotion and our stress response.  A decrease in cells in the hippocampus (involved in memory) has been linked to high EMF exposure. 

Separately, because the limbic system is involved in alerting the body to a threat, it is expected that it would be involved in our physiologic response to EMF along with the autonomic nervous system.   Research suggests that subcortical structures are impacted by EMF.  For example, during and after unilateral EMF exposure, for example a cell phone to one side of head, bilateral EEG changes, glucose metabolism and cerebral blood flow were impacted.

Clinically, we also find that limbic system retraining programs are helpful in decreasing electromagnetic hypersensitivity.  

8. Disruption of Blood Brain Barrier

Multiple studies have shown increased permeability of the blood brain barrier with exposure to radio-frequencies. This can mean a greater likelihood of toxins and potentially microbes getting into the brain. 

Separately, EMF has been shown to decrease blood flow to the brain.

9. Demyelination

Myelin is the protective covering on nerve cells that allow impulses to travel more rapidly.  Impacts on myelin can mean disruption of neural impulses along nerve cells. There is evidence that EMF can impact myelin and can play a role in demyelination.

10. Elevated Blood Sugar

This has been looked at most closely with dirty electricity.  Blood sugar levels were found to respond directly to the amount of dirty electricity exposure. This could be particularly relevant for those with candida and mold, which thrive on sugar. These both commonly contribute to brain symptoms.

Who is Most Susceptible?

• Children - with their thinner skulls, smaller size and brains with higher water content, will absorb more radio-frequencies. Relative to adults, they will have longer exposures and they are still developing.

• Those in high exposure settings - schools, hospitals, high tech workplaces.

• Pregnant women and their developing fetuses

• Those who have or have had:

  • electrical trauma (ie. multiple shocks, struck by lightning or had an especially high EMF exposure)

  • chemical trauma 

  • biologic trauma (high microbial burden - fungal, lyme or co-infections, parasites, virus)

  • metal toxicity

  • physical trauma (head, neck and spinal cord)

• Autoimmune conditions

• Those with MTHFR, COMT, GSTM1, GSTT1, SOD2 genetic variants, most of which are involved in detoxification processes.

How to Lower Susceptibility

• Lower exposure. This is the most important part of treatment for EHS.  Reactivity does decrease over time, but often a “sensibility” remains - a recognition of the presence of EMF without severe symptoms.

• Get outside - breath fresh air, walk barefoot on the earth for grounding

• Lower the stress response. For those that need more support - accessing the vagus nerve and limbic system retraining can be helpful. 

• Address toxins - most of the people I have seen with EHS have mold toxicity. Metal toxicity and chemical toxicity are also common.

• Support the foundation - good hydration, sleep, exercise

• Optimize nutrient status - key players - Vitamin C, E, Selenium (used in most Walsh protocols), NAC, glutathione, ALA, COQ10, Magnesium

• SNPs -support enzymes that seem to be impacted by genetic variants.

As you can see, EMF intersects with all of the “root cause” issues I frequently write about here - methylation, other forms of toxicity, “oxidative stress”, the immune system, the gut microbiome, the endocrine system and the autonomic nervous system.  

I hope I’ve made a case for lowering exposure and hope the resources provided in the last newsletter can help you do that.  

On a personal note (and to add to those recommendations) - When my sister who is visiting came over last night, she was thoughtful about turning off her cell phone. As we were talking, however, I started to have some numbness in my feet. I asked her if her laptop might be on.  It wasn’t.  When I used the meter for radio-frequencies, I could see that her phone, despite being off, was still putting off extremely high EMF.  When she turned it on and turned on airplane mode (which would disable bluetooth, Wifi, cellular, and location), the EMF went down to slight. So to add to my checklist, you need to turn on airplane mode prior to turning off your phone.  Mine doesn’t require this, but hers does. Yours may as well.

I am curious if you’ve noticed a sensitivity to EMF even to a slight degree.

Until next time,

Courtney

To learn more about health impacts:

EUROPAEM EMF Guideline 2016 for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of EMF-related health problems and illnesses

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS, microwave syndrome) - Review of mechanisms 2020

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Medical Disclaimer:

This newsletter is for educational purposes and not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment for either yourself or others, including but not limited to patients that you are treating (if you are a practitioner). Consult your own physician for any medical issues that you may be having.