The National Health Security Agency (ANSES) recognizes the symptoms of people who define themselves as hypersensitive to electromagnetic waves, but cannot establish a direct link with the surrounding magnetic fields. Disease still unrecognized or hypochondria?
Migraine, tingling in the hands, irritability, nausea, fatigue … The symptoms of people defining themselves as hypersensitive to surrounding electromagnetic waves are real according to conclusions of the National Health Security Agency (ANSES). For the first time, ANSES officially recognizes the physical and psychological suffering of these patients, without however be able to establish a direct link with an intolerance to magnetic fields emanating from cell phones, relay antennas, microwaves and wifi.
“There is currently no solid experimental evidence to establish a causal link between exposure to electromagnetic fields and the symptoms described by people declaring themselves to be EHS.” But “anyway, the complaints (pain, suffering) formulated by people declaring themselves to be EHS correspond to a lived reality”.
Are humans capable of perceiving electromagnetic waves?
“I have constant headaches. And now that the wifi is everywhere, I have problems with my balance and nausea”, tells Europe 1 Christiane Esteve, 73, hypersensitive for 20 years. Her suffering is such that she uses “canopies, anti-wave fabrics made from copper and silver. I made myself a cap to protect my head”. Real disease or hypochondria? The pervasive fear of being sick from the surrounding airwaves can cause the body to create its own symptoms. The persuasion that one is sensitive to them can also amplify them.
An Ifop / Capital study carried out in 2014 indicated that 13% of French people fear the idea of being sick, even if they have no symptoms. Another study carried out in 2016 suggested that 73% of these hypochondriacs were, for example, more at risk than others of developing cardiovascular diseases. In addition, convincing yourself that you are sensitive, sick, or even in danger, can increase symptoms, with physical suffering going hand in hand with mental suffering. ANSES mentions other possibilities such as migraine.
The scientific community remains skeptical. While the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies electromagnetic waves as potentially carcinogenic, few studies can support this theory. ANSES calls for further research to be carried out on the subject and, in the meantime, recommends better care for these patients who, whatever happens, suffer from proven ailments.
.
