August is Environmental Toxins Awareness Month at Lotus of Life Chiropractic, and no discussion of the gunk in your world would be complete without covering that of dirty electricity. Dirty electricity is unusable electromagnetic energy that is created by many electrical devices as they operate. It is caused by interruptions in the flow of normal 60-Hertz AC (alternating current) power traveling through wires and electrical systems in homes and other buildings. These interruptions result in voltage spikes, or surges, as well as frequency variations (also called high frequency voltage transients) that combine to form a complex and potentially harmful electromagnetic field – we most commonly refer to the whole lot as EMF (EMF is also a one-hit wonder band from the early 90’s. Ironically, the first 18 seconds of their video is what dirty electricity sounds like. One could argue that the remainder of the video is what dirty electricity feels like.) We wouldn’t mention it, but alas, dirty electricity can lead to chronic symptoms that may be extremely difficult to handle if you’re unaware not only of its potential health threats, but that it’s there at all.
Here are some sources dirty electricity:
- Power lines
- Electric substations
- Motors, not just vehicles, but generators too
- Dimmer circuits for lights
- Fluorescent lighting, particularly strip lighting and CFL lightbulbs
- Wireless devices, including WiFi and smart meters
And here are some of the symptoms that can be caused by prolonged exposure to, or excessive amounts of EMF:
- Headaches
- Sleep issues, including insomnia or disrupted sleep
- Mood swings
- Arrhythmia
- Fatigue
- Disturbances in brain function
- Tinnitus
- Weaker immune system
- Asthma
- Fertility issues
- Digestive issues
As we add more wireless devices to our lives, we increase the chances of developing chronic symptoms like these, among others. We don’t want to lose the convenience of our modern technology, but until we’ve implemented ways to make them safer, we’ll need some protection. I know you’re enjoying these, so here’s another list!
How to clean up the dirty electricity in your life:
- Keep appliances and devices off, or on airplane mode as much as possible
- Hard wire internet connections, rather than using WiFi
- If WiFi use is necessary, only turn it on when in use and turn off the WiFi router at night
- Hard wire computer peripherals rather than using wireless or bluetooth connections
- Ensure that your homes electrical wiring is done properly to minimize EMFs
- Keep electronic devices, i.e. cell phones, tablets, and computers away from your body. This includes using head phones to make calls instead of placing the phones near your ear to speak
- Sleep away from circuit breakers or large appliances that run overnight, including if the appliance is on the other side of the wall
- Use protection tools under your laptop, and EMF shields for cell phone
- Grounding– it allows our bodies to neutralize positive ions from electronic devices and re-synchronize with the Schumann resonance. Get a fantastic grounding mat here.
- Exposures to negative ions such as being near moving water, Himalayan salt lamp, or a negative ion generator can mitigate negative effects of exposure to EMF radiation.
- Eating a nutritious diet high in antioxidants can help mitigate some oxidative stress from EMF exposure.
If you have more questions about EMF and other environmental toxins, be sure to come to one of the free classes offered this month at our office!
