Tablet Radiation: Can Ipad Use Diminish Your Health?

 

protection from ipad radiation

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As technology has advanced our dependence on it has advanced as well.  Many people have used a tablet before.  Whether you own one, use it for work, or even encountered them while at a business. 

They make our lives easier and many people carry them wherever they go.  Our daily lives are surrounded by devices like tablets.  Being in such close proximity to these devices at such a consistent level has some people questioning the effects these devices have on our health.

When thinking about the devices you use in your life do you consider the effect it is having on your health?  The answer is likely no.  When we are talking on a cell phone we are not thinking about the radiation that is coming from the phone.  We are simply concerned with deciding what we are having for dinner that night.

Anyone that uses a laptop for work is not thinking about radiation being transmitted and absorbed through their lap.  They are concerned with making money to support their family. 

Tablets seem to be a great compromise between a cell phone and a laptop.  They are not too big and bulky but the screen is still large enough to complete work.  Even though these devices are convenient we are learning they could be dangerous to our health.

These small hand held devices give off electromagnetic radiation or EMR.  This radiation is what concerns some people in terms of health.  Previously people were not close to cellphones, tablets, and laptops at all hours of the day.  The small doses of EMR that people encountered were not concerning. 

As people use these devices more amount of exposure we have to EMR is growing.  As this exposure grows more people are noticing health problems that could be linked to their electronic device usage.

There has been research conducted on laptops and cell phones and the health risks that EMR poses.  So where does that leave our tablets?  Tablets are becoming more popular but not as many studies have been conducted on their EMR effects. 

As they are similar device to a cell phone do they pose the same health risks?  When thinking about tablets you may think about a sleek little device that is not as heavy duty as a laptop.  Even though they are not quite as large they are still able to keep up with the larger laptops in terms of processing power.

Tablets produce similar amounts of EMR compared to cellphones and laptops.  They may be smaller but their impact on our health may not be.  Tables are designed to be everything you want out of a laptop in a smaller more compact device without being as small as a smartphone. 

They are typically carried much like a smartphone so they are closer to your body.  This proximity allows for more radiation to reach you as you take the tablet with you.

Radiation

Phone radiation

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There is not a tablet on the market that is able to avoid using radio frequency signals.  Regardless of the brand you prefer, Apple, Samsung, and Google tablets all use radio frequency signals.  These radio frequency signals allow the tablets to connect to WiFi.  If you want to avoid these signals from being present while your tablet is in use you must turn off the WiFi or use it on airplane mode.

While this can be one way to avoid EMR it defeats the purpose of having the device.  Many people use their tablets for entertainment while they are on the go.  As they surf the web or play games they will need access to WiFi connection which means they will need to use radio frequency signals.  Exposing ourselves to radio frequency signals is unavoidable if we want to use WiFi on our tablets.

Not only are these devices able to connect to WiFi they are able to be added to a cellular networks as well.  If they are on your cellular network they will also have access to 3G or 4G services. 

While using 3G or 4G the tablet will be able to connect to the internet by using the cellular network and still produce radiation as you are surfing the web.

Since many of our newer devices are able to use both 3G and WiFi you are being bombarded by electromagnetic radiation from two different sources.  As your tablet communicates with these two sources there is electromagnetic field radiation being transmitted out. 

While playing games or surfing the web you are likely to be holding your tablet close to your body as it transmits this radiation.  This proximity makes it more likely for you to absorb the radiation that is being emitted. 

Tablets do have a third radiation that they transmit.  This radiation is Extremely Low Frequency radiation or ELF.  The ELF radiation comes from the device running and cannot be turned off like EMR. 

The electronic equipment that makes up a tablet emits this radiation as the device is on.  If you want to avoid ELF radiation you have to leave your device off.  While this is a low amount of radiation it can be a more pressing concerned when combined with all the radiation we are already taking in from the other two sources.

The Risk

mobile phone cancer

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As concerns were raised with radiation and electrical devices there was a government funded a study to find if there is a link between cell phone radiation exposure and cancer. 

This study has helped us understand that there are links between many health concerns and cell phone usage.  This finding has led us to know that radiation from tablets is not similar to cell phone radiation as it may be worse for our health.

There are a variety of health concerns that are related to EMF radiation.  There have been studies that have looked toward what health concerns are connected.  In these studies scientists have found that EMF radiation can deter the development of brain activity. 

This is especially concerning children who often use tablets or laptops more frequently.  Their brain's are already undergoing massive amount of development.  Anything that could interrupt that process could be detrimental to their development. 

Not only can this radiation stop our brains from developing it is also linked to Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, behavioral problems, asthma, insomnia, autism, childhood obesity, cardiac stress,  and ADD. 

In men and women there have been issues in fertility, issues with the skin, DNA fragmentation, and many other health problems.  When radiation affects our DNA by fragmenting it or damaging it this increases our risk of cancer. 

Damaged DNA is the harbinger of cancer.  As more of our DNA becomes damaged over continual use of electronic devices there could be a vast increase in our chances of developing cancer.

Tablets versus Cell Phones: What is Safer?

tablet vs smartphone

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In this age of technology people are using tablets and laptops for fun and for work.  Since these devices are able to be used on the go they are much more accessible at all times no matter where life takes you.  With these devices being used for a variety of reasons in our everyday lives our health could be in jeopardy. 

There have been many studies about the effects of cell phones on our health.  Cell phones were more widely used as technology was advancing.  With the current state of technology cell phone usage is still high but tablet and laptop usage is rising quickly. 

Tablets use many of the same components as a cell phone and produce radiation at levels that could be higher than cell phones.

With the Extremely Low Frequency radiation that tablets transmit there is more concern as you are using these devices on the go.  This additional radiation is transmitted when the tablet is powered on. 

The electronic components produce the radiation as they power the device.  Tables have more power and a larger battery than a cell phone.  With this increase they have much higher levels of the ELF radiation making them more dangerous than cell phones.

Tablets are larger than cell phones but smaller than laptops.  Their screens allow for a great view of your games or web page.  Yet many people still hold their tablet closer to their body.  Whether they are holding it in their lap or close to their face for a better view these device come into close contact with our bodies as they transmit radiation.

How to Stay Away from Electronic Device Radiation

protect yourself from radiation

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The radiation that we get from electronic devices can not be completely avoided.  The only way to stop yourself from getting some radiation through devices is to live in the country, grow your own food, and never come into town. 

Even if you are not an avid user of this technology there are people that use it around you.  People on the bus, at your local grocery store, and even at your doctor's office.  Someone will be using a tablet, cell phone, or laptop within your vicinity.  It is likely that even someone that is not tech savvy will use one of these devices throughout their day.

One way to try to combat the amount of radiation you take in is to limit the amount of time your device is close to your body.  Become more aware of the amount of time you are spending on your tablet every day. 

If you cannot or do not want to limit the amount of time you are on your tablet try to keep the device further away.  Radiation absorption is much higher when you are holding your device close to or on your body.  A device like a laptop is naturally placed onto our laps during use. 

To avoid getting radiation from your laptop try to have a cushion between your lap and the laptop.  A cushion ranging from eight to ten inches will diminish the amount of radiation your body is subjected to.  When using your tablet or phone in your lap try to have a similar amount of cushion if you tend to rest your hands on your lap.

The one issue with using cushion on these devices is overheating.  A laptop may have fans on the bottom of the device that help cool it that would be blocked by a cushion. 

There are some laptop pads that are created to allow your laptop to still use its fans without the laptop sitting directly on your lap.

Another way to help diminish your radiation exposure is to use an ipad anti-radiation case that helps block the radiation.  There are laptop, tablet, and cell phone cases that are designed to block the radiation that these device emit.  A great product called SafeSleeve has cases for many different devices and can help block radiation by up to ninety nine percent.

With these strategies you can start to limit the amount of radiation you are taking in from your devices daily.  Technology is growing and will continue to grow as new devices are developed. 

With the raised awareness of the health problems these devices can cause hopefully new technology is create to help avoid radio frequency signals all together.  Until then think about the amount of time you spend on devices like tablets.

Tablets are more convenient than a laptop and can be easier to use than a cell phone.  With the processing power that these devices possess they could easily replace all of the devices that we use. 

The portability of these devices is enticing and people love to use them on the go.  Since they are simple to use with WiFi or 3G people will continue to use these devices.

As these devices are used more there will be more health related issues that surface.  The radiation that comes from these devices can be more dangerous than using your cell phone since they are more powerful in design. 

The key to avoiding radiation is to create a cushion of space between you and the devices around you while limiting your time spent on them.