In one of my previous articles I wrote about mass hysteria, a condition in which people become “infected" with symptoms that they saw in other individuals, but that do not have a real physiological cause; Those affected believed they were sick, and therefore their mind fabricated the symptoms, something similar to what happens with those who suffer from hypochondria. The mind is able to have such a powerful effect on the body that there have been cases of women who, believing they were pregnant, began to present symptoms, as absence of the menstrual period and an increase in size of the abdomen, without the presence of a baby in their womb. As you can see, it is not necessary to train for years with Tibetan monks so that your mind is able to overcome your body, you only need to do what Disney films taught you: believe (to a certain extent, the power of belief will probably not cure cancer). Having made clear what the mind is capable of doing, let's talk about today's myth:

Medical Myths: Is Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Real?

The globalization of technology has improved our lives in ways that we sometimes do not even notice; It is difficult to imagine a world in which we do not have the ability to communicate with people no matter how far they are, to follow events of our interest as they are happening from any part of the world, or to obtain large amounts of midget porn information with just a quick Google search. However, not everything is positive; the proliferation of electromagnetic waves, on which many devices that we use daily depend, seems to be affecting the health of many people around the world. But is it really possible for these waves to have harmful effects?


Those who claim to suffer from Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity complain of a wide variety of unspecific symptoms, such as headaches, burning o itching sensation, depression, insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, fatigue, muscle aches, and a long etcetera. They say they experience these symptoms when they are in the presence of electromagnetic waves, such as those emitted by electrical transformers, telephones, Wi-Fi routers and microwaves (so basically always, unless they live covered in aluminum foil). Surveys conducted to those affected show that most relate their symptoms to the proximity to telephone and mobile phones.

With the constant growth in the number of devices that produce these waves, the reported cases of this condition have also increased; studies show that up to 5% of the population claim to have some level of hypersensitivity to EM waves. But, it should be noted, these cases are self-diagnosed, since according to the World Health Organization, the main entity in everything related to medicine and its practice, Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity is not a valid diagnosis, and as such, not a real illness. You will have to blame that permanent fatigue you have on something else.


A number of double-blind studies have been carried out, a type of experiment in which neither the researchers nor the study subjects know who is part of the control group that receives placebos and who is being bombarded by EM waves, which have shown that those who claim to suffer the condition are not able to perceive EM waves, unless they are informed of their presence. Although the symptoms are real, they are not the result of exposure to EM waves, but other factors such as stress, sonic contamination, poor ergonomic design of chairs in work environments, and poor air quality in closed spaces, along with the hysteria, massive or not, that usually occurs in patients who believe they are exposed to harmful agents. The increase in the supposed cases of this condition is probably related to the larger amount of coverage by the media.


However, since the symptoms are very much real, those who suffer from them may have difficulties to live a normal life, and usually require treatment and studies to rule out other (real) undiagnosed pathologies. Treatment is based on reducing the severity of the symptoms, providing evaluation and psychiatric help, and eliminating factors that may have contributed to the onset of symptoms, such as excessive noise or poor lighting. In addition, once the patient has recognized that their condition is psychosomatic (originated by their mind), self-help groups can be useful in improving their life quality.

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Hi, I'm Mark, and I'm here because I thought my microwave was giving me tachycardia

Despite the overwhelming amount of evidence, there are still some who claim that EMH is as real as a flu, and that like Chuck McGill in Better Call Saul, the treatment is to live as a nineteenth-century hermit, covered in space blankets . But then again, there are also some people who believe that the Earth is flat; choose carefully who to believe in.

References:

• WHO – electromagnetic fields and public health
• Is electromagnetic hypersensitivity a real illness?
• Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity is Not a Valid Diagnosis

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If you enjoy medical-themed articles, or general curiosities, remember to follow me, there is much more on the way! And as always, I leave my thanks to @steemstem and @air-clinic for their constant support to all scientific content; you inspire us to keep improving.