Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > Weird Experiences with Cell Phones?

Weird Experiences with Cell Phones?
Thread Tools
desi
Forum Regular
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: BCN
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 4, 2003, 09:55 AM
 
anyone ever have this problem occur to them with a cell phone? I've had two cell phones in my life, both Motorola, and the strangest thing heppened. After long usages with both, I had my lymph node swell up noticeably-the node on the side of my neck the cell phone was on. Of course, I was rather worried and went to the doctor immediately, in which she said, it definitely is swollen a bit, and if it happens again to come back and see me. Well, it happened again, while I was in Europe, and this Aussie I was drinking with said it looks quite swelled up and that drinking more should help! needless to say, I told my doctor when I came back stateside, while I was there for an elbow problem she asked me if that had happened again! of course I told her the story. she was a bit dumbfounded.

I don't think it was pure coincidence, and needless to say I am quite hesitant to get another cell phone, definitely not motorola, but I'm wondering, has anything like this or something similar or strange happened to anyone after using their cell phones?

people may think I'm lying or telling an outrageous stroy, but I'm quite serious about this.
any thoughts or comments into this would be most helpful. thanks.
     
Axo1ot1
Professional Poster
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: New York City
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 4, 2003, 10:16 AM
 
OMG UR GONNA DYE!
     
Spheric Harlot
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 4, 2003, 10:18 AM
 
Quite possibly, holding a bread roll to the side of your head for lengthy periods of time might have the same effect.

Meaning, this might be due to pressure on the side of the head or angle of the head changing or impeding the flow of lymph, effects of the warmth kept in by covering the area, etc.

Studies of radiation emission by cellphones so far have proven inconclusive and/or contradictory, AFAIK, but the chances of those factors mentioned above influencing what you're seeing are very high.

-s*
     
Sherwin
Professional Poster
Join Date: Jun 2003
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 4, 2003, 10:21 AM
 
There's been numerous reports of heavy cell users getting headaches and the like.

How much do you use it?
     
Amorya
Mac Elite
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: England
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 4, 2003, 10:35 AM
 
My phone sometimes gives me a headache. I can tell it's the phone because when I move the phone away from my head the headache decreases slightly (not loads, but noticeably).

It usually only happens when I talk on it for quite a while, eg half an hour. Five minute calls are fine.

Amorya
What the nerd community most often fail to realize is that all features aren't equal. A well implemented and well integrated feature in a convenient interface is worth way more than the same feature implemented crappy, or accessed through a annoying interface.
     
desi  (op)
Forum Regular
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: BCN
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 5, 2003, 08:42 AM
 
Originally posted by Sherwin:
There's been numerous reports of heavy cell users getting headaches and the like.

How much do you use it?
i never used it much at all, but sometimes when I would, it would be for a longtime, and I did suffer mild headaches or strains, my lymph node swelled just those two times and I don't recall if i had a headache then.
     
Cipher13
Registered User
Join Date: Apr 2000
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 5, 2003, 08:47 AM
 
I used to talk for extended periods on my old Motorola often - I would get pretty bad headaches after a while. As Amorya said, moving the phone away brought a decent amount of relief almost instantly. Putting the phone down for a while made it go away, but getting back on it made it come back.

I don't have this problem with my Nokia.

However, with both the Motorola and the Nokia, I keep it in my right hand pocket of my pants.

I often get muscle aches right where the phone is. Moving the phone to the other pocket yields relief for that side, and the pain appears in the other side.

There's no doubt in my mind that this is a radiation problem from the phone.
     
desi  (op)
Forum Regular
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: BCN
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 5, 2003, 09:34 AM
 
Originally posted by Cipher13:
I used to talk for extended periods on my old Motorola often - I would get pretty bad headaches after a while. As Amorya said, moving the phone away brought a decent amount of relief almost instantly. Putting the phone down for a while made it go away, but getting back on it made it come back.

I don't have this problem with my Nokia.

However, with both the Motorola and the Nokia, I keep it in my right hand pocket of my pants.

I often get muscle aches right where the phone is. Moving the phone to the other pocket yields relief for that side, and the pain appears in the other side.

There's no doubt in my mind that this is a radiation problem from the phone.
I'm not sure why that would be, since your phone is not receiving a call nor giving off a signal, when not in use,though it is still on, so there is some sort of level of radiation and/or radio signal still being given off; I usually had my phone off when in my pocket, but when I had it on, I never had muscle aches, just head aches and a swollen lymph node when using it for extended periods. I figured I was going to get very sick, since swollen lymph nodes usually precede some sort of illness, but nothing would come of it and it would eventually swell down. I'm thinking of perhaps not getting a cellphone at all since I rarely have anyone calling me, particularly at work. Though there are those damned emergencies...
     
Amorya
Mac Elite
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: England
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 5, 2003, 09:52 AM
 
Originally posted by desi:
I'm not sure why that would be, since your phone is not receiving a call nor giving off a signal, when not in use
Yes it is.

It has to keep polling the cellphone towers, in case it is taken out of range of one and into another.

Amorya
What the nerd community most often fail to realize is that all features aren't equal. A well implemented and well integrated feature in a convenient interface is worth way more than the same feature implemented crappy, or accessed through a annoying interface.
     
Spheric Harlot
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 5, 2003, 09:57 AM
 
Originally posted by desi:
I'm not sure why that would be, since your phone is not receiving a call nor giving off a signal, when not in use,though it is still on, so there is some sort of level of radiation and/or radio signal still being given off;
Any cellphone is constantly giving off a signal, searching for a carrier.

Anything that recieves also transmits, and that includes FM radios.

The worse reception is in your area, the stronger the signal given off by your phone, since it pumps up the signal level to compensate.

-s*
     
desi  (op)
Forum Regular
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: BCN
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 5, 2003, 10:00 AM
 
Originally posted by Amorya:
Yes it is.

It has to keep polling the cellphone towers, in case it is taken out of range of one and into another.

Amorya
that's what I kind of led up to in the rest of my comment, I suppose it was more of a stream of thought than anything else that led up to the conclusion that it still receives and sends signals, since it is on, and that's why it would give off a low level of radiation and/or radio signals.
     
ebuddy
Posting Junkie
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: midwest
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 5, 2003, 11:01 AM
 
I agree w/ Sheric. I think this has more to do with pressure and less to do with radiation or RF. The fact of the matter is that we are all enveloped in RF all of the time, no matter where we go. Is there a possibility that the cell phone is a concentrated mass of these damaging signals? I guess anything is possible, but nothing has been concluded of this.

I know you're hesitant to use a cell phone now, but I'd recommend using the cell phone in the other ear for a while. You know, just to see. Consider youself a mad scientist selling out his own body for the betterment of mankind!

Good thing Apple dumped Motorola or we'd all have to move another foot away from our monitors just to keep our bulging necks out of the way.
ebuddy
     
tooki
Admin Emeritus
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 5, 2003, 05:53 PM
 
I find that pressure on the ear (be it from a phone, headphones, or tight earbuds) causes a headache after a while.

tooki
     
philzilla
Occasionally Useful
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Liverpool, UK
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 5, 2003, 06:04 PM
 
i saw tooki had posted in this thread, noticed the title, and nearly fell off my chair in a mixture of shock and laughter.

this is a family show though, so move along, people...
"Have sharp knives. Be creative. Cook to music" ~ maxelson
     
Spheric Harlot
Clinically Insane
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: 888500128, C3, 2nd soft.
Status: Offline
Reply With Quote
Nov 5, 2003, 07:08 PM
 
Originally posted by ebuddy:
I agree w/ Sheric. I think this has more to do with pressure and less to do with radiation or RF. The fact of the matter is that we are all enveloped in RF all of the time, no matter where we go. Is there a possibility that the cell phone is a concentrated mass of these damaging signals? I guess anything is possible, but nothing has been concluded of this.
For the record, I believe the jury is still out on the RF/radiation aspect.

inconclusive evidence != false

From recent studies, though, it seems that WLAN is pretty nasty too.

-s*
     
   
 
Forum Links
Forum Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Top
Privacy Policy
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 11:28 PM.
All contents of these forums © 1995-2017 MacNN. All rights reserved.
Branding + Design: www.gesamtbild.com
vBulletin v.3.8.8 © 2000-2017, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.,