Electromagnetic hypersensitivity facts for kids
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) is a condition where a person feels unwell, which people who have it believe it to be due to being near electromagnetic fields. Other names for it include electrohypersensitivity, electro-sensitivity, and electrical sensitivity (ES). Wi-Fi allergy is a form of EHS.
According to the World Health Organization, EHS is described by vague symptoms that are different in each person. The symptoms are real and can be weak or strong and can make some disabled. There is no specific list of features to diagnose someone, and there is no scientific link between electromagnetic fields and how people feel. EHS is not a medical diagnosis. People who claim to have EHS blame it for headaches, fatigue, stress, sleep disturbances, skin symptoms like prickling, burning sensations and rashes, pain and ache in muscles and many other health problems. Although electromagnetic fields can make the body hot, people who say they have EHS say they feel sick at very low levels.
Most experiments show that people who claim to have EHS can't correctly tell if they are near EM radiation or not, and the medical and scientific communities don't think its a real illness. Several double-blind experiments suggest that people who say they have EHS can't detect if electromagnetic fields are present, and are just as likely to report feeling sick after a phony exposure as they are after real exposure, making scientists think it is the nocebo effect.
Popular culture
In the TV show Better Call Saul, Jimmy McGill's brother Chuck stays at home and believes he suffers from electromagnetic hypersensitivity.
Related pages
See also
In Spanish: Hipersensibilidad electromagnética para niños
