EMF Exposure – Understanding How You Can Reduce Your Exposure

by Lucinda Curran | building biology, buildings and health, dirty electricity, electric fields, EMF, high frequencies, indoor environmental health, magnetic fields, radiofrequencies

EMF Exposure – Understanding How You Can Reduce Your Exposure

EMF is a sneaky thing – because you can’t see or smell it, it is often not considered.

When people are exposed to EMF, they can get a variety of symptoms. With regards to radio frequency electromagnetic energy (RF EME), the officials that set the exposure standards only recognise “thermal effects” – so set the standards to below the level at which tissues are heated.

EMF Exposure Standards Are Too High

I firmly believe that there are many health/biological effects that occur well before this level. I believe that the exposure standards are way too high, especially when IARC (the International Agency for Research on Cancer) recognise radio frequency EME & ELF AC magnetic fields as “Category 2B” (this means that they recognise that these types of EMF are possibly carcinogenic to humans).

There is a growing body of research from scientists (including retired ones!) that not only shows that certain types of EMF result in the body reacting in a certain way, but also are becoming more able to explain how and why these reactions occur.

Symptoms from EMF Exposure

Common symptoms from EMF exposure, based on my observation and interaction with hundreds of clients over the years:

headaches and migraines (especially unexplained)
poor sleep, including vivid dreaming
waking feeling unrefreshed
low energy
pain, including sciatica
grinding teeth (bruxism)
ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
poor concentration

Reducing your EMF exposure is important – not through gadgets and stickers, but through turning things off, switching to safer options, and making choices about when and how you use technology.

This is one of my favourite areas to work with people on. Why? Because often, simple changes to behaviour can significantly reduce your exposure.

At Eco Health Solutions, my team and I assess radio frequency electromagnetic energy (RF EME), ELF AC magnetic fields, ELF AC electric fields and dirty electricity.

EMF Exposure in the Home

Here are the top 5 sources of EMF that my team and I commonly see in homes:

1 The meter (smart or otherwise) and the fuse box on the bedroom wall

2 Power boards under the bed

3 Mobile phones and devices (sometimes even found under pillows!)

4 Cordless phones

5 Wi-fi

Reducing your exposure is important – and since our homes are our castles, they are also our safe havens.

Workplaces can expose staff members to extremely high levels of EMF – without realising it!

EMF Exposure in the Workplace

Here are the top 5 sources of EMF that my team and I commonly see in workplace:

1 Cordless headsets

2 Wi-fi

3 Mobile phones and devices

4 The “IT hub”

5 A “spaghetti” pile power cords under the desk

Given most people spend a good 8 hours at work, it is important to reduce your personal exposure as much as possible.

When Building Biology Means Building Courage

by Lucinda Curran | affirmations, building biology, buildings and health, indoor environmental health, inspiration, life lessons

Developments in My World Around Building Biology

Building courage has been important in these three great things that have happened in the last week or so.

First

Firstly, I finnnaaalllllyyyyyy completed my Advanced Diploma in Building Biology. With only one subject to go, loads of travel, and a lot of work on my plate, it was such a struggle to get this done. Pretty much every block of time that I had set aside to study, something came up or someone needed something, and my study time disappeared. I started to recognise the pattern, so I set a date. I focused and worked really hard to get through the enormous pile of readings, and do the assessments. I had to push the date out a tiny bit, but I DID IT!!

Second

The second one was the talk I did for the AustralAsian Academy of Anti Ageing Medicine conference on 3rd August. I was so ridiculously nervous. I have spoken to around 5000 people in the building industry in the last twelve months, but this one had me running scared. Why? Because I created an idea of what I thought they expected and knew I wouldn’t be doing that. I made up this story that had me all freaked out and in avoidance mode. To top it off, I was the second speaker for the day, and listening the to first one confirmed my stories (he was incredible!!). I had to really get the self-talk happening, that it was going to be fine – completely different style, completely different level of information, and perfect in its uniqueness. It was a smaller group that I was used to (around 70), but this actually made me more nervous! Anyway, I got up there and did it. I could hear a slight waver in my voice, fortunately no one else noticed. At the end, I was astonished at the positive reception I had for it. And now, all of those medical professionals are more aware of the role that our built environments play in our health, and are thinking more broadly in how best to assist their patients.

Third

And most recently, I heard back that my application to be a speaker at the Indoor Air Quality Association conference in 2019 in the US was approved! Applying for this was scary as it meant putting myself out there, possibly being rejected, and then if accepted, speaking in front of some amazing scientific minds… I did it anyway, even though I was literally terrified. Straight after sending it, I posted “I did it!” on social media – because it was such a big deal…

So, why am I sharing all of this?

I think all of us get scared of doing things, and procrastinate and push them down the list. But I think all of those things we need to do are important on the grander scale, and it is only the stories we create that hold us back.

I really want to encourage you to just do it anyway. You never know just how your action can ripple out into the world and make it a better place.

Sleep: Why Is it So Important?

by Lucinda Curran | affirmations, detoxification, dust mites, electromagnetic radiation, EMF, health, high frequencies, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health, mould, radiofrequencies, sleep, stress

Do you struggle to get a good night’s sleep?

Many people do these days, and this can have a bigger impact that just feeling sleepy all day, or perhaps being on the caffeine-cycle. Ironically, according to apps on our devices, there is an “insomnia epidemic.”

When you are tired, you don’t function so well – your mood is off, your tolerance levels are down, you are easily agitated or stressed. As well, over time, this can deplete you and your immunity is also affected.

Why is Sleep so Important?

Sleep is incredibly important as it is the time that we heal and recover from our day – in preparation for the next day. Sleep is when we detoxify, when we create melatonin (a hormone which has an antioxidant effect) and when we rest.

It is one of the most important physiological functions we do, in my opinion.

What Affects Sleep?

There are many factors that can impact sleep. Some of these are:

Stress
Eating too late
Caffeine
Conversation
Poor sleep hygiene
Environmental stressors

Did You Know…?

Did you know that if you use your device for two hours in the evening that it affects the quality of your sleep; melatonin production; your mood, attention and accuracy the following day?

Research links this to the short-wave light emitted from the LED lights inside our devices (Green, et al, 2017). I wonder if there is more to it, and the use of these devices on wi-fi or 3G/4G/5G is also playing a role.

What Can I Do to Improve My Sleep?

I am going to focus purely on environmental stressors here…

1) Promote melatonin production – ensure your bedroom is dark. If this isn’t possible, it would be worth using an eye shade.

2) Reduce the radio frequency electromagnetic energy (RF EME) – turn off your mobile phone and wi-fi router

3) Reduce indoor air contaminants – remove scented reeds and candles from your bedroom

4) Minimise exposure to allergens – use a silk pillowcase to reduce issues with house dust mites (HDM)

5) Reduce your exposure to biotoxins – address any mould in your home

Still Concerned?

Then contact me and we can arrange a
Virtual Indoor Environmental Health Assessment
to assess and address stressors in your environment.

References

Green, A, Cohen-Zion, M, Haim, A & Dagan, Y (2017) Evening Light Exposure to Computer Screens Disrupts Human Sleep, Biological Rhythms and Attention Abilities Chronobiology International (Online) Available at https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2017.1324878 (May 2017)

#sleep #indoorenvironmentalhealth #environmentalstressors

Carbon Monoxide – Beware This Silent Killer

by Lucinda Curran | air pollution, carbon monoxide, death, gases, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health

As winter approaches, it is a great time to be having appliances serviced and checked for problems; as well, ensuring that flues are vented to the exterior and that there are no blockages.

There are many things to be thinking about, and today, I wanted to share this with you to prevent issues, and potentially deaths.

Carbon Monoxide – A Silent Killer

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colourless, odourless gas. It is deadly.

It is a combustion gas and can easily build up in the home.

Another common contributor is car exhaust.

CO Poisoning: Health Effects and Symptoms

CO has an affinity for haemoglobin and thus it easily disrupts oxygen transportation within the body.

flu-like symptoms
fatigue
headaches
dizziness
nausea and vomiting
confusion and impaired cognitive functioning
tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)

Heath practitioners need to be alert to CO poisoning mimicking influenza – and include this in their differential diagnosis when the whole household is exhibiting these symptoms.

Steps to Prevent CO Poisoning

Have all gas appliances serviced annually and checked for faults and defects
Check the flames – are they blue? Great. Are they yellow/orange? Call your gas company as this is a sign that the gas is nor burning properly.
Only use gas heaters that are flued and vented to the exterior
Use the extractor fan when cooking on a gas stove top
Keep your windows ajar to dilute the indoor air
Avoid idling the car in the garage or near windows
If you have a garage attached to your house, be sure to close the door and seal it well, and never idle the car in the garage
Also, ensure that windows are closed when the car is idled in the driveway
Avoid opening your windows during peak hour traffic (or school pick up and drop off), especially if you live near a busy road

Prevention is Better Than Cure

If you have any concerns, please get in touch.

#carbonmonoxide #gases #environmentalhealth #buildingbiology #gasappliances

Pests – Managing Them In The Garden, Chemical-Free

by Lucinda Curran | building biology, chemical sensitivities, chemically sensitive, chemicals, environmental sensitivities, glyphosate, health, indoor environmental health

Pests: What Are They?

When you really stop and think about it, pests are critters in the wrong place at the wrong time.

They are important parts of nature and they do play a role however, we don’t always want them in our gardens. I have lost countless seedlings and a lot of fruit crops to pests, so I get it!

For this post, I am also going to broaden this concept of “pests” to plants as well – weeds and the like.

But How Can We Manage Pests Without Chemicals?

There are many ways that we can do this.

WEEDS

Instead of Round Up or other glyphosate-based* products, pull them up by hand (or with a hand tool).

Alternatively, you can simply use steam or boiling water.

Most steam mops can be taken outside and used to steam the pavers and any places where weeds are growing.

*If you want to read more about Glyphosate, grab your copy of the e-Mag here. Stephane Seneff wrote an article in it. 🙂

SNAILS

There are ways to deal with snails without poisoning them.

Snails like to slide along surfaces. They can’t slide across rough surfaces.

So, sprinkle sawdust around the plants you want to protect.

NOTE: You do need to reapply this after it has become wet (frost or rain).

APHIDS

Oh! Aphids!!!

Did you know that ladybirds FEAST on these?

One strategy is to plant lots of plants that attract beneficial insects.

The other method is to spray them with a detergent-water solution and then pick them off by hand.

Make sure you use a detergent that does not contain fragrances and chemicals.

OTHER IDEAS

Diatomaceous earth sprinkled around can kill insects
Bird nets over fruit trees will protect the fruit
Planting nasturtiums and garlic around tomatoes to distract birds and prevent insects, respectively
Don’t plant in rows – this is like setting up your garden for “pacman” to come along and chomp through everything
Owl ornaments can deter rodents
Plant extra, we all have to eat!

I hope you found that helpful. 🙂

I approach things from a precautionary standpoint.

If you would like help to work out how you can minimise your exposure to chemicals, book a call.

Home is the Most Important Place

by Lucinda Curran | air pollution, babies, building biology, buildings and health, chemicals, cleaning products, diet and lifestyle, drinking water, dust mites, electromagnetic radiation, EMF, family, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health, lead, mold, mould, perfumes, personal care products, radiofrequencies, smart meters, VOCs, water

Home is the most important place. It is our castle.

Home is our safety haven, our sacred space, our island in the midst of the world.

For many of us, the world can be a bit full-on. The onslaught of fragrances, noise, wi-fi, people, lights… it can be overwhelming at times.

Also, most of these things are out of our control.

The best thing to do is to have a healing, safe, and nourishing home to come back to.

A virtual Indoor Environmental Health Assessment Can Short-Cut Your Route to a Healthy Nurturing Space

By assessing your home with great care, and attention to detail, we can shortcut the agonising searching for information and hazards.

Whether it be:

electromagnetic fields
phone towers
neighbours wi-fi
the smart meter
air pollutants
indoor air quality
volatile organic compounds
lead and other heavy metals
drinking water contaminants
mould and water damage
personal care and cleaning products
and more!

By assessing your home, I can determine the hazards, the potential problems AND provide you with solutions.

Many of my clients experience not only peace of mind, but improved health after implementing the recommendations.

They know that they have made their home safe for their families.

Get in touch so we can arrange your assessment.

Indoor Air Contaminants – The 3 Most Commonly Overlooked

by Lucinda Curran | air fresheners, air pollution, building biology, buildings and health, environmental sensitivities, health, indoor air quality, indoor environmental health, perfumes, personal care products, VOCs

Indoor Air Contaminants – Discover Which 3 Are Most Commonly Overlooked

Indoor air contaminants are largely ignored – even though the indoor air can be up to 10 times more polluted than the outdoor air.

DID YOU KNOW..?

Air is one of our most basic needs, yet it is often not as clean as it should be.

When people think about air pollution, they usually think about traffic-related air pollution. “Smog.”

In early 2020, many Australians also considered smoke due to the horrendous fires that we started the year with.

This is all pretty much about outdoor air (ambient air).

However, very few people consider indoor air – contaminants, quality and so on.

When you consider your indoor air, what springs to your mind first?

Is it the bathroom, when someone has used the toilet?
Is it the rubbish bin?
Or maybe it is the gym bag full of sweat-laden clothes and shoes.

There are more indoor air contaminants that what readily spring to mind.

I made this short video to help you understand more about this topic, and also to shine a light on the three most overlooked ones.

I encourage you to read more about our indoor air. Here are some posts that may pique your interest:

If you'd like my advice, then book a call with me.

BOOK YOUR CALL HERE

Close Your Windows During Peak Hour

by Lucinda Curran | air pollution, building biology, buildings and health, health, indoor environmental health, traffic related air pollution

Avoid Traffic-Related Air Pollution: Close Your Windows in Peak Hours

When there's traffic, I want you to close your windows!

If you have been following me for a while, I am sure you will have heard me carry on about opening your windows and exchanging the air.

While I 100% stand by this, I do want to put a caveat on it.

If you live near a busy road OR you live close to a school OR you get heavy traffic around your home at certain times, then please don’t open your windows.

I know that sounds obvious… but sometimes the obvious needs to be stated.

There are many noxious gases in exhaust fumes, including the deadly carbon monoxide.

So, if there is a busy time for traffic near your home, be sure to close the windows to keep these fumes out.

Interested in reading more about Traffic-Related Air Pollutants and how they affect us? >Click here

Are You One of those Lucky People Who has a Garage?

Ahh, a garage…

The convenience of unloading the shopping and taking it from the garage into the house is bliss.

Not having to race from the house to the car in the rain because of the door in between… priceless!

But, the pollutants from our cars are vast.

There are the deadly fumes, the particulate matter (airborne particles) and then there is lead from our old leaded petrol.

Although the door between the house and the garage is luxurious, I am going to encourage you NOT to use it – and instead create an airtight seal around it to prevent contaminating your home.

Unless it is airtight, it is vital that you NEVER, not ever, idle the car in the garage.

Take care – lives are worth gambling.

Book a Hidden Hazards Hotline call to discuss your situation
and work out what to do next. Book here >>