MUSCAT, Aug 26 - A bluetooth device is a style statement these days that offers some kind of security for motorists who want to stay connected with their near and dear ones even while driving. However, the gadget offers no insurance against the health risks it poses.
Medics warn that using the RF (radio frequency) gadgets for more than a minute a day can lead to lifestyle diseases.
Brain cancer is one of them. Researchers have found over-exposure to RF radiations can cause brain tumor and problems like headache and difficulty in concentration, among others.
“Bluetooth devices emit radiation just as the mobile phones do; exposure to them for a longer time can harm you,” says Dr Mohammed Younis, a rehabilitation and lifestyle diseases expert in a hospital in Muscat.
“The solution,” he says, “is to turn to wired headsets as they don’t pose any threat of radiation.”
Dr Dilip Singvi, Internist and Medical Director at a reputed hospital, says that with the increasing use of mobile phones, people tend to use the hands-free option, especially during long drives.
“Although they emit lower radiation compared with cellphones, they are capable of disruption in fluid flow in the ear canal, which sends signals to the brain,” said Dr Dilip.
Studies indicate bluetooth radiation is dangerous and that bluetooth headsets are hazardous as they are held within centimetres of the brain. And used along with a mobile phone, it doubles the risk of radiation.
Bluetooth headsets have a range of only 30 feet, which is sufficient to affect the users with RF rays.
KABEER YOUSUF
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