Overhead rail lines 25000 volts and cll

[Jsk1950]

Anyone else live or work near overhead rail lines and have cll ?

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator]

I think the reason for your question is the now dis-proven theory that high voltage lines were a cause of childhood leukaemia. This is a classic illustration of the principle correlation does not imply causation: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corre...

Just because there are higher incidences of childhood leukaemia (or any malady for that matter) under high voltage power lines, does not mean the high voltage and magnetic fields (EMF) causes the malady. Good researchers finding such associations set up hypotheses and test them via experiments or further data analysis to tweak out the likely cause. One such hypothesis for this association was that unsightly high voltage lines made living in such areas undesirable, so lower land prices and rents encouraged families with less spending power to live there. Poorer living conditions and diet needed to be eliminated as probable causes too.

You might find this reference on the association of EMF with childhood and adult leukaemias from the National Cancer Institute of interest:

cancer.gov/about-cancer/cau...

Neil

[helenolton in reply to AussieNeil]

Neil what do you think about root canals? Before I was diagnosed with CLL ,I had been sick for 20 years, 24 hr facial pain, nausea, classical migraines, high fevers and was always in the emergency room. Ten different doctors, (neurologist, dentists, endodontist, medical practitioner) at that time all told me it was not my teeth. I would go home crying. I felt like I was going to die at that time. With the grace of God I finally was sent to a Dr. for facial pain and what they found was I had 3 root canals that had extra canals and they sealed them it never showed up on the x-rays. Part of the material in the root canal was in my sinuses. Now I am diagnosed with Cll. I believe that their is a connection with CLL and your teeth.

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to helenolton]

Hi Helen,

First I've heard of a root canal/CLL association, though it is though by some that certain illnesses (viral) might cause some CLL cases...

What I can say is that dental hygiene/health can be easily overlooked as a cause of quite serious blood borne diseases including heart disease, because it's an easy avenue for bacteria to get into your blood stream.

I was quite surprised to be told by my specialist on my CLL/SLL diagnosis to stop flossing my teeth. The reason was that I was at risk of serious illness via bacteria gaining access to my blood system through the inevitable small cuts caused by flossing near my gums. That's why we should be prescribed an antibiotic prior to any dental work - including teeth cleaning, if we are sufficiently neutropenic.

Neil

[helenolton in reply to AussieNeil]

Thank you!!!

[MitchL]

Yes, I live under high voltage power lines an also have a very early stage of cll. My parents died of a long battle with cancer in the same house. My neighbor in his 40s died of a brain tumor. Many individuals along this line have had a variety of unique illnesses. I think this is just a rare occurrence. I think it's that most of the people ate the same and shared the same type of life style. Don't let it get you down. You can control what you eat. Find foods that help and let's the Doctors take on the rest. God speed! Mitch L

[dougstalbans]

For what it's worth I, as a CLL patient in Watch-and-wait at age 59, do live near a railway line to London. I also have tried to live healthily inc diet although I failed to do so as a child.

[NooNoo14]

I had power pylons at the end of my quite short garden for approx 2 years when I married at 21. My ex husband was, 20 years later, diagnosed with bowel cancer. At one time he queried whether the pylons were responsible and when I was diagnosed with CLL, he again wondered if there was an association.

NooNoo

[andygm]

The World Health Organisation has information regarding EMF. I work in telecommunications and have dealt with a lot of public perception about EMF, particularly with regard to mobile phone antennas.

This is the link to the page with the links to pages on so you can look for your own interest.

who.int/peh-emf/publication...

This link will take you to the specific bit about risk, you can also get to this from the first link.

who.int/peh-emf/publication...

[AussieNeil Partner Administrator in reply to andygm]

Arguably, to minimise mobile phone radiation exposure for our children, we should be siting mobile base stations right next to their schools.

From your reference article: "Several recent epidemiological studies of mobile phone users found no convincing evidence of increased brain cancer risk. However, the technology is too recent to rule out possible long-term effects. Mobile phone handsets and base stations present quite different exposure situations. RF exposure is far higher for mobile phone users than for those living near cellular base stations. Apart from infrequent signals used to maintain links with nearby base stations, handsets transmit RF energy only while a call is being made. However, base stations are continuously transmitting signals, although the levels to which the public are exposed are extremely small, even if they live nearby."

Mobile phones are designed to minimise their use of radiation to extend battery life. When you are using a mobile phone a long way away from a mobile base station, your phone has to transmit at high power - right next to your brain. When you are close to the base station, your phone uses far less power - and you (or your child at school) receives far less radiation exposure.

The scientific community missed a golden opportunity to educate the public about this following a UK study a few years back into the effects of mobile phone radiation.

Neil

[andygm]

My post was for the power line question really,. Being involved in telco is what I deal with everyday. There are a lot of people scared about emf from masts, but the same people will be happy to put a wireless baby monitor next to their baby's head. There is a case for saying that people worry about the emf and that is the illness caused by them, anxiety about it.