According to an Israeli study, published by American Journal of Epidemiology, there is an effect on the parotid gland causing tumor if a regular cell phone user uses phone near the ear for more than 22 hours a month. The person’s risk of developing a tumor increases by 50%.
Agence France-Presse reported that the study said the tumor risk was even greater in people who fall under categories like usage of cell phone on a single ear side, non-usage of hands-free devices, and people in rural areas. The research was done on 402 benign and 58 malignant parotid gland tumor patients in the time period of 2001-03 in Israel, and for the age group of 18 years or older. The risk factors depends mostly on the conditions like the rural area users etc. For regular mobile phone use, regardless of duration, the risk estimates for malignant and benign tumors were 0.7 (95% confidence interval: 0.4, 1.3) and 0.9 (95% confidence interval: 0.5, 1.5), respectively. The risk factor does not depend on the type of phones used, and also the time period for which it is used.
Earlier in 2004, there was a belief from a Swedish study that people who use a cell phone for more than 10 years might develop a rare benign tumor along a nerve on the side of the head where the phone is usually held to talk. Due to longer usage of cell phones, the radiations of cell phone effect the cells in the brain and lead to tumor.
Advice – For regular cell phone users, it is advised mostly to use hands-free devices to decrease the effect of cell phone radiations on the parts of the head and brain.
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