ORIGINAL COMMENT · UNEDITED TEXT
I am submitting this comment as a private citizen and parent documenting our family’s multi-year experiences with symptoms that temporally correlate with increased exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation and electromagnetic fields (EMFs) from mobile devices, home hotspots (MiFi), Wi-Fi networks, surveillance cameras, and proximity to cellular infrastructure. These observations are offered to assist HHS in evaluating real-world health experiences associated with RF/EMF exposure, particularly among families and potentially vulnerable individuals.
Our family previously lived for three years in Astoria, Oregon, without nearby cell towers and without a continuous home hotspot. During that period we experienced none of the symptoms described below and no longer required pain-management care. We also lived earlier at Mile 10 of Eagle River Road in Alaska, again without close cellular infrastructure, and similarly reported nearly none of the same issues.
In August 2024 we moved into an apartment in Anchorage, Alaska, located approximately three blocks from two cell towers (one AT&T and one believed to be Verizon) at 7th Avenue and Karluk Street. Concurrently, our household has used mobile devices, an iPad, and a home MiFi hotspot. The apartment building also maintains seven surveillance cameras connected to continuous basement Wi-Fi whose signals reach our unit day and night.
Since relocating, multiple family members have developed new or markedly worsened symptoms that improve under specific exposure-reduction conditions and worsen under higher-exposure conditions. All relevant medical evaluations (bloodwork, emergency-room assessments) have returned normal results, including statements that my cardiac findings appear among the healthiest the treating physicians have seen.
Observed Symptoms and Correlations
* Sleep disruption and nightmares: Frequent awakenings (sometimes several times per night) occur if phones are not placed in airplane mode. Nightmares intensify without a silver-infused beanie and appear more pronounced once permanent winter snow cover is present. Silver-infused bed sheets and a grounding mat with ground-plug connection have provided partial relief.
* Headaches: My wife experiences significant headaches that began after the move and proximity to the towers.
* Blood-pressure elevation and chest pain: Both my wife and I experience elevated blood pressure and chest pain, especially in later winter months, or when the home hotspot lacks aluminum-foil shielding properly directed away from the core living area. Emergency evaluations yield normal cardiac bloodwork.
* Cognitive and mood effects in a child: After extended iPad use, our son exhibits mood swings, severe forgetfulness of simple information, confusion, and frustration. A silver-infused beanie reduces these symptoms when worn.
* Pain, body aches, and brain fog: These symptoms led both adults to resume care with a pain-management physician after years without such treatment. Symptoms lessen when the building’s basement Wi-Fi and cameras are offline.
* Menstrual irregularities: My wife, in perimenopause, experiences cycles that can last a full month; laboratory bloodwork remains normal.
* Seasonal and environmental modifiers: Symptoms intensify with continuous snow cover and diminish under reduced RF exposure (airplane mode, shielding, offline Wi-Fi).
We have implemented multiple mitigation and health-support measures: silver-infused beanies and bed sheets, aluminum-foil shielding of the hotspot, a grounding mat, dietary avoidance of artificial sweeteners, gelatins, and processed beef/pork, regular use of ZeroWater filters, upgraded bath and shower filters designed to remove heavy metals, chlorine, chemicals, and fluoride, and supplements (silica, sea moss, oregano oil, etc.) intended to support heavy-metal clearance. Despite these steps, the listed symptoms persist in correlation with RF/EMF sources.
Symptoms were largely absent in residences without nearby cell towers and continuous high-level indoor wireless sources. Symptoms appeared or intensified after moving within three blocks of two cell towers and into a building with continuous basement Wi-Fi-linked cameras. Temporary reductions in exposure (airplane mode, shielding, offline Wi-Fi) produce measurable short-term improvement in sleep, pain, blood pressure, and cognitive clarity. Medical work-ups consistently return normal laboratory and cardiac findings, leaving the temporal and exposure-linked patterns unexplained by conventional diagnostic results.
I request that HHS consider these documented family observations - alongside clinical reports from other citizens and healthcare providers - when assessing the state of the evidence on RF/EMF health effects, potential research gaps and the adequacy of current exposure guidelines for real-world, multi-source environments.
Thank you for your time and consideration in this matter.