Cellular operators want to be allowed to conduct a network in residential buildings without the consent of residents. How will this affect the quality mobile communications, are there any reasons to be afraid of radiation and what is radiophobia, read the website in the material of the network edition.
According to the bill prepared by the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications, operators will no longer receive the approval of two-thirds of apartment owners to place their equipment in residential buildings. As the authors of the document note, this innovation will ensure the implementation constitutional rights residents to access information.
The placement will be controlled by a person who, in accordance with the Housing Code, is entrusted with the duty to maintain common property.
Why base stations are needed
If the law is adopted, the procedure for installing communication equipment will be simplified and the number of antennas in apartment buildings will increase. According to experts, this will help improve the quality of communication.
"Progress is moving forward, and speed requirements are increasing. The more antennas are installed, the more people they can serve," said Vasily Levchik, head of the regulatory and legal working group of the Association of Regional Telecom Operators (AROS).
According to him, the signal coverage area in the city does not matter. The antenna is designed for the volume of traffic, mass character and covers not the territory, but each subscriber. Currently, about 10,000 base stations of cellular operators have been installed in Moscow.
Are base stations dangerous for humans?
In the general background of the radio emission of the metropolis - and this is the simultaneous operation of mobile phones, television and radio stations, household electrical appliances, microwave ovens, Wi-Fi routers and high-voltage lines - the share of radiation from cellular base stations is less than one percent.
Moreover, when the base station is too far away from the mobile phone, it works at the limit of power in search of a signal, which increases its radio emission many times over.
Photo: TASS/DPA/picture alliance/Arco images G/Rudolf
The safety of radiation from base stations is also mentioned in the conclusion of the World Health Organization.
"All the evidence available to date indicates that exposure to RF signals emitted by base stations does not lead to any adverse short or long-term health effects," the WHO concluded.
Vasily Levchik from AROS believes that even in close proximity to residential buildings, stations do not harm a person. A person receives much more radiation from a cell phone or a microwave oven.
"For example, if you open the door of a microwave oven, it will give about 120 watts of radio emission, which is unacceptable. Therefore, they do not work with the door open. And the power of the base station is 46 watts. That is, its influence is one tenth of the action of a microwave," - he explained.
Manufacturers do not even produce stations stronger than 46 watts. The principle of operation is that the base hears a small signal from the phone, and the cellular one will detect the station in any case. Therefore, there is no need to increase the power.
Who checks the base stations
AT Russian Federation the maximum permissible level of the electromagnetic field is 10 microwatts per square centimeter. This figure is significantly lower than the norms allowed, for example, in the Scandinavian countries or the USA. Up to 100 microwatts per square centimeter can be applied there.
The set of rules for the permissible level of the electromagnetic field is prescribed in the SanPiN documents. At the same time, the norms do not limit the location and distance from radio transmitting devices to the nearest buildings, including residential buildings.
Rospotrebnadzor monitors compliance with all requirements, only after its conclusion is issued permits for the installation of a base station.
In 2015, about 1,100 people applied to the supervisory authority with a request to check their dwellings for the level of radio emission. At the same time, the excess of the electromagnetic field was not confirmed in any case.
As Aleksey Khudoborodov, head of the Department for Supervision of Domestic Facilities of Rospotrebnadzor, noted, when leaving, specialists measure not only the level of radiation of electromagnetic fields, but also evaluate the installation of the base stations themselves.
"In 70 cases, the facts of placing stations without permits or placing with a deviation from the agreed conditions were established. For example, the base station was agreed at a distance of 20 meters from a residential building, but was actually located 10 meters," the source shared the site.
Most often, residents complain about the fact of installing a base station near their home, school or hospital, which in fact is not a violation.
"The values are invested in the regulation of the level of radiation of electromagnetic fields, after the impact of which there will be no negative consequences either for the living generation or for the future. That is, 10 microwatts per square centimeter is a safe level, anything above it can lead to some then long-term effects,” said Khudoborodov.
The phenomenon of radiophobia
As such, there is no diagnosis of "radiophobia". In total, two states are distinguished: psychotic and neurosis-like. The first is associated with a disorder of thinking, a violation of the perception of reality, a lack of awareness of the disease and ridiculous behavior. In relation to radiophobia, a person feels the effect of waves physically. This includes schizophrenia, its various forms and other serious illnesses.
Radiophobia - neuro-somatic mental and physiological disorders, expressed in an unreasonable fear of electromagnetic radiation.
In ordinary life, this is the name of people who are afraid of electromagnetic radiation. Also, the term is used by specialists to clarify the diagnosis.
"There are a lot of patients with real radiophobia, such cases often occur. These people feel the impact of someone else's power on their body. They used to be afraid of electricity, now they are afraid of the influence of cellular waves. What is relevant now is what they are afraid of," commented the head of the intensive psychiatric care department Psychoneurological Dispensary No. 13 Artem Gilev.
Phobias in the conventional sense refer to neurosis-like disorders. They appear when a person has experienced some kind of stress or psycho-emotional stress in a certain situation. This is fixed, and then when circumstances repeat themselves, fear arises in people.
If a person is too receptive and impressionable, he may also develop a phobia after reading an article or watching a vivid report. “As a rule, these people are amenable to logical persuasion. If they are shown and told, they understand everything, and the fear goes away,” Gilev said, adding that only in rare cases do you need the help of a psychotherapist.
Maya Belova, Deputy Chief Physician for the Medical Department of Psychiatric Hospital No. 15, explained that the symptoms of the disease are not isolated, that is, they appear in combination with other ailments: insomnia, nausea, and so on.
Belova claims that there are very few neurotic disorders associated with the fear of radiation. “For fifteen years of practice, three or four times I met radiophobia of cellular waves. This is a rare disorder,” the doctor emphasized.
The benefits and harms of a cell phone depend entirely on how you use it.. Much has been said about the necessity and importance of a mobile device in life. modern man. No less has been written about the harm from electromagnetic radiation, the successor of which is any, even the simplest apparatus. What this harm is, how to minimize the risks and recognize the harmful effects is described in this article.
The harm of the phone to the human body
The influence of a mobile phone on human health has been subjected to repeated studies, which sometimes had conflicting information. Scientists have been arguing about the dangers of mobile devices for several decades, and there are already great amount the results of experiments and other scientific research, which are constantly published on scientific resources. More than 10 thousand publications on this topic have already been collected, which can be found in international publications. But does the phone emit radiation?
May 31, 2011 is the day when the WHO officially recognized the harmful effects of radiation from mobile devices on human health. She recognized radiation as a potential carcinogen and identified group 2 B.
The harm of mobile phones to the human body lies in the fact that when talking it is close to the brain. At the same time, electromagnetic rays come into direct contact with it and can adversely affect health. The characteristics of this type of radiation are such that when exposed to living cells, they cause an increase in their temperature and possibly play a role in irreversible processes when radio frequency exposure occurs regularly. Thus, a brain tumor can develop.
The harm of the phone to human health also lies in the fact that while talking on the phone, concentration of attention worsens, thus, due to talking on the phone while driving in a car, accidents happen 4 times more often. Although the cause here is not radiation, the problem remains relevant to this day. Do not talk on the phone while driving and using the speakerphone. Although the harm of cell phones to human health has been discussed by the scientific community for a long time, no consensus has yet been reached. There are various versions of this provision. The most common is the financial component, since phone manufacturers are interested in selling their product, and therefore hiding the true results of research.
According to the precautionary principle, healthcare organizations are required to advise users of mobile devices to minimize the time of their use and especially their presence near the head. The ban on frequent use of the phone is relevant primarily for children.
Among the consequences that the phone can have on the body, there is also the well-known vegetative-vascular dystonia - a mysterious disease that is characterized by a pronounced decline in strength and decreased efficiency. Some researchers believe that the reason for this condition is the too frequent use of mobile phones or being in an area with a dangerous level of radiation from the tower. And with the constant suppression of the body by electromagnetic waves, cancer can develop.
Society reaction
Protection from the radiation emitted by phones has become a hot topic among users. The widespread use of mobile phones forms a wary attitude towards them as carcinogenic agents that can cause the development of cancerous tumors. When evaluating studies, there are still no unequivocal conclusions on the long-term effects of cell phone use. At the same time, the version is often expressed that manufacturers and companies of mobile devices embellish and hide the results of research. Several similar incidents have been recorded: 
- The case of Anders Ahlbom - it turned out that the chief specialist of the working group of experts turned out to be an expert lobbied by mobile phone manufacturers. He was paid to find that radiation from mobile phones is harmless. After the scandal, he was fired and not allowed to attend the World Congress.
- Canadian scientists have also been repeatedly seen in the bias of their research - they were repeatedly paid for by manufacturers and mobile operators and the central television channels of the United States.
Phone manufacturers are no exception in this case and, along with manufacturers of alcohol and tobacco products, they are trying to deny and ridicule the results that speak of a real danger.
Meanwhile, experts different countries have long united in their belief that the effect of the phone on the body is detrimental. Thirty scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, led by Jonathan Samet, produced enough experiments and conclusions that today it has become difficult to ignore. One can only guess why a group of scientists classified this harm as potentially carcinogenic, assigning it an appropriate marker. And what (or who?) prevented the IARC at WHO from classifying the problem with marker 1A or 2A as higher, because the evidence was presented quite serious - brain cancer. And confirmation of the development of glioma and other brain lesions in frequent use mobile device near the ear were accepted by the most authoritative experts.
Electromagnetic fields and public opinion
But is the phone really dangerous? Does the phone emit radiation? The microwave frequency range, which is characteristic of microwave radiation, which is the range of the cellular network, affects the following functions in the body: 
- suppresses cellular and humoral immunity;
- provokes the development of oncology;
- cause of endocrine dysfunctions;
- development of reversible and irreversible chromosomal aberrations.
The development of these diseases depends on three factors of electromagnetic radiation: frequency, power and exposure time. The higher the data, the greater the impact. Thus, radiation from cellular communication becomes similar to gamma radiation, which has the same principle of operation. For both gamma radiation and microwave radiation, the time of exposure to the rays determines the total power that affects the body.
The maximum permissible level of electromagnetic radiation from cellular communications in Russia is 10mW / cm² in the position near the head. If this level is exceeded, diseases may occur.
Ordinary citizens sometimes do not suspect that their safety depends on themselves, since the radiation power of mobile phones is different for all models, and it is worth paying close attention to the level of supply and reception of these signals before buying. Each phone model has its own SAR level - energy absorption.- which should be as low as possible. When the necessary measurements of the signal level were not made before purchase, it is better to control it manually, if such a function is provided in the device. Very often there are cases when the allowable level is exceeded, especially when calling and searching for a network.
Because modern life is no longer possible without the use of a mobile network, it is possible to reduce the level of microwave exposure by not bringing the phone close to the head, since safety is directly proportional to its distance from the body. Fortunately, today there are a lot of opportunities for this: speakerphone, “hands-free”.
How to protect yourself from excessive telephone radiation
Radiation from a phone (from Latin radius "beam", radiātiō - "radiation") is non-ionizing. This is a safer type of radiation, unlike ionizing, characteristic of some radioactive metals, as well as an x-ray machine and places with a nuclear and thermonuclear reaction.
Non-ionizing radiation surrounds us everywhere: in electric light, sunlight, even heat from our body. Due to frequent exposure to a high dose of radiation, there is a cumulative effect, where a minor exposure of the body occurs, causing a change in blood biochemistry, which over time can cause serious health problems.
Possible harm to cellular communication is the following consequences:
- chronic fatigue;
- insomnia;
- headache;
- infertility;
- erectile dysfunction;
- development of oncological diseases.
Despite the obvious evidence scientific works on this topic, mobile phone manufacturers continue to convince that all this is fiction. Although there are many such examples in history: the same leaded gasoline, until it was banned at the international level due to its harmful effects on health, oil refineries denied the presence of a carcinogenic effect in it.
Therefore, the abuse of talking on the phone should be partially or completely accompanied by a wireless headset that allows you to communicate without leaning the phone to your head.
What the phone emits applies to home radio telephones, and not just to cellular ones, since the nature of the signal is very similar.
Is the radiation from the phone harmful when it is at rest? Yes, because the signal received from the station is pulsating. But the radiation becomes the strongest at the moment of calling the number, when the subscriber number is connected to the base station of the cellular operator. If the cell signal can't easily find the tower, then it goes to full strength to pick it up. In these situations, the phone is most dangerous and should be kept close to the body to a minimum.
In such cases, it is advisable to turn off the phone altogether or set the “Airplane” mode. There are special covers for the phone with a shielding effect that do not transmit radiation, they can be used. If it is possible to improve the transmitted signal during a conversation, then you need to do this: stand on an elevated surface, go to a window or go out into an open space so that the received signal does not encounter obstacles. These actions will minimize the effect of electromagnetic rays that they have on the body.
The effect of cell towers on the human body
Radio signal transceivers with powerful antennas make it possible to maintain communication between subscribers of cellular operators. To make communication better, such towers should be placed on hills: it is allowed to install them on the buildings of some enterprises, residential buildings, or on mountains and hills.
The distribution of electromagnetic radiation from the tower occurs in such a way that the houses under it are not the epicenter of radiation, because the waves from the tower propagate horizontally. Being close to 30 meters from such an antenna is potentially hazardous to human health.. If such a tower and directly mobile operators adhere to the European norm and do not exceed the signal higher than 2W / kg, then the danger, as such, is not considered exceeded.
The radiation from the tower tends to fade away from its source, so already within 150 meters such radiation becomes no more dangerous than from a phone lying in another room.
However, quite often there are situations when mobile operators place their base stations in bad faith, adding additional equipment to already operating stations that already emit maximum permissible radiation. Thus, the norms restricting the construction near dangerous objects are violated, people are exposed to radiation.
No less problematic are changes in legislation, according to which the construction of new houses is not taken into account from the position of radiation from antennas and no examinations are carried out on the subject advanced level microwave
The described risks from radiation may be relevant for people whose houses are within 100-120 m or less.. If you know that there is a cell tower in the neighborhood at this level, especially if the antenna itself is located at the same height as your apartment, you need to measure the energy flux density from it by contacting an accredited laboratory. Since the waves propagate horizontally, the greatest damage is possible precisely at the same height as the radiation source.
If, after measurements, the signal level is above the permissible level (above 1900 MHz and above 10 μW / cm²), then it is necessary to write a complaint to Rospotrebnadzor, indicating the available evidence.
The effect of the phone on human health seems to be carefully hushed up by someone. A vigilant citizen must learn to live in a new reality around factors that can cause exposure in order to be able to independently protect themselves and their loved ones from possible danger. After the World Health Organization announced to the whole world about the dangers of phones, adding them to a separate register of carcinogenic products, sober-minded people no longer have any doubts that there is no smoke without fire.
Conducted studies have confirmed the fact that EMR really affects a living organism, and if this organism is somehow weakened or suppressed, then the study can simply kill it by mutating cells into malignant neoplasms. A characteristic experiment was with chickens that were subjected to prolonged EMR. They developed cancer three times more often than others.
These rules will be most relevant for our children, who appear completely defenseless against radiation. The bones of the skull in children are much thinner, which means that the degree of radiation passing through the skull is much higher than in an adult. If we add to this factor undeveloped immunity and constant stress of the body due to increased growth, then we can understand why the percentage of childhood oncology has sharply increased in recent decades.
About what opinion modern science holds regarding the influence of electromagnetic radiation on the human body and what devices are the most significant sources of such radiation, tells
Alexander Kuksa
Ecologist, technical director of the independent ecological expertise Testeco
The influence of electromagnetic fields on the human body has been studied since the times of the USSR, back in the 60s of the last century it was confirmed, at the same time the concept of “radio wave sickness” was introduced and the Maximum Permissible Levels (MPL) were developed. Research in this area is still ongoing. However, the effect and consequences of exposure to EMR is very dependent on each individual, height, weight, gender, health status, immunity and even diet! Exactly the same as on the intensity of the field, frequency and duration of exposure.
The most significant sources of the electromagnetic field are those devices that we use most often and which are located closest to us. It:
- Cell phones
- personal computers (and laptops, and tablets, and desktop computers)
- from household appliances out of competition microwave ovens
Communication devices give an electromagnetic field at the time of receiving / transmitting information, and due to the fact that they are located at a minimum distance to us (for example, a mobile phone is generally close to the head), then the values of the flux density of the EM field will be maximum.
Microwave ovens have a service life, if it is new and serviceable, then there will be practically no radiation at the time of operation outside the oven, but if the surface is dirty, the door does not fit tightly, then the oven protection may not stop all radiation and the fields will “pierce” even the walls of the kitchen ! And give excess throughout the apartment or the nearest rooms.
As a rule, the more powerful the current consumer, the closer it is to us, the longer it affects us and the less protected (shielded), the stronger the negative consequences will be. Because the intensity of radiation from each specific source will also be different.
Negative impact on the human body
The longer we are in the electromagnetic field, the greater the chances for the appearance of any consequences. The danger is that without special equipment, we will never know whether we are currently exposed to an EM field or not. Unless it’s completely in critical situations, when even the hair from static charges begins to move.
Exposure to EM fields can cause:
- dizziness
- headache
- insomnia
- fatigue
- deterioration in concentration
- depression
- hyperexcitability
- irritability
- sudden mood swings
- strong jumps in blood pressure
- weakness
- dysfunction of the heart muscle
- deterioration in myocardial conduction
- arrhythmia
The danger also lies in the fact that, having noticed any of the signs described above, a person will begin to suspect anything, but not electromagnetic fields caused, for example, by hidden wiring running along the bed.
Safety rules for exposure to electromagnetic radiation on the human body
The best protection against EM radiation is distance.
The density of radiation decreases significantly with distance. Each source has a rather limited range of fields, so proper planning of places for rest / leisure, work and sleep is already a guarantee of your health, however, do not forget that any de-energized source of EM fields ceases to be such.
Therefore, do not forget to turn off unused appliances from the network, do not place powerful sources of electromagnetic radiation near your head, monitor the condition of household appliances and read the instructions for the proper operation of household appliances.
The more expensive electronics is, the safer it is?
In theory, high-quality household appliances will be more harmless, since the larger and more "renowned" the manufacturer, the more he will care about his image and, accordingly, certify all his products as responsibly as possible. But this, of course, affects the cost of equipment.
However, it should be borne in mind that this applies only to new equipment that has not been subjected to physical impact, repairs, with proper operation, location, etc. If at least something was violated, then the intensity of the radiation can change significantly.
What is the current opinion on this issue in the scientific community?
No one denies the harm of electromagnetic radiation to human health. But disputes and discussions continue regarding the maximum permissible levels, since it is very difficult to draw a clear line delimiting harm and benefit for the body. After all, there are healing sources of EM fields and diagnostic equipment.
Each of us flutters in invisible heavy-duty networks and is not even aware of it. Progress, endowing us with the darkness of electrical appliances, makes us live in conditions of constant radiation.
No one undertakes to say exactly how this affects health. Doctors are already claiming a special "electromagnetic allergy" and are suggesting that those who are forced to speak for more than an hour a day mobile phone equate to workers in hazardous industries.
Reporting by Ivan Prozorov
Technological boom in a single apartment. microwave oven, steamer, washing machine, iron, humidifier, computer, printer, TV.
Over the past 15 years, houses have been filled with technology, the city - with new sources of radiation. Now they are everywhere, scientists state: in apartments, cars, on the street and in the subway. Any electrical device creates an electromagnetic field. The more energy it consumes, the more powerful the radiation. Its effect on the human body is still an uncultivated field for research.
Oleg Grigoriev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian National Committee for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection: "That's the question on the agenda: how to evaluate exposure conditions when a person is exposed to multiple sources over a long period of time?"
The body's response to household levels of radiation is almost impossible to notice, doctors say. It is necessary to undergo a complete medical examination, identify all diseases, and only then analyze which of these is really from radiation. Diseases are easier to detect in professionals who work in specific industries. The body reacts faster to a powerful field: weakness, headaches, heart problems.
Andrey Bushmanov, First Deputy CEO Federal Medical and Biological Center named after A.I. A.I. Burnazyan of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of the Russian Federation: "It has the ability to change the autonomic nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the nervous system, the immune system of the body. By reducing the performance of these systems, it naturally creates a certain background for the development of other diseases."
As a rule, strong external sources influence this. For example, power lines. Residents of houses on Promyshlennaya Street in Ulyanovsk are surrounded by 20 high-voltage lines. They walk under the wires, they live next to them. The authorities do not respond to complaints about poor health. On the contrary, they recently wanted to extend another branch of the power line. Construction was stopped only through the court.
Faina Nosova, a resident of one of the houses: "Specialists said that they have no right to put at such a close distance that it is generally life-threatening here."
Scientists conditionally divide all sources into external ones, which are outside the apartment and create a powerful field, for example, stations, transmitters and any wireless networks, and internal ones - they are in direct contact, for example, household appliances. But there is a case that experts call special: it combines both effects. This is a mobile connection.
The Yulechka phantom is responsible for studying the radiation with its head. Together with the equipment, this is the most independent examination. In the underground laboratory, the atmosphere is like in a bunker. Instrument readings are as if in an open field - no interference.
Anton Merkulov, senior researcher at the Federal Medical and Biological Center. A.I. Burnazyan FMBA RF: "Most of the energy of the electromagnetic field, which is created by a cell phone, will be absorbed by the human head. About 40-60%".
Scientists are still debating how this affects the brain and how many minutes you can talk without consequences. After all, even children and pregnant women use mobile phones. According to such studies, more than half of the phones have not been tested for compliance with sanitary standards. Regardless of brand or price.
Oleg Grigoriev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian National Committee for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection: "You can always use the hands-free system, any. This is a fundamental solution to the problem, a fundamental one when the antenna-head dynamic connection is broken."
"Field" check in the apartment showed: there is an electromagnetic field. The strongest is where the devices are incorrectly grounded. But household chores are easier to deal with. The principle of time and distance is to work with technology for a short time and stay away from it. And also remember that a wall or cabinet will not protect against radiation.
Anton Merkulov, senior researcher at the Federal Medical and Biological Center. A.I. Burnazyan FMBA RF: "To be away from the source, to stay for a long time, to have places for night rest at least 50-100 centimeters from permanent sources - such as a refrigerator, air conditioning, and so on."
It is hardly possible to completely abandon technology. It doesn't have to be, experts say. Pair simple rules security - and only joy can be radiated.
Guest in the studio - Irina Rachek, physiotherapist
Host: However, electromagnetic radiation not only harms, but is also successfully used in the treatment of many ailments. With explanations in our studio, a physiotherapist of the highest category Irina Rachik. Irina Igorevna, good afternoon.
Guest: Good afternoon.
Presenter: What diseases does physiotherapy help with?
Guest: Physiotherapy helps with diseases of the upper respiratory tract; organs of the cardiovascular system - this is the heart, peripheral, regional vessels, which also lend themselves very well to physiotherapy; next comes gastrointestinal tract; diseases of the musculoskeletal system and skin diseases, which is very important, for example, in pediatric practice. These are various children's dermatitis, eczema, neurodermatitis, psoriasis.
Host: Are there any contraindications to physiotherapy?
Guest: Yes, physiotherapy, of course, has a number of contraindications. These include malignant neoplasms. Benign neoplasms prone to growth. Myomas, fibromyomas, polyps. Systemic blood diseases. Decompensated forms of coronary heart disease and circulatory organs. This is arterial hypertension above the second stage.
Host: At what age can children do physical therapy?
Guest: Physiotherapy for children is now carried out already in maternity hospitals. For example, for the fight or for the treatment of omphalitis, this is an inflammation of the umbilical wound. In general, physiotherapy is indicated for children. They have the same indications as adults, but according to the age of the child, a special dose is begged.
Moderator: Now there are a lot of household appliances for physiotherapy on sale. Are they safe to use effectively?
Guest: They are designed for a wide consumer. That is for our patients. The only thing you need to pay attention to is the instructions that are attached to each device, where the time and place of exposure to this physical factor are clearly defined.
Moderator: Are there any dangers? Overdose?
Guest: Of course, there can be overdoses if these indications are not followed. And, in general, each patient has his own individual characteristics. And, of course, it is better to consult a doctor before starting treatment with this physical factor.
Host: What type of such household appliances for physiotherapy requires our special attention?
Guest: I would warn against a frivolous attitude to laser therapy. As physiotherapists, we tend to have laser therapy procedures carried out under the supervision of a physician.
Moderator: When a physiotherapy treatment is carried out by a specialist, can there be any side effects?
Guest: Yes, of course. There may be an individual intolerance to one or another physical factor. This may be a deterioration in well-being, weakness, lethargy, irritability.
Host: If nothing hurts, you feel good, is it possible to do physiotherapy without an indication, just for prevention?
Guest: Of course, you can, because physiotherapy is translated from the Greek "physis" - "nature", and "therapy" is healing, that is, treatment with natural environmental factors. What do we have them? It is the sun, air and water. Therefore, of course, it is very, very possible and necessary to use these factors for preventive purposes. But everything that concerns factors, that is, the treatment that you and I receive from physiotherapy devices, of course, should be prescribed by a doctor. And it should be carried out under his control.
Moderator: Thank you very much, Irina Igorevna. Physiotherapist of the highest category Irina Radchik told us about the features of treatment in literally words by the forces of nature.
Advice from physiotherapist Irina Radchik
Physiotherapy helps with a variety of ailments. But, as a rule, this is only part of the necessary treatment, accelerating recovery.
In the acute stage of the disease, such measures will not help, they are even contraindicated. Also, some chronic ailments impose a ban on visiting an office with light, thermal and other devices.
It is better not to get carried away with this kind of treatment at home. Of the household medical units, those that work with a laser pose the greatest threat.
In addition, physiotherapy sometimes causes unpleasant side effects. Only a specialist can notice the impending danger and react correctly to it.
Radiation is radiation invisible to the human eye, which nevertheless has a powerful effect on the body. Unfortunately, the consequences of radiation exposure for humans are extremely negative.
Initially, radiation affects the body from the outside. It comes from natural radioactive elements that are in the earth, and also enters the planet from space. Also, external exposure comes in microdoses from building materials, medical X-ray machines. Large doses of radiation can be found in nuclear power plants, special physical laboratories and uranium mines. Test sites are also extremely dangerous. nuclear weapons and disposal sites for radioactive waste.
To a certain extent, our skin, clothes and even houses protect against the above sources of radiation. But the main danger of radiation is that radiation can be not only external, but also internal.
Radioactive elements can enter through air and water, through cuts in the skin, and even through body tissues. In this case, the radiation source acts much longer - until it is removed from the human body. It is impossible to protect yourself from it with a lead plate and it is impossible to go far away, which makes the situation even more dangerous.
Irradiation dosage
In order to determine the power of exposure and the degree of exposure to radiation on living organisms, several measurement scales were invented. First of all, the power of the radiation source is measured in Grays and Rads. Everything is quite simple here. 1 Gy=100R. This is how the level of exposure is determined using a Geiger counter. The X-ray scale is also used.
But do not assume that these indications reliably indicate the degree of danger to health. It is not enough to know the radiation power. The effect of radiation on the human body also varies depending on the type of radiation. There are 3 in total:
- Alpha. These are heavy radioactive particles - neutrons and protons, which are the most harmful to humans. But they have low penetrating power and are not able to penetrate even through the upper layers of the skin. But in the presence of wounds or suspension of particles in the air,
- Beta. These are radioactive electrons. Their penetrating ability is 2 cm of leather.
- Gamma. These are photons. They freely penetrate the human body, and it is possible to protect oneself only with the help of lead or a thick layer of concrete.
Radiation exposure occurs at the molecular level. Irradiation leads to the formation of free radicals in the cells of the body, which begin to destroy the surrounding substances. But, given the uniqueness of each organism and the uneven sensitivity of organs to the effects of radiation on humans, scientists had to introduce the concept of an equivalent dose.
To determine how dangerous radiation is in a given dose, the radiation power in Rads, Roentgens and Grays is multiplied by the quality factor.
For Alpha radiation it is 20, and for Beta and Gamma it is 1. X-rays also have a factor of 1. The result is measured in Rems and Sieverts. With a coefficient equal to one, 1 Rem is equal to one Rad or Roentgen, and 1 Sievert is equal to one Gray or 100 Rem.
To determine the degree of impact of the equivalent dose on the human body, another risk factor had to be introduced. For each organ, it is different, depending on how radiation affects individual tissues of the body. For the organism as a whole, it is equal to one. Thanks to this, it was possible to draw up a scale of the danger of radiation and its effect on a person with a single exposure:
- 100 Sievert. This is a quick death. In a few hours, and at best days nervous system organism ceases to function.
- 10-50 is a lethal dose, as a result of which a person will die from numerous internal hemorrhages after several weeks of torment.
- 4-5 Sievert - - mortality is about 50%. Due to damage to the bone marrow and disruption of the hematopoietic process, the body dies after a couple of months or less.
- 1 Sievert. It is with this dose that radiation sickness begins.
- 0.75 sievert. Short-term changes in the composition of the blood.
- 0.5 - this dose is considered sufficient to cause the development of cancer. But there are usually no other symptoms.
- 0.3 sievert. This is the power of the device when receiving x-ray stomach.
- 0.2 sievert. This is the safe level of radiation allowed when working with radioactive materials.
- 0.1 - with a given radiation background, uranium is mined.
- 0.05 sievert. Norm of background exposure to medical equipment.
- 0.005 sievert. Permissible level of radiation near the nuclear power plant. It is also the annual exposure rate for the civilian population.
Consequences of radiation exposure
The dangerous effect of radiation on the human body is caused by the action of free radicals. They are formed at the chemical level due to exposure to radiation and primarily affect rapidly dividing cells. Accordingly, the organs of hematopoiesis and the reproductive system suffer to a greater extent from radiation.
But the radiation effects of human exposure are not limited to this. In the case of delicate tissues of mucous and nerve cells, their destruction occurs. Because of this, a variety of mental disorders can develop.
Often, due to the effect of radiation on the human body, vision suffers. With a large dose of radiation, blindness due to radiation cataracts can occur.
Other body tissues undergo qualitative changes, which is no less dangerous. It is because of this that the risk of cancer increases many times over. First, the structure of tissues changes. And secondly, free radicals damage the DNA molecule. Due to this, cell mutations develop, which leads to cancer and tumors in various organs of the body.
The most dangerous thing is that these changes can persist in the offspring, due to damage to the genetic material of germ cells. On the other hand, the opposite effect of radiation on a person is possible - infertility. Also, in all cases without exception, radiation exposure leads to rapid deterioration of cells, which accelerates the aging of the body.
Mutations
The plot of many fantastic stories begins with how radiation leads to the mutation of a person or animal. Usually, the mutagenic factor gives the main character a variety of superpowers. In reality, radiation affects a little differently - first of all, the genetic consequences of radiation affect future generations.
Due to disturbances in the DNA molecule chain caused by free radicals, the fetus may develop various abnormalities associated with problems of internal organs, external deformities or mental disorders. However, this violation may extend to future generations.
The DNA molecule is involved not only in human reproduction. Every cell in the body divides according to the program laid down in the genes. If this information is damaged, cells begin to divide incorrectly. This leads to the formation of tumors. Usually, it is contained by the immune system, which tries to limit the damaged tissue area, and ideally get rid of it. But due to radiation-induced immunosuppression, mutations can spread out of control. Because of this, tumors begin to metastasize, turning into cancer, or grow and put pressure on internal organs, such as the brain.
Leukemia and other types of cancer
Due to the fact that the effect of radiation on human health primarily extends to the hematopoietic organs and the circulatory system, the most common consequence of radiation sickness is leukemia. It is also called "blood cancer". Its manifestations affect the entire body:
- A person loses weight, while there is no appetite. He is constantly accompanied by weakness in the muscles and chronic fatigue.
- There are pains in the joints, they begin to react more strongly to the surrounding conditions.
- Inflamed lymph nodes.
- The liver and spleen are enlarged.
- Difficulty breathing.
- There are purple rashes on the skin. A person often and profusely sweats, bleeding may open.
- There is immunodeficiency. Infections freely penetrate the body, which often raises the temperature.
Before the events in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, doctors did not consider leukemia to be a disease from radiation. But 109,000 surveyed Japanese confirmed the link between radiation and cancer. It also revealed the likelihood of damage to certain organs. Leukemia came first.
Then the radiation effects of human exposure most often lead to:
- Mammary cancer. Every hundredth woman who has experienced severe radiation exposure is affected.
- Thyroid cancer. It also affects 1% of those exposed.
- Lungs' cancer. This variety is most pronounced in irradiated uranium miners.
Fortunately, modern medicine is quite able to cope with oncological diseases on early stages if the effect of radiation on human health was short-term and rather weak.
What affects the effects of radiation
The effect of radiation on living organisms varies greatly depending on the power and type of radiation: alpha, beta or gamma. Depending on this, the same dose of radiation can be practically safe or lead to sudden death.
It is also important to understand that the effects of radiation on the human body are rarely simultaneous. Getting a dose of 0.5 Sievert at a time is dangerous, and 5-6 is deadly. But by taking several x-rays of 0.3 Sievert for a certain time, a person allows the body to cleanse itself. Therefore, the negative effects of radiation exposure simply do not manifest themselves, since with a total dose of several Sieverts, only a small part of the exposure will act on the body at a time.
In addition, the various effects of radiation exposure on humans are highly dependent on individual features organism. A healthy body resists the damaging effects of radiation longer. But the best way to ensure the safety of radiation for humans is to contact radiation as little as possible to minimize damage.