[Deliverator]

So what do EM sensitive people do when they are surrounded by people? If they don't freak out then they aren't THAT sensitive to electromagnetic fields, considering ALL living beings have an EM field, though it is admittedly quite weak.

[Joush]

It's a psychosomatic disorder, so symptoms are typically limited to when they can perceive the items they believe to be harmful.

It's easy to make fun, but it's very real to the people suffering and it's best to have a little sympathy.

[CanRay]

Same thing that people that are sensitive to loud noises or bright light do.  They adapt as best as they can with mental or physical barriers if possible.

[Deliverator]

Sensitivity to bright light can actually be a medical condition where it is physically painful to be exposed to bright light. I don't know about loud noises, but if its loud enough I know it hurts MY ears hehe...

[CanRay]

I'm sensitive to loud noises, and high pitched noises at any sound level, even that which can't be heard by most people.  I've had to learn how to filter it out, as I also have a higher range of hearing than your average person (The high-end of the human norm.).  Luckily, that last bit is starting to go away due to age and my choice in music.

But things like cathode ray tubes, some types of florescent lights, certain toys, and so on will distract me if I'm not ready for them.  It takes effort to filter them out using mental exercises I learned at a very young age (Guess what types of lights my grade school used?).  If loud enough, it causes quite a bit of pain.  I tend to avoid young children because of this, as even a happy voices from them literally causes me physical pain.  ASA (Generic Asprin) is a standard everyday carry for me whenever I'm expecting to have to go on a bus or be in a crowd that isn't Adults-Only (Ozzy rocks, BTW!).

I figure someone with EM Sensitivity would do similar acts, avoiding crowds as much as possible, limiting the EM Emissions in their house (EMP shielded electronics would help), carry headache tablets.  Tend to get really annoyed at line-ups at coffee shops.  Take public transit at low-passenger times.

Since my home is now fitted out with LCD Flatscreens, I've noticed such a lack of noise that it's quite...  Freeing.

[Joush]

You might want to try ear plugs, CanRay. While they muffle all sounds, you can still hold a relatively normal conversation in them and they can really damp out painful high frequency sounds. Going though life with earplugs is clearly a bad option, however, so maybe just carry a pair for parcularly bad situations?

As far as how people cope with EM sensitivity, most people take steps they feel help them avoid such items, some to the point of moving away from civilization to avoid cell phone towers.

Non-ionizing radiation (other then visual and infared radiation of course) of the sort produced by devices that trigger EM sensitivity symptoms is totally undetectable by human senses and harmless in any energy level encountered in modern life.  So there is no real treatment beyond psychiatric counselling or disconnecting from modern life, something that people suffering from EMS seem to be unconsciously seeking in any case.

[k_night]

i know what your talking about, its a pain when you see a cute girl and you want to talk to her, it turns out she's got a high pitch voice and the sound of her voice just anoys you. even if she is great to talk with and she is realy nice, her voice just ruins everything

[Cantor]

I read about these things just a few months ago, and according to what I could find out only the "sensation press" seem to have been able to find proof that these things exists.

NPR is "Sensation Press"? Wow.

[CanRay]

You might want to try ear plugs, CanRay. While they muffle all sounds, you can still hold a relatively normal conversation in them and they can really damp out painful high frequency sounds. Going though life with earplugs is clearly a bad option, however, so maybe just carry a pair for parcularly bad situations?

Tried that, muffles too much and I can't hear at all.  Real pain when I was learning how to swim.

Thanks for the suggestion however.

Hey, here we go!  Get a Faraday Cage Hamster Ball for people with EM Sensitivity!

[Fnord]

I read about these things just a few months ago, and according to what I could find out only the "sensation press" seem to have been able to find proof that these things exists.

NPR is "Sensation Press"? Wow.

Well, in Sweden we have so called "kvällstidningar", i.e. newspapers that in reality are little more than tabloids (unlike most American tabloids, these are released daily, and a handful of people actually consider them worthwhile newspapers, most people see them for what they are though). Also often called sensation press, at least over here.

[Joush]

I'm certain that the NPR report was very careful not to say or imply that they had proven EMS was in fact triggered by electromagnetic fields. The WHO report on it was equally clear, while remaining sensitive to the people that suffer. People believe that cell phones, televisions, cell phones, high tension power lines, computers and microwaves produce dangerous energies, so when  under stress they feel symptoms they believe are linked to exposure to such energies.

It's worth noting that they almost never report such problems with other powerful but innocuous seeming EM sources, like speakers, radios, hair dryers, vacuum cleaners, can openers and all electric power tools. Despite the fact that if a cell phone, power lines at 50m or computer's EMF is harmful to you being near a hair dryer or vacuum should be agonizing.

[corax]

i'm the opposite. i tend to drain batteries and kill electronics just from continued exposure.. never had a watch last over 2 weeks, even some $400-500  that i got to test. (yay refunds)

[hobgoblin]

so when under stress they feel symptoms they believe are linked to exposure to such energies.

This is the likely kicker. They may have lead a very stressful life, and so every time a phone rings or similar they tense up automatically. End result is that they get a headache every time they are near a phone or similar, but end up attributing the issue to the EM emissions of the phone, not their own work schedule.

Trash all the phones and such, go hermit, stress drops, and they think it is the removal of EM that fixes the issue...

[FastJack]

OR, most people could have an underdeveloped sense that detects (electro)magnetic fields.

Evidence of a nonlinear human magnetic sense

[CanRay]

...every time a phone rings or similar they tense up automatically. End result is that they get a headache every time they are near a phone or similar...

Trash all the phones...

I have a similar issue, but that's due to having worked tech support for far too long.