Hypersensitivity of human subjects to environmental electric and magnetic field exposure: a review of the literature.

Abstract

Hypersensitivity to exposure to electric and magnetic fields (EMFs) has been reported for nearly 20 years; however, the literature on the subject is still very limited. Nearly all the literature published concerns a dermatological syndrome that consists of mainly subjective symptoms (itching, burning, dryness) and a few objective symptoms (redness, dryness) appearing after individuals begin working with video display units and decreasing during absence from work. Case-control studies as well as some good but limited double-blind trials have not found any clear relationship between this syndrome and exposure to EMFs. A "general syndrome" with more general symptoms has been rarely described but seems to have a worse prognosis. The symptoms often associated with skin disorders are mainly of neurasthenic type and can cover a lot of nonspecific symptoms present in other atypical syndromes such as multiple chemical sensitivity or chronic fatigue. Most of these symptoms are allegedly triggered by exposure to different sources of EMFs, but there have been no valid etiological studies published on this more general syndrome. It appears that the so-called hypersensitivity to environmental electric and magnetic fields is an unclear health problem whose nature has yet to be determined.

Study of self-reported hypersensitivity to electromagnetic fields in California.

“…This makes it difficult to assess how symptomatic or how life-impacted these persons are. However, published literature has also relied on selfreporting of hypersensitivity to EMFs because there are no clear clinical diagnostic criteria for the condition (Levallois 2002). Second, one may also wonder if the sample is representative of the adult California population.…”

“…Most of the reported literature, mainly from Northern Europe, consists of case studies and limited population studies carried out in occupational settings (Levallois 2002). The published data concern essentially some nonspecific dermatological symptoms, mainly subjective (itching, burning, stinging, etc.…”

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity in the light of empirical results

“…Ráadásul további két vizsgálatban az IEI-EMF-es személyek rosszabbul teljesítettek a valós és álmezôk megkülönböztetésében, mint kontrolltársaik, ami leginkább arra vezethetô vissza, hogy az elektroszenzitív csoport az álexpozíció során is gyakrabban tapasztalt fizikai érzeteket (Frick és mtsai, 2005; Landgrebe és mtsai, 2008). Más, a témát szintén át-tekintô kutatók az elôzôekhez hasonló következtetésekre jutottak (Bergqvist és mtsai, 1997; Levallois, 2002;Röösli, 2008;Seitz, Stinner, Eikmann, Herr, & Röösli, 2005).…”

L'hypersensibilité à l'électricité : une approche multidisciplinaire pour un problème multifactoriel. Revue de la littérature

“…En l'absence de critères diagnostics, les symptômes observés sont attribués à ce que Knave, et al, (1992), vont intituler « hypersensibilité à l'électricité », expression qui trouvera par la suite d'autres synonymes tels que « électrosensibilité » (electrosensitivity), « hypersensibilité électromagnétique » (electromagnetic hypersensitivity), « hypersensibilité électri-que » (electrical hypersensitivity), « sensibilité électrique » (electrical sensitivity) ou encore hypersensibilité aux champs électriques et magnétiques » (hypersensitivity to electric and magnetic fields) lorsque celle-ci est restreinte aux champs de basse fréquence (Levallois, 2002). Si le terme « allergie à l'électricité » est parfois cité, il est préférable de ne pas l'utiliser car il ne s'agit pas, au vu des connaissances actuelles, d'une pathologie qui donne lieu à des réactions de type allergique.…”