How can naturally occurring
electromagnetism affect my health?
Natural air ions may be produced by natural radioactivity and cosmic rays, waterfalls, or wind action. Natural ion balances could be altered in by manmade environments such as in buildings or within vehicles, especially with the modern use of polymer materials which are prone to electrostatic charging to high voltages.
The possibility that air ions may affect human health has been suggested since the beginning of the 20th century. Studies in the 1950's and 1960's indicated that human health, performance and mood were affected by certain weather conditions. In particular warm dry winds are associated with a sudden increase in health problems.
During these winds about 30% of the population was reported to suffer from migraine, depression, moodiness, lethargy or respiratory symptoms. Behavior changes were reported to result in an increase in accidents and psychological illness. A further 30% suffered less, and about 40% suffered no effects.
There is some evidence that these health changes are due to atmospheric electrical changes, in particular air ion concentrations, and the ion polarity ratio (the balance between positive to negative air ion concentrations). The hormone serotonin also appears to be involved in a mechanism of interaction between ions and biological systems.
During the summer months you will often read about sferics in the bioweather forecasts. Sferics is short for atmospherics, the name radio operators gave to the crackling noise in their loudspeakers and headphones, caused by nearby or distant lightning. The US Lightning Detection Network registers over 20 million lightning flashes per year, while worldwide the estimate is for 100 strikes per second. In addition, many discharges occur high in the atmosphere and remain undetected.
A multimillion-
Headaches are the main symptoms of this kind of weather sensitivity. But statistical evidence also implicates sferics with emotional stress and mood swings, irregularities with heart rhythm and blood circulation, and epileptic attacks.
Electricity is an integral part of all biological activity. Electrified bodies attract everything. The friction between comb and hair electrifies the hair, as a result of which it often refuses to lie down until the state of electrification of the hair is removed. When a body becomes electrified we say that it acquires electricity, referred to as positive and negative electricity. Friction between bodies merely causes a preponderance of (say) positive electricity on one body by removing from it some of the negative electricity and depositing it on the other. The conversion of magnetism to electricity does take place. The health and efficiency of humans must be affected by all forms of air electricity. Human beings and all living creatures are all bioelectric creatures designed by nature to function largely because of bioelectricity, and properly in an environment that contains a certain level of air electricity. Just as the Earth itself generates an electromagnetic field, so do our brains generate such fields, albeit at a strength of about one billionth that of the Earth's field.
The effect of air ions on the human organism has been the subject of much debate. Commercial units are available which claim beneficial effects through the generation of negative air ions into the atmosphere. Conversely, it has been claimed that an excess of positive ions can cause discomfort and symptoms such as headaches and nausea in some people.
Your
Question
Previous
Next
Index