Do Airport X-Ray Scanners Cause Cancer?

According to one report from PBS/ ProPublica, anywhere from six to 100 passengers each year could get cancer from these machines.  The study said that any exposure to ionizing radiation – the kind emitted by the x-ray scanners – increases risk of cancer. Though the machines emit fewer than 10 micro-rems of radiation - which is roughly one-thousandth of the exposure of a chest x-ray-- the National Academy of Sciences has found no evidence that exposure to radiation – even in the smallest amounts – has a zero risk of cancer. In other words: it's possible that these machines cause cancer. A 2011 report from the University of Columbia Center for Radiological Research said that one billion x-ray scans per year could lead to 100 radiation-induced cancers. These one billion scans would be accumulated by a pool of 100 million frequent flyers.

In 1999, the Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors, a nongovernmental organization, passed a resolution recommending that the full-body scanners now used in airports be stopped immediately.

In November 2011, the European Union banned use of the body scanners in its airports due to safety concerns.  Only England's Manchester Airport continues to use the machinery.

In a 2011 study from the University of California, San Francisco, airport scanners were found to potentially cause up to six cases of cancer over the course of a lifetime in those people exposed to the scanners – which totals over 100 million people.  So the risk is tiny, according to this study.

The Transportation Safety Administration swears that the machines are safe, stating that the amount of radiation to which people are exposed is minute and worth the risk – as small as it may be – for the increase in security.  The Food and Drug Administration says that the risk of cancer is one in 400 million, citing the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements.

Europe has banned airport scanners over cancer fears. England's Manchester Airport is the only airport in Europe that still uses the back-scatter scanners.

Do you think these machines are safe?

10 Most Common Symptoms of Low Blood Pressure

Low blood pressure occurs when the pressure of the blood that is exerted against the walls of the blood vessels after and during every heart beat is lower than normal. This can result in insufficient supply of blood to the important organs of the body like the heart and the brain and can also lead to various low blood pressure symptoms.

Following are the most common symptoms of low blood pressure:

1. Dizziness and lightheartedness
2. A tendency to faint
3. Pain in the chest
4. Black or maroon colored stools
5. Irregular heart beat
6. Head ache
7. Back pain or Stiff neck
8. Consistent high fever
9. Wheezing and
10. Burning sensation in the urine

If you happen to spot any of the above symptoms of low blood pressure, it is recommended to seek doctor's advice as soon as possible.

Because of low blood pressure, proper amount of blood is not able to reach to all the parts of the body and thus the cells do not receive the correct amount of oxygen and nutrients. Therefore, the waste products in the blood are not removed.

Don't overlook the risk of low blood pressure if you cough with phlegm or if you are suffering from prolonged diarrhea, or if you are unable to eat or drink, or if you experience burning urinary symptoms or even if you are taking new medicines, because all these are low blood pressure symptoms.

When you start experiencing low blood pressure symptoms, remember that the brain is the first organ to malfunction in such situations because it's located at the top of the body and as a result you will experience dizziness or even fainting. You should remember that if you don't treat low blood pressure seriously it might lead to brain damage.

Due to low blood pressure, blood is not adequately supplied to the heart muscles and therefore breathlessness and chest tightness forms one of the common low blood pressure symptoms. When you have prolonged low blood pressure all organs start malfunctioning and this leads to shock.

In order to prevent the situation from getting worse, you should take certain precautionary measures when you have low blood pressure and you must take your doctor's advice. You should try to be more physically active and must also try to lose weight. You should also maintain a healthy diet and limit the consumption of alcohol. All these measures will help you to keep your low blood pressure symptoms under control.

In spite of all the harmful aspects of low blood pressure, researchers say that it is better than high blood pressure because people experiencing low blood pressure symptoms tend to live longer than people suffering from high blood pressure symptoms do.

If you suspect yourself to be suffering from low blood pressure you should consult your medical health practitioner.

How you can reduce mobile radiation exposure

A World Health Organization panel has concluded that cell phones are "possibly carcinogenic,'' putting the popular devices in the same category as certain dry cleaning chemicals and pesticides, as a potential threat to human health. There is sufficient data to show that cell phone use affects brain activity and brain glucose levels after use and the World Health Organization declared cell phone radiation to be a potential carcinogen. So there is definitely enough cause for concern.

 

Here are some tips to reduce exposure to mobile radiations:

1. Use a wired headset to minimize the waves hitting you.
2. Talk on a speakerphone whenever possible
3. Don't wear Bluetooth continuously
4. Avoid using phone in enclosed areas
5. Hold phone little away while talking.
6. Send text messages
7. Choose a phone that emits less radiation. More manufacturers are becoming conscious of the health risks and attempting to manufacture lower radiation models. A Google search can help you identify one the next time you are in the market for a cell phone.
8. Choose natural supplements known to reduce cell damage from radiation like alpha lipoic acid and vitamins C and E.
9. Eat more seaweed. Seaweed is nature’s anti-radiation remedy. 
10. Keep the phone away from your bed. Sleeping with the phone near your head, such as on your night stand, can expose you to radiation for long periods of time.
11. Don’t put it in your pocket. If you must, keep the phone’s antenna (usually on the back of the phone) facing away from your body.
12. Watch the signal strength. When the signal strength is weak the phone will emit MORE radiation in an attempt to communicate with the cell tower.