Longterm use of mobile phones could cause hearing problems/ Seven-year hitch

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Longterm use of mobile phones could cause hearing problems

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/health/healthmain.html?in_article_id=483033 & in_page_id=1774

 

Using a mobile phone for more than hour a day could damage hearing, experts have warned.

Research shows that those who regularly use their mobile for longer than an hour a day find it harder to hear - with words starting with the letters s, f, h, t and z proving particularly troublesome.

The study, presented to an ear, nose and throat conference in the U.S. this week, comes as mobile phone use in Britain soars to record levels.

There are 70 million handsets in use in the UK, which are used to make a third of all calls.

 

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The latest research compared the hearing of 100 mobile phone users aged between 18 and 25 with that of 50 others who did not use mobiles.

This showed a link between longterm regular usage and hearing loss, with those who used their mobile for more than an hour a day for more than four years tending to find it harder to distinguish sounds.

The problem was particularly noticeable in the right ear, to which most people hold their phone.

High-frequency sounds, such as those made by the letters s, f, h, t and z, were most likely to pose a difficulty, making it hard to distinguish between words such as hill, fill and till.

Researcher Dr Naresh Panda said it is possible radiation from longterm mobile use damages the inner ear.

Early warning signs may include a warm feeling in the ear, ringing in the ear or a feeling it is clogged up, the American Academy of Otolaryngology's annual conference heard.

Dr Panda, a ear, nose and throat specialist from India, said the small number of people studied means more research is needed to confirm the link.

"Our intention is not to scare the public," he said. "We need to study a larger number of patients."

However, the researcher, who owns a mobile but uses it sparingly, urged caution.

"We should educate the public only to use them when necessary," he added.

The Mobile Operators Association, which represents Britain's mobile phone companies, said independent scientific reviews carried out in the UK and around the world had "consistently concluded that the weight of scientific evidence to date suggests that exposure to radiowaves from mobile phone handsets and base stations does not cause adverse health effects".

Last week, the results of Britain's biggest-ever study into mobile phone safety were published.

It found no short-term harm to the adult brain , but a "very slight hint" of a raised risk of some types of brain tumour among those who had used the devices for more than ten years.

 

 

Seven-year hitch

Article from: Agence France-Presse

 

September 20, 2007 12:00am

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0%2C22049%2C22450297-5006007%2C00.html

 

 

A GERMAN politician has proposed a law making marriage contracts null and void after seven years, with the option to renew for those not feeling the proverbial itch.

"I propose that marriages lapse after seven years,'' Gabriele Pauli told reporters in Munich, the capital of the largely Catholic southern state of Bavaria.

"This would mean that one will only commit for a fixed period and will actively have to renew your vows if you still want to continue.''

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ms Pauli, 50, has been divorced twice.

"It means that, in future, people would in future enter marriages only on a time-limited basis, and would then actively say 'yes' to an extension," she added. She argued that, since a high proportion of marriages end in divorce and many people stay married only for fear of separation or for financial reasons, "perhaps one can live better outside marriage." Pauli conceded that "the fine points must still be cleared up" and said that "obviously, a lot stands against this."

The 'seven-year-hitch' plan drew sharp criticism from party colleagues in Pope Benedict XVI's home region. The proposal is part of her manifesto as she prepares to contest the leadership of Bavaria's governing party, the ultra-conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), next week.

Shortly after announcing her candidacy, Ms Pauli caused a stir by posing for magazine pictures as a dominatrix wearing long latex gloves.