Supporting Patients with Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity (EHS) in Healthcare Settings
Practical Guidance for Hospitals and Clinicians
What is Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity
♦ EHS is a real and disabling condition where patients experience adverse symptoms from electromagnetic fields (EMF) and radiofrequency (RF) exposure.
♦ Symptoms may include headaches, dizziness, nausea, sleep disturbance, cognitive difficulties, skin reactions, palpitations, pain, and immune dysfunction.
♦ Symptoms often improve when EMF and RF exposures are reduced, particularly in sleeping, recovery, and treatment environments.
Special Consideration: Patients with Medical Implants
♦ Reducing wireless use and identifying low-exposure areas for both EHS patients and those with medical or metal implants.
♦ Current guidelines, including ICNIRP, do not specifically protect these patients.
United Kingdom Hospital Experience
Experience from Eileen O’Connor, Director of the EM Radiation Research Trust, who previously suffered breast cancer after living 100 meters from a mobile phone mast in Wishaw, UK:
♦ On multiple occasions, she explained her condition to hospital staff prior to admission.
♦ Hospitals provided a wristband detailing her condition so nurses and doctors were aware during procedures.
♦ Mobile phones were kept out of rooms during treatment, and EMF detectors were used to identify the lowest-exposure bed locations.
♦ These accommodations are practical, low-cost, and enable safer accessible care.
📄 Resource from ES-UK – ES GP patient letter (June 2020) — https://www.es-uk.info/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/ES-GP-patient-letter-June-20.pdf
Canadian Hospital Guidance
Experience from Professor Magda Havas and Sheena Symington, Electrosensitive Society, ROSE Lab demonstrates that hospitals can implement structured protocols to make care accessible for patients with EHS:
♦ Reducing ambient EMF/RF in patient spaces.
♦ Staff awareness and structured consultation processes.
♦ Clear patient communication and accommodations for low-exposure areas.
Key Resources:
♦ How hospitals can accommodate patients with EHS
♦ Quinte Health Accessibility – Environmental Sensitivities Policy 2023
♦ Electromagnetic Hygiene Slides for Doctors
♦ EMF Medical Conference 2021 – EHS advocacy Video 38
Practical Hospital Accommodations
♦ Limit use of mobile phones and wireless devices during care.
♦ Provide wired alternatives.
♦ Identify lower-exposure areas for patients with EHS or medical implants.
♦ Use wristbands or patient records to alert staff to sensitivities.
♦ Recognise EHS as a real accessibility issue, not a behavioural or psychological concern.
Call to Action
♦ Hospitals and clinicians should adopt electromagnetic hygiene protocols to provide safe care.
♦ Health services should formally recognise EHS and implant vulnerability in accessibility planning.
♦ Clinicians should use practical resources, including the UK GP letter and Canadian hospital examples, to support affected patients.
♦ These measures are simple, low-cost.
♦ Canadian precedent: Some Canadian hospitals have successfully implemented EMF reduction, staff awareness, and official accessibility policies for EHS patients, demonstrating that these accommodations are feasible and effective.
Electrosensitivity and the Hidden Impact of Wireless Radiation on All Life
While some people report no noticeable effects from man-made electromagnetic fields, others, often described as electrosensitive, experience significant symptoms when exposed to wireless radiation from phone masts, 5G networks, Wi-Fi, smart meters, wearable devices, and the Internet of Things. Beyond individual sensitivity, a growing body of published scientific evidence shows that wireless technology can affect all living systems.
From bacteria to plants, insects, fish, birds, mammals, and humans, life on Earth has evolved in constant interaction with the planet’s natural magnetic field. Biological systems, therefore, are inherently sensitive to electromagnetic signals.
A major 2024 review by Henshaw and Phillips, one of the most widely read papers in the International Journal of Radiation Biology, demonstrates that magnetosensitivity is a near-universal trait across life on Earth. This provides a scientific foundation for understanding electrosensitivity in humans. The full paper is freely available here: DOI link.
https://radiationresearch.org/global-alert-a-planetary-threat-hidden-in-plain-sight
See Figure 1 from the Henshaw and Phillips paper: DOI link.
See Figure 2 from the Henshaw and Phillips paper: DOI link.
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Further Reading on this subject
♦ Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Research – Radiation Research Trust
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