Wi-Fi allergy woman awarded painkillers because of wireless radiation

A court in France has awarded a 39-year-old woman the right to state support because she is reported to be responding to Wi-Fi radiation symptoms. Among physicians, it is controversial whether health complaints can be triggered by electronic devices and their radiation.

Frenchwoman suffers from electromagnetic hypersensitivity
A court in Toulouse, France has awarded state aid to a 39-year-old woman for allegedly sensitive to mobile and Wi-Fi radiation. According to various media reports, former radio producer Marine Richard said she was suffering from electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS). In the case of the French, this causes symptoms such as migraine, nausea and fatigue. Because of the symptoms, the applicant left her home in Marseille five years ago and has since lived in a remote mountainous area without electricity.

Woman complains in court: Wlan allergy would cause health problems. Picture: andifink - fotolia

Court grants applicant financial aid
The court classified Marine Richard with a disability of 85 percent as incapacitated and granted her a monthly allowance of 680 euros. The judges admitted that the complaints actually prevented the woman from pursuing a profession. But as a disease they did not accept the "WLAN Allergy". However, the plaintiff nevertheless spoke of a "breakthrough" and her lawyer stated that she saw in the judgment a precedent for other victims.

No recognized disease
EHS, also known as hypersensitivity, is neither a recognized disease in France nor in Germany. Nevertheless, more and more people complain about the influence of electronic devices and their radiation on their health. Patients claim to suffer from ailments such as headaches, insomnia, nausea or palpitations. An important role could possibly play the so-called "nocebo effect", in which the fear leads to real complaints. A few years ago, German researchers in a research visit to England found in a study that just media reports on the health risks of mobile radio or WLAN radiation are sufficient to cause some people to have symptoms of illness.

Controversial among health experts
Experts are debating whether such radiation can harm health. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) has warned in the past about high-frequency electromagnetic radiation used in mobile communications. However, the Dutch Health Council reported last year on a study that sees no such mobile phone risk. On the other hand, German researchers have found in a study with mice that mobile phone radiation promote cancer growth. (Ad)