We talk about the facts and myths about Bluetooth vs wired headphones radiation for a worry-free listening.
Headphones, whether they are wired or not, have become an integral part of our lives. But with reports of wireless headphones’ radiation causing cancer, no one can blame you for worrying about their safety.
Worse yet, as you try to find the truth behind this, you’ll be bombarded instead with scary sites claiming that even your wired headphones are killing you! Is it time to say goodbye to your favorite listening devices?
Of course not! While we know that headphones do produce some radiation, we can evaluate the resulting dangers rationally. Let this article guide you through the truths and myths surrounding Bluetooth and wired headphones radiation.
What Is Electromagnetic Radiation?
Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is, much like all types of radiation, a form of energy. While radiation seems scary and brings forth images of atomic bombs and destructive nuclear power plant meltdowns, the reality is quite a bit different.
In short, radiation is an unavoidable part of life. The Sun’s rays are radiation, your microwave cooks with radiation, there is even a field of study called sound radiation. Some radiation is harmful and some radiation is not.
For electronic devices such as headphones, we mainly talk about EMR. This is created when atoms in the system absorb energy.
Two types of EMR
When it comes to EMR, it is important to look at the two primary types:
- Ionizing EMR
- Non-ionizing EMR
Ionizing EMR is higher energy and can cause damage to DNA and cells due to its ability to remove electrons from atoms. Sources include the sun, X-ray machines, and nuclear waste.
On the other hand, non-ionizing EMR is much safer due to its low energy levels that cannot alter atoms. It includes Bluetooth devices, cell phones, Wi-Fi, and energy radiating from power lines.
Worries Surrounding Non-Ionizing EMR
While most scientists believe non-ionizing EMR to be harmless, many people remain worried since this is still classified as ‘radiation’.
In fact, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified non-ionizing EMR as possibly cancerous. This means that there is not enough evidence to completely rule it out as a carcinogen, but also not enough evidence to suspect that it is.
To put it bluntly, the IARC considers the non-ionizing waves from your Bluetooth device to be as likely a source of cancer as it does your aloe vera hand cream.
Therefore, no one has conclusively confirmed nor denied whether or not non-ionizing EMR can cause cancer. But, it’s ruled to be safe to use for long periods and the risks may outweigh its benefits.
Another common source of concern is the direct comparison of Bluetooth vs wired headphones radiation amounts. The logic goes that since wired headphones aren’t emitting a signal, they aren’t putting out radiation. Unfortunately, this is false since wired headphones only put out a type of weak radiation called extremely low frequency (ELF), which is even safer than regular non-ionizing EMR.
Should You Worry About Radiation From Headphones?
No. Radiation does cause cancer but not all types of radiation can do so, especially those that come from headphones.
A much more supported cause of damage from non-ionizing EMR in headphones is simply heat, which can be dangerous at high levels.
The good news is, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency US EPA) also reports that lower level emitters, such as cell phones and headphones, do not produce high enough levels of heat to cause harm. There are no repeatable studies showing short-term exposure to low-heat radiofrequency waves causing significant damage to people.
Where did the radiation concern come from?
Despite all available studies, some people still remain concerned.
This is mainly because many news sites cover a petition from EMF Scientist calling for protection from non-ionizing EMF exposure. This group’s main purpose is to call for more investigation into the safety of EMF waves.
These ‘scientists’ aren’t without controversy, though. For one, they refute evidence from the EPA, cancer.gov, worldwide committees, and reputable scientific journals.
Another extreme red flag comes in the form of concern for people with a condition referred to as electromagnetic hypersensitivity. This is a pseudoscientific condition that doesn’t hold up to double-blind studies.
Anti-EMR/EMF groups also point to a study that shows a potential link between some types of EMF exposure and danger to mice brains. However, most reputable resources today show that these results could not apply to humans.
The overwhelming scientific consensus is clear: both Bluetooth and wired headphones’ radiation is safe.
3 Tips Against Bluetooth & Wired Headphones Radiation
As mentioned, both Bluetooth and wired headphones aren’t dangerous. That’s why extra precautions against radiation from your headphones are not needed. Despite this, anti-EMR and EMF marketers often use scare tactics to promote products designed to ‘lessen radiation exposure’.
In the following discussions, we’ll explore some of the products that anti-EMR people advertise and discuss the truth about their actual uses. Many of these products and ideas have some interesting features or properties, but protecting you from the dangers of EMR isn’t one of them.
1. Use ferrite beads
Ferrite beads are common suggestions for reducing EMR and are used in circuitry for that exact purpose. Not to protect the end consumer, of course, but to protect the circuitry itself.
In reality, installing a ferrite bead on your sound equipment can reduce the likelihood of your headphones from producing high-pitched whines and hums from radio frequency interference.
2. Opt for air tube headphones
The next popular product recommended by anti-EMR and EMF people is air tube headphones. Air tube headphones work by producing the sound in a place far away from your ears. The sound then travels through empty tubes up to your ears, no internal wires required.
However, air tube headphones are only recommended if you want them for the cool factor – not health and safety.
Despite there being no known mechanism by which the frequencies of typical headphones can cause cancer, the DefenderShield air tubes are still interesting from a mechanical perspective.
3. Limit Bluetooth headphones use
One of the best ideas from the frequency-fearing is to simply wear your Bluetooth headphones a bit less. This is a great idea, not because Bluetooth devices produce harmful frequencies, but because this can save us from ear damage.
While Bluetooth is quite safe, we can’t say the same about too much or improper earbud usage in general.
Limiting your daily headphone and earbud usage is great from an overall ear safety perspective — especially when it comes to preserving your hearing. Prolonged exposure to loud noises will harm your ears. Yet again, from a Bluetooth vs wired headphones radiation and sound safety perspective, they rank the same – this is all about volume in your ears and no other factors.
Conclusion
All reasonable science suggests that your headphones are safe. You don’t need to worry about Bluetooth vs wired headphones radiation or emitted frequencies.
With the faux doctors and snake oil salesmen turned off, you breathe a sigh of relief. A lot has been learned, but there are still burning questions about headphones and safety.
- Can my toddler wear headphones?
- Are noise-canceling headphones actually safe?
- Can you get electrocuted by headphones?
- Do they cause ear infections?
The list goes on.
We know this is still somewhat of a contentious topic. There are so many scammy websites out there that claim these things are going to kill us, but none of them seem to link to substantial, repeated studies.
What’s your take? Is there something we’ve missed? We want to know below. Also, we’d love to hear your safety questions – they just might inspire our next article!
Maybe EFI doesn’t cause cancer, but certainly high EMF has been proven to cause other health issues. High EMF from electrical systems can cause sleep disorders, hallucinations, and other problems. We are a society that keeps adding more and more wireless to our lives. We are bombarded with all sorts of signals. It may be some time before we discovered the significance of all these signals. Most signals like Bluetooth are pretty low powered, so I doubt we need to worry about wireless headphones or ear buds. But so is the affects of EMF interference in general. Add it all up and it may be a more significant amount.
Hello, fellow John!
Thanks for reading my article! A lot of research went into it. You bring up an interesting point – that the sums of new waves might have some effect – and that will certainly be worth investigating in the future. Actually, the science for this is constantly evolving… just look up ‘Havana Syndrome’ on Wikipedia. Possible causes put forth include pulsed electromagnetic energy, microwaves (no, not the appliance), ultrasound, and – I kid you not – …cricket noises?
HOWEVER, all of that being said, I still 100% stand by what I stated in this article. The dangers based on TODAY’s technology are well understood. We can all feel safe wearing our headphones!
Hi, sir. I am 18 years old guy from india. I am currently thinking of getting bluetooth headphones, but i am confused if bluetooth headphones will harm me in future.Can it have any effect on my health I will make my decision on your answer and do you use bluetooth headphones?
Do you believe wireless head phones are harmful for us? please reply brother 🙂
How do bone conduction head phones play into your article? In other words, is there anything to be more concerned about? Although makers of these tout that they are safer for your hearing. While I believe its at the very least the same, I’m wondering if its worse.
Hi Lisa, you can check out our article: Are Bone Conduction Headphones Safe?
This is maybe the worst article I’ve ever read on emf. I came here looking for suggestions on headsets and now question the safety of bluetooth devices. Your interpretation of things is frightening. You can’t just make up your own definition of things to fit your preexisting beliefs. You doubt scientists that doubt other scientists… are you qualified for that? Of course not. Your conclusion is retarded. Thanks for waking me up.
Hey Jeff, I really appreciate you taking the time to engage with the article.
I really came into this article with an open mind and looked carefully to see if there was something new discovered about this type of radiation. However, upon closer inspection and some fairly intensive research, it become clear that EMF was quite safe in accordance with worldwide health research body outcomes.
If you read closely, you’ll notice that I *do* make mention of the IARC statement that the waves are “possible carcinogenic”. Again, aloe vera creams are in the same category.
While this level of possible danger is not enough to worry me or make me wish to change my own behaviors, I would highly encourage you to do whatever makes you feel safe.
Regards,
John
Well said! I was thinking the same thing when I read this article… what a joke the article and author are! He has absolutely no formal education in this AND he blindly trusts the government when in and of itself a scary thing! Guess he’s never researched all the F-ed up experimented the gov use to do and still does! I’m more qualified than this guy and I still wouldn’t go out and write an article on something in medicine unless I was qualified (MSN, PhD, NP, ND, DO,MD degrees) with years of extensive research and funding. Seems like everyone is an expert nowadays lol
Nurse YaYa, BSN RN
Thank you. 100% agree.
I agree Jeff. This article is ridiculous. I have seen diagrams telling us exactly what harm will come to us if you live certain distances from power lines and towers. It’s not new information. And main stream science is controlled and narrow. Anyone who dares to question it is shamed deplatformed or shut down. It’s absurd. This guy’s blind agreement with the mainstream way is so misleading for those who don’t know better. I have a friend serious debilitating emf sensitivity. I have another friend who had a tumor in the side of her head where she held the phone for years. My girlfriend and I can feel discomfort(not just heat) from our cell phones on our head, even at 3 inches away for too long. Mainstream science is controlled bought n sold. Sadly. As long as lobbying is legal, it won’t change.
You must be proud of not being mainstream.
Very weak logic by the OP. The safety data on telecom EMF is inconclusive, as it always has been. That does not equal SAFE. And, like a previous poster pointed out, cancer is not the only potential measure of harm caused by transmitting RF & EMF just millimeters from your brain.
Hi, sir. I am 18 years old guy from india. I am currently thinking of getting bluetooth headphones, but i am confused if bluetooth headphones will harm me in future.Can it have any effect on my health I will make my decision on your answer and do you use bluetooth headphones?
My friend Merrick developed agressive brain tumor. he constantly wore Apple Bluetooth head phones and used other mac devices. Apple devices are notorious for poor signal which causes more radiation.
Hello,
I’m curious if this applies to all types of headphones?
For example, electrostatic headphones work at very high voltage so does that mean they emit more radiation? Are they still safe?
Thanks,
Udi
Lmao okay wish i didnt read tbe penut gallery comments. I for one hate the gov and am on the fence about bluetooth headphones. But feel as thought its out of our control and may aswell enjoy life. Think about it lots od electronics carry these harmful frequencys and more people around us are adopting the wirless technology even if we stick to wired i think were fucked reguardless cause of the majority. Lets say ur at the gym and 7/10 are using the other kinds of headphones im sure walking by them could have an affect to some degree and thats not including all the cellphones or other machines. Do not live in fear enjoy life for as long as possible cause the stress will have adverse health affects aswell.
LMAO ya I was less stressed until I started reading all the comments and tumors experiences. Think ima get a tumor from reading comments lol no more of that for me.
Perfect advice ty Drew, enjoy life for as long as possible and limit stress. Heard some guy interviewed at age 87 and he said the best realization in his life was that he discovered one day he really didn’t have to worry about anything. Once he accepted that he felt an unexplainable liberaiton and sense of freedom.
It’s a bit unavoidable at this point, dont stress and avoid exposure if ur super worried.
Agree with everyone else. Stop trust main stream and government issued bought and sold science
Wow the first person to comment here made interesting valid points about the piece. And then.. Progressively, each comment slid away from challenging the piece with hard facts to …. “My mum looked at a pair of headphones in a shop window once and now she’s dead and I blame the government and scientists”
The article was interesting and I could see much time and effort had gone into it and it has propelled me to research further.
The comments however were more revealing and told me a lot about us as human beings and it makes me sad for our future. It really does
Hey Terrie,
I came here because a friend was also turning into a sliding comment. I’m both laughing and crying as this has been a wild experience watching how far human rationalization can go.
The only reason I know I’m not insane is that I’m constantly wondering if I am.
I also agree that the comments speak as many volumes as the article, which btw John was well-written and fair.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30365129/
Here is a link to pay review article on possible carcinogenic affects of radio-frequency radiation.
Certainly it would appear that acoustic neuroma are on the increase generally.
Are use wired headphones with a ferrite bead-This can be bought very cheaply on Amazon.
Hey Matt, original author here! This is a very interesting study, but the information looks preliminary still. Here are some things that I notice right away that I’d want to look into more:
1) Notice that the graphs compare RFs and cancer ONLY over time. Any number of things could be used in these graphs with similar effect. Rising global temperatures, rising obesity rates, increased ability to work from home, even an increase in people not smoking. I *personally* feel like these graphs aren’t that meaningful.
2) Bluetooth frequencies are 2400 to 2483.5 MHz, but the abstract in this study mentions 900 MHz and 1,900 MHz, both considerably lower than Bluetooth.
I’m very open to new information on this topic and open to changing my views as things come out. To me, at this time, this study does not change my original beliefs.
To clarify further, there are no doubts in my mind that there are negative effects from some waves, just not those that come from Bluetooth. At this time. Again, that is subject to change.
I appreciate your interaction with this article! 😀
Nice debate in here, I miss debate and varying opinions. Everyone is a sheep nowadays. I’m currently reading Disconnect, a slightly dated book on cell phone usage dangers, but it makes you think, about keeping iphone on in pocket, etc. Then I stumbled on this for Bluetooth headphone use. The ionizing/non-ionizing discussion was curious but requires a further look. The book I’m reading I think is from 2010, just after iphone, so I look for newer studies. I did stumble across a list of iphone model and output strengths and see that my X is at 67% of legal limit, but it’s the ‘legal limit’ which is in question. People are realizing (since the vacs) that the government simply releases stuff to soon. Question everything. EVs are next.
Hi,
Could you have cancer in a long terme using wireless headphones ?
Thanks
It’s crazy to me that literally every subject can somehow circle back to a distrust of our government. It’s exhausting. Great article, thank you for taking the time to research and write this for people curious about the topic.
5g, and wifi is definitely harmful. I have had serious sleeping problems and find turning of the wifi before going to sleep helps alot. Iam looking for EMF safe devices which I have seen before but I can’t seem to find them. Iam Sus about the research on Bluetooth because I have heard researchers talk about its dangers in podcasts yet I can’t seem to find any reliable info on it being dangerous. remember google is no longer what it used to be so finding realiable research is very difficult in any subject.