Woman wins disability payments for Wi-Fi allergy

[DonLever]

From Toronto Star:

A French court has awarded disability payments to a woman who claims cell phones and Wi-Fi routers make her sick.

Marine Richard was granted renewable monthly payments of 800 Euros (about $1,200 CAD) over three years after the Toulouse court said she was unable to work due to a condition known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS).

“It’s almost like they are being electrocuted, but very slowly,” said Lucienne Cendrier, spokesman of Robin des Toits, a French organization that wants EHS recognized, about the condition’s impact.

While an appeal has been filed and the payments are frozen until the case is heard, Richard’s lawyer said the decision brings hope to many in France suffering from the same problem.

“It doesn’t help the situation for the time being. But it’s a first and it gives hope to many people with electro-hypersensitivity that they will finally be recognized,” Alice Terrasse told the Star.

EHS is not formally recognized by the French government, and experts are divided over what causes the condition. Some believe exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted from computers, mobile phones and cell phone towers, TV screens, radios, Wi-Fi connections, cordless phones and other technology are to blame.

While difficult to diagnose, the most common symptoms exhibited by individuals suffering from EHS are dermatological and include redness of the skin, tingling and burning. Other effects are headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, digestive problems and heart palpitations.

As with chemical sensitivities, people with EHS suffer from “a range of non-specific symptoms that lack apparent toxicological or physiological basis or independent verification,” according to the World Health Organization. It says about 10 per cent of EHS cases are severe.

Robin des Toits wants EHS to be formally recognized and for the French government to establish national regulations to limit exposure to electromagnetic waves.

Cendrier said he estimated between 1 and 3 per cent of the French population suffer from some degree of EHS. “When they’re at home, people should use wired (Internet) connections. It allows them to be modern and in good health,” he told the Star.

“You have to be aware that for a small comfort you could have serious health problems. People need to be conscientious to adapt their consumption, knowing that in some cases it can make people hypersensitive.”

Terrasse said her client first noticed a problem in 2010 when she began having memory loss, vertigo, itchy eyes and fainting. Richard’s eventual diagnosis with electro-hypersensitivity, Terrasse said, “was a descent into Hell for her.”

First, the former radio journalist and playwright sought refuge in the secluded Pyrenees mountains. Richard now lives in a very modest home, several kilometres from the nearest village, Terrasse said.

But experts are unsure EMF can be directly linked to EHS.

The WHO says “research has not been able to provide support for a causal relationship between exposure to electromagnetic fields and self-reported symptoms, or ‘electromagnetic hypersensitivity.’”

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a WHO-affiliated body, classified electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans in 2011.

Sweden officially recognizes electrohypersensitivity as a functional impairment. Between 230,000 and 290,000 citizens suffer from various symptoms of EHS in the country. In 2012, the Austrian Medical Association set out guidelines to help doctors diagnose EMF-related health problems.

Health Canada has set limits on exposure to electromagnetic radiation. The agency says the only adverse health effects come from acute exposure relate to tissue heating and nerve stimulation from exposure in the range of 3 kHz to 300 GHz.

Other acute, chronic or cumulative health problems, Health Canada says, “suffer from a lack of evidence of causality, biological plausibility and reproducibility” and cannot be used as a scientific basis for other measures.

Last December, Oakville MP Terence Young introduced a bill that would make companies put warning labels on cell phones. The labels, Bill C-648 reads, “will serve to increase awareness among Canadians of the potential health hazards linked to the use of radio apparatus.”

[Oliewud]

she has a mental illness...it really has nothing to do with wifi.

[kyledude]

Now she can retire. The system works!

[Armada]

This makes me mad.

[GLASSJAW]

is this what that dude on Better Call Saul had?

[Dazzle]

1200 dollars per month for 3 years is pretty decent. I'm sure that extra money will help solve her headaches.

[Baer.]

It's a real disease my great aunt has. It's not just wifi. Sattelite TV is another one. Even small vibrations from a truck going buy or a large ship sailing by can do it.

She had to isolate herself because all these factors made it impossible to leave the house.

I don't like the way the article is written. You can tell the writer does not understand.

[literaphile]

It's a real disease my great aunt has. It's not just wifi. Sattelite TV is another one. Even small vibrations from a truck going buy or a large ship sailing by can do it.

She had to isolate herself because all these factors made it impossible to leave the house.

I don't like the way the article is written. You can tell the writer does not understand.

I think that the more likely explanation is that it's a mental illness. That is - it's not the wifi, satellite tv, "large ship", etc. that's causing the distress, but the interpretation by one's mind that these things are harmful. Doesn't mean that people aren't suffering, but they're suffering due to mental illness, not due to vibrations or electromagnetic fields or anything like that.

[Baer.]

I think that the more likely explanation is that it's a mental illness. That is - it's not the wifi, satellite tv, "large ship", etc. that's causing the distress, but the interpretation by one's mind that these things are harmful. Doesn't mean that people aren't suffering, but they're suffering due to mental illness, not due to vibrations or electromagnetic fields or anything like that.

Never really thought of it that way. I have a question for you though... If it's a mental illness that makes her unable to work, do you think she deserves some income while she gets care for her illness? Like somebody going on disability?

[Dazzle]

Never really thought of it that way. I have a question for you though... If it's a mental illness that makes her unable to work, do you think she deserves some income while she gets care for her illness? Like somebody going on disability?

Let's frame it a different way - how will an extra 10,000 dollars 'fix' her situation or at least alleviate the challenges that her mental illness poses?

Furthermore, what amount is justified? Is it strictly solvable by money?

I personally don't think she deserves some income, in this particular scenario, because the symptoms that she described can be attributable to anything. They are very general and not indicative of anything.

[Master 112]

Let's frame it a different way - how will an extra 10,000 dollars 'fix' her situation or at least alleviate the challenges that her mental illness poses?

Furthermore, what amount is justified? Is it strictly solvable by money?

I personally don't think she deserves some income, in this particular scenario, because the symptoms that she described can be attributable to anything. They are very general and not indicative of anything.

@bolded: That's not what disability payments are meant to do. It alleviates the challenges that her mental illness (I don't know enough about the condition to say that this is the right terminology, but it seems we're going to use it anyway) presents her with by affording her money to live off of. Money is necessary for the buying of food, shelter and clothing among other necessities.

I'm not sure how it works in France, but people in BC who receive disability payments are not allowed to make much other income. They are on assistance largely because they are not able to financially support themselves since - this should be intuitive - their disabilities typically preclude them from working (much). Unless it's different in France, it's not an 'oh, you're underprivileged, let's throw coins at you' thing; rather it's an 'okay, you can't really support yourself and need help covering basic living costs' thing.

Note that, as per the article, the court found that she's unable to work.

[vancouvercanucks2010]

I am allergic to work, wonder if I can pull something like this....hmm...interesting

[Xbox]

[Tortorella's Rant]

Or another Hitler. But one who strongly detests dumb asses this time.

[peaches5]

she has a mental illness...it really has nothing to do with wifi.

If you read the fine print on wireless devices you can find quite a few shocking things in there. Some people are more susceptible to these issues than others but they effect everyone with long term exposures.

You're basically like giant receiver that can absorb all these types of wireless signals; and send them out. It might sound ridiculous but take your car keys, the ones you push a button to unlock your door, and see how far away you can stand before they no longer work. Once you get to the distance they don't work put them on top of your head and try them. Putting the car keys on your head will actually increase the distance you can unlock your car by 2-3 times the regular distance.

You can also think about the new video games coming out where your brain actually sends signals out to a receiver which then controls the game only using your mind.

You aren't even suppose to leave any wireless devices on when you sleep because you're much more susceptible to these things when you're asleep. It's not even getting into radiation that comes from your hand held devices.

There are a lot of things in fine prints that no one ever reads. It's like Tylenol causes liver failure, there is actually money, billions, set aside for people who end up with liver failure from a result of using Tylenol.

Another thing is people who always use a phone to the same ear, or have a blue tooth headset and always use the same ear develop balance issues.

The reason why bees are dying are because of all these wireless signals, so its no joke.

[nuckin_futz]

Made me think of this.

[Edlerberry]

More radiation exposure from your neighbour's wifi than if you plastered your face to a microwave oven on high.

[Grapefruits]

I am allergic to work, wonder if I can pull something like this....hmm...interesting

I'm just waiting for being lazy to be considered a mental illness. Don't thinks it's too many years off at this rate.

[KFBR392]

When you start noticing acceptable distance warnings on wireless AP's while you're working around them, you start to think twice about the whole thing.

But there's no escaping it. Whats the point of turning your wifi off when you're within range of 30 other neighboring networks? We'll know in 20 years if he really had something to worry about.

[etsen3]

Maybe she actually is sick and isn't just whining? More research is needed into this.

Certainly more deserving than the banks getting billions for screwing up business.