Betreff: A physicians approach to EMF sensitive patients

Von: Lourdes Salvador

Datum: Sun, 29 Jul 2007 12:00:30 -1000

 

 


A physicians approach to EMF sensitive patients:

http://www.who.int/peh-emf/meetings/archive/en/hocking.pdf

 

For those in the MCS community, note the "term" debate on the last slide.

 

I'd like to comment on this one.  The last two patients were mistreated IMHO.  Both received a psych diagnosis without a provocation test to rule out contributing physical causation of EMS.  It is possible that they had co-occurring psych and EMF sensitivity, but the EMF sensitivity was not tested for in favor of a psych diagnoses based on perceived psych problems which may indeed be EMF related. A psych diagnosis should not be given unless all other causes are ruled out and no physiological cause can be found.  It is well known exposures like this can cause neurotransmitter misfire which can cause mental symptoms that may fully resolve when the exposures are eliminated. 

 

Note the researcher ONLY tested via provocation when the patient reported strictly physical symptoms.  I think this is a lesson to patients to stick with reporting physical symptoms such as pain, numbness, tingling as  opposed to visual problems or other potentially "mental" problems.  In this way the patient can assure proper testing to rule out improper diagnosis and return to health more quickly. 

 

I'm willing to bet patient three did not have a mere fear of EMF.  This is the unfortunate aspect of how insurance and costs limits testing to ensure proper diagnosis.  Patient 3 was unwilling to accept the diagnosis according to the slides.  Most patients who feared something know they fear it.  In such cases a psych diagnosis would resonate with them.  How many conditions did we used to call mental that eventually were proven physical?  History would show nearly all conditions were originally thought to be mental and later found had physical causation, like asthma for example. 

 

If a patient is reluctant to accept a diagnosis, perhaps the diagnosis is wrong and a provocation challenge is in order.  If the provocation proves no sensitivity, then EMF would be ruled out on a scientific basis.  Ruling it out by the mere presence of mental symptoms is "junk science".  It is quite plausible for a patient to be diabetic, EMF sensitive, suffer cancer, and also have a mental disorder.  Having one condition does not mean that some symptoms are not related to another disorder.  Patients should not have proper tests ruled out on the basis of a co-occurring mental disorder.  To do so it to disserve the patient and avoid proper diagnosis of other conditions that can be treated so the patient improves.  Psychotherapy in such cases is bound to help the person digress because it is not addressing the true cause of symptoms.  The patient is likely to become depressed and anxious as the symptoms continue despite psychotherapy.  Tricking the patient to believe they are not having the symptoms and must think positive to avoid them may also trick them into further harm of their health and when symptoms do arise, the EMF condition is likely to be far advanced and may not be as treatable as it once was if tested for in the beginning.  Because patient 3 and 4 had mental symptoms, all their health conditions are believed to be mental.  IMHO this is a disservice to patients.  I highly encourage practitioners to rule out all other causes with scientific based clinical tests before reaching a psychiatric diagnosis.


 

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