Apple's new iPhone 7 eliminates the standard headphone jack, forcing consumers to use wireless earbuds called AirPods that use Bluetooth technology.
Even though Apple says the new technology will do away with cumbersome wires that constantly tangle, some experts warn that AirPods will deliver low-intensity radiowaves directly into your ear and to your brain, which can have a deadly impact on your health.
"I would be very concerned," said neurosurgeon and natural health expert Dr. Russell Blaylock. "I would never own the newer version for this reason."
"The Bluetooth technology adds significantly to the radiation exposure as it is not only in close approximation of the temporal lobes of the brain, but it remains in the ear for many hours," Blaylock tells Newsmax Health.
The earbuds are in the ears when phone calls begin and end. "It's there when the phone is first activated and then when the call ends, and that's when the greatest amount of radiation exposure occurs."
"Cellphones aren't harmless," says Blaylock, author of The Blaylock Wellness Report. "There is considerable evidence that cell phone radiation damages the brain as well as other tissues and organs."
Earlier this year, the government made the startling admission that cellphones can cause cancer. A study conducted by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), a branch of the National Institutes of Health, found that cellphones increased the risk of two types of tumors — gliomas, a type of cancerous brain tumor, and schwannomas, a rare tumor of the heart.
Numerous studies have previously linked cellphones to cancer. A Swedish study published in the journal Pathophysiology found that people who talked on cellphones over a period of 25 years had triple the risk of developing gliomas compared to those who used the phones for less than a year. Another study found a link between women who carried cellphones in their bras and breast cancer.
Still another study, also published in Pathophysiology stated that brain cancer is only the "tip of the iceberg" because the rest of the body shows effects other than cancers.
Blaylock says that the actual numbers of gliomas caused by cellphones may be much higher because many gliomas are never reported. He also expects to see a dramatic rise in brain tumors in the coming years.
"It may take over 10 years of heavy use to see a dramatic rise, and with younger ages now using cellphones for long periods and actually sleeping on them, we will definitely see a tremendous rise in brain tumors," he says.
The cellphone industry points to other studies that show cellphones are safe. Many of those have been financed by the cellphone industry, says Blaylock: "Most studies were designed by the companies and conducted for too short a time to see statistical changes."
A report published in the journal Electromagnetic Biology and Medicine found that if you keep your cellphone in your shirt or pants pocket, your body can absorb radiation levels that exceed FCC guidelines.
The process for evaluating microwave radiation from phones — which was designed by the cellphone industry and is based on a large man whose brain tissue is supposedly homogenous — underestimates the amounts of radiation being absorbed by many adults.
Blaylock agrees with critics that say the FCC guidelines are flawed. "I do not think they are tough enough in terms of informing the user of the dangers."
Protect yourself by using these strategies:
• If you buy a new iPhone, consider adding an adapter that will allow you to listen with wired headphones and ear buds.
• If you have an older phone, use a headset with cords or put the phone on speaker. The safest headsets have hollow tubes instead of wires, and are similar to stethoscopes.
• Clip a ferrite bead to the cord to reduce exposure.
• Switch ears to avoid continuous exposure to the same side of the head.
• Avoid weak signals. Don't use the phone when the signal is weak, because the phone automatically increases power — and increases your radiation exposure — to boost the signal.
• Minimize exposure at night. Keep your cellphone at least five feet from your head while you sleep.
• Turn off your cellphone when possible.
• Don't let children use cellphones. Children's brains are still developing, and no one knows the damage radiation might cause.
• Limit cell phone use to emergencies.