A Frenchwoman who claims she suffers from electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) was awarded $560 per month as disability allowance from a French court.
Marine Richard, 39, a former radio producer, who now lives in a barn far from the electronic signals from cellphones, Wi-Fi, and televisions, claimed she was “forced to flee civilization because of the disagreeable sensations that she felt near electromagnetic radiation.” Her attorney, Alice Terrasse, added that her victory set a legal precedent for “thousands of people,” according to The Times.
The Independent reports, “Some EHS sufferers have reportedly established ‘radiation-free’ colonies in the countryside.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) states:
EHS is characterized by a variety of non-specific symptoms, which afflicted individuals attribute to exposure to EMF. The symptoms most commonly experienced include dermatological symptoms (redness, tingling, and burning sensations) as well as neurasthenic and vegetative symptoms (fatigue, tiredness, concentration difficulties, dizziness, nausea, heart palpitation, and digestive disturbances). The collection of symptoms is not part of any recognized syndrome … Both EHS and MCS are characterized by a range of non-specific symptoms that lack apparent toxicological or physiological basis or independent verification … The reported incidence of EHS has been higher in Sweden, Germany, and Denmark, than in the United Kingdom, Austria, and France.
WHO admitted, “There are also some indications that these symptoms may be due to pre-existing psychiatric conditions as well as stress reactions as a result of worrying about EMF health effects, rather than the EMF exposure itself.”