**Are they really sick?**

A report on the ElectroSensitive and

the Dental Materials Injured in Sweden

Summary in English

 

> *Summary*
>
> **Are They Really Sick?**
>
> A report on the Electrosensitive and the Dental Materials Injured in
> Sweden.
>
> There is a large potential for recovery among the members of The
> Swedish Association for the ElectroSensitive and The Swedish
> Association of Dental Mercury Patients and poor health would decrease
> radically with the correct diagnosis and adequate treatment. This is
> what the mapping of pains and other symptoms which has been carried
> out in the so-called HET project shows (Health problems for
> Electrosensitive and Dental mercury patients).
>
> The project has, during a three-year period, been run together with
> The Swedish Association for the ElectroSensitive and The Swedish
> Association of Dental Mercury Patients using means from The Swedish
> State Inheritance Fund. Via seminars for the members, in-depth
> interviews, petitions to write to the project and compilation of
> member surveys, both qualitative and quantitative mapping has been
> carried out. The basis of this final report is split into eight sub
> reports which can be found on the project\'s homepage
> [www.hetprojektet.info](http://www.hetprojektet.info/).
>
> **Health can be improved both for electrosensitive and dental mercury
> patients.**
>
> Until now, the medical service has not paid any attention to the
> possibilities for electrosensitive and dental mercury patients to
> improve their health, but has instead regarded their symptoms as
> psychosomatic. That is why it often takes years or decades before the
> cause of these illness problems are brought to light, something which
> causes great suffering for the patients and high costs for society.
>
> From the medical service\'s point of view, the electrosensitive and
> dental mercury patients are not small groups of patients. All in all
> there are about 250 000 to 800 000 people who are ill due to
> electromagnetic fields and/or dental materials. In comparison,
> approximately 300 000 Swedes have diabetes.

**Many different symptoms**

The mapping shows that the members suffer from many different symptoms
simultaneously, e.g. abnormal fatigue, concentration- and memory
problems, stomach and intestinal problems, severe pain, skin
afflictions, anxiety and depression. Usual diagnoses are fibrositis,
psychological illnesses, chronic fatigue syndrome and burnout.

Even though the symptoms for the two groups are similar, accumulated
data shows certain differences between the symptoms for the
electrosensitive and dental mercury patients. The electrosensitive are
often affected by skin afflictions, a heat sensation in their head and
irritation/pricking sensation in their eyes while dental mercury
patients\' problems are characterized by anxiety and depression and a
metallic taste in the mouth. Some are bothered by both electromagnetic
fields and dental materials and therefore the symptom groups overlap.

**The potential for improvement is large**

The symptoms decreased in 77 percent of the members of The Swedish
Association for the ElectroSensitive when the exposure to
electromagnetic fields decreased and 44 percent improved their health
after having their dental materials replaced. 59 percent of the members
of The Swedish Association of Dental Mercury Patients improved after
having their fillings changed and every one in five experienced a
decreased sensitivity to electromagnetic fields after having their
dental materials replaced. Therefore there are clear connections between
the two groups.

The improvement was strengthened further using, among other things,
nutrient therapy and a majority of both associations ate diet
supplements every day. Several declared that their health deteriorated
when they discontinued this treatment and that their health improved
when they started eating diet supplements again.

**International point of view**

> In the report the treatment of the electrosensitive and dental mercury
> patients in clinics in the US, Germany and Sweden are described.
> Everywhere, replacing dental material, detoxifying the body, nutrient
> therapy and trying to map and decrease the exposure to different
> allergens provides the basis for the treatment. The clinic in Germany
> also works actively with stomach- and intestinal problems.
>
> Swedish doctors and dentists who have many electrosensitive- and
> dental mercury patients use similar methods of treatment as care
> providers in other countries. However, there are some restrictions in
> Sweden due to how The National Swedish Board of Health and Welfare
> view the electrosensitive and dental mercury patients and the
> treatment of these patient groups. This concerns, among other things,
> the possibilities for replacing dental materials and nutrient therapy
> which are not considered to be \"scientific and tested experience\"
> according to the Swedish authority.
>
> **Bad reception within the medical service**
>
> Many are of the opinion that they have been badly received when
> seeking medical treatment. Several examples, which could be seen as
> harassment, are prevalent in the members\' comments. This in spite of
> that legislation is clear and that a sympathetic reception means a lot
> for recovery. Even the accessibility to the medical service for
> electrosensitive is poor as most care centres and hospitals do not
> have rooms free of electromagnetic fields. Significant measures are
> required to improve the situation for the electrosensitive and dental
> mercury patients.
>
> From the member survey it is clear that several had to wait many years
> before understanding the causes of their problems and that it was
> rarely the medical service which made the diagnosis. The
> electrosensitive had, on average, been ill for two years before the
> causal connections became clear and dental mercury patients on average
> 12 years.
>
> **High costs for society for illnesses**
>
> Society\'s costs for the electrosensitive and dental mercury patients
> are high. The survey shows that 46 and 34 percent of the members
> respectively received some form of sickness benefit, either 100 % or
> 50 %. Then general medical costs have to be added.
>
> The cost of removing all electromagnetic fields from a flat is
> estimated at between 50 000 and 100 000 SEK. According to The National
> Swedish Board of Health and Welfare, the average cost for replacing
> dental materials is 10 000 SEK Costs can vary depending on local and
> individual conditions. Even if the costs for removing all
> electromagnetic fields and/or dental materials were to increase
> twofold, it would still be cost efficient for the medical service and
> very profitable from a socioeconomic point of view.
>
> **Need for in-service training**
>
> Doctors and dentists need in-service training to diagnose more quickly
> people who suffer from electrosensitivity or from the side effects of
> dental materials as well as being able to administer the correct
> treatment. One difficulty is that a psychosomatic explanation has
> taken root within the doctor- and dentist profession and made it
> difficult for biochemical explanations to be heard.
>
> **Research and development**
>
> Several proposals for clinical development and research have been
> suggested during the work on this project. The development and
> evaluation of methods which are in use are required to make these
> suggestions evidence based. It would be interesting to further develop
> different methods for nutrient therapy and to investigate genetic
> differences, e.g. problems concerning removal of heavy metals. To
> hasten and improve the detoxification of people who suffer from a slow
> secretion of poison is also one of the methods which requires
> development urgently.
>
> **Information**
>
> Currently, information from the public medical service to the
> electrosensitive and dental mercury patients is all but non-existent.
> On the county council homepages there is nothing about what pains can
> be caused by electromagnetic fields or by dental materials. No such
> information is provided by the medical service advice centre. Most
> municipalities lack information regarding removing electromagnetic
> fields, handicap aids and what opportunities are available for
> receiving grants.
>
> The only chance of obtaining information regarding these problems is
> to read the homepages of The Swedish Association for the
> ElectroSensitive and The Swedish Association of Dental Mercury
> Patients or other private homepages. The associations\' member
> newspapers, books and other literature are also available for anyone
> wishing to learn more. Improved and easily accessible information from
> the county councils and other public institutions is required when
> dealing with ordinary problems caused by electromagnetic fields or
> side effects due to dental materials.