When my granddad read this title he laughed out loud and started counting off the ways those “dang blasted things” are ruining our health and the general quality of the world. Well, cells phones may not be to blame for war and the failing economy, but recent studies may be showing us that we should take a few precautions when making lengthy calls and handing over our phones to keep little ones entertained.

One such preventative measure you may want to consider is to purchase an at-home screening kit for nickel. When Brown University conducted a recent survey of 22 phones, their scientists found that nearly half contained nickel which causes allergic reactions in a large number of people. If you find that you’ve been getting a rash on your ear or chin, or if you’d like to prevent one, check your handset for nickel.

Nurses and doctors at a Nevada Neonatal ICU cautioned parents to use antibacterial wipes to clean their camera phones and advised the parents to use hand sanitizer before touching their babies after handling their phones. Cell phones are laid on surfaces that may have never been cleaned such as bus seats, park benches. They touch department store counters, restaurant tables and a thousand other surfaces that hundreds of hands and purses and germs have already touched. In fact, cell phones have turned up more bacteria than toilet seats and purse bottoms – gross!

Although some studies refute this claim, Indian researchers say that people who use their wireless phones longer than an hour a day are at risk for cancer from the electromagnetic radiation that may be linked to cancer-causing DNA damage. The same phone uses also showed signs of early hearing loss. The Food and Drug Administration says it’s too early to know if cell phones are risk-free so opt for a speaker phone or a headset when making prolonged calls.

While most people would wholeheartedly agree that driving under the influence of alcohol is bad news for you and anyone on the road with you, three out of four drivers found nothing wrong with texting while they drove. Here’s the kicker, Britain’s Transport Research Laboratory recently found that drivers’ steering and reaction times were more impaired while texting than those of a drunk driver whose alcohol consumption was over the legal limit.

I doubt that anyone foresees cell phones disappearing like the latest fads tend to, but there are certainly ways to safeguard yourself and those around you – clean your phone often, replace covers frequently, be aware of the surfaces your phone touches, research the materials used to make your phone and don’t text while you’re driving or doing anything that requires a quick response time to keep you and those around you safe.

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