EHS (electromagnetic hypersensitivity)
Symptoms attributed by the affected person to EMF exposure; recognised as real symptoms by WHO, without a demonstrated causal link to field exposure in blinded studies.
Last verified 12 August 2026.
- Category
- health
Definition
Electromagnetic hypersensitivity, referred to by WHO as idiopathic environmental intolerance attributed to electromagnetic fields, describes a symptom complex including headache, fatigue, sleep disturbance and skin sensations. WHO's position is that the symptoms are genuine and can be disabling, while blinded provocation studies have not shown that affected individuals can detect field presence or that symptoms track actual exposure. This site records the position and the primary literature; it does not offer medical advice.
Sources
- who-ehs Electromagnetic hypersensitivity (WHO backgrounder, December 2005; formerly Fact sheet 296) — World Health Organization, 2005. government, link checked 2026-08-12.
- europaem-2016 EUROPAEM EMF Guideline 2016 for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of EMF-related health problems — European Academy for Environmental Medicine, 2016. ngo, link checked 2026-08-12.
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