Computer Wifi (wireless) is a cause for me
Hello:
Just joined the forums today on the advice of a friend who suggested I make my migraine trigger known in the hopes that it may help fellow sufferers.
For me, a wireless signal from a home computer router ( WiFi ) will set off either a low grade headache or a migraine.
Specifically, I am talking about the devices provided by an Internet company to a home user that connects the home user to the Internet. I won't mention manufacturer names, but some of the devices can be connected via phone line or by cable. As a 'feature' some of the devices have "WiFi" which sends out a wireless signal in the users' home to allow them to connect their other devices ( laptops, iPads etc ) to the Internet.
For over 10 years, I have noticed that if a device has its Wireless signal turned on, it will cause me to start getting headache symptoms within minutes of being in its vicinity.
The closer I am, the more intense the headache. And the further away from it I am, the less intense, but still noticeable, the effect is.
This has been a very unfortunate development for me, as I work in the computer industry, and am frequently near wireless signals in the workplace.
The reason I have posted on this forum, is to make other readers aware of a possible trigger for their migraines.
Unfortunately, WiFi signals as a trigger or cause for illnesses is not taken seriously at this point in time. A quick search of the Internet will return MANY links to discussions.
Almost all of them include the comment that they are never taken seriously, and learn to deal with the situation in their own way.
A friend of mine, who has seen me dealing with this for several years, remarked the other day that there may be headache/migraine sufferers who have their home WiFi turned on, and may be causing their own migraines, and NOT REALIZING IT !!! He suggested that I post my experiences on a migraine message forum in the hopes that it may help at least one person.
A simple test is to turn off your home wireless signal and wait a few hours to see if your
headaches/migraine goes away. You can't get a more simple test than that.
A recent event for me:
I helped a guy setup his new printer that he purchased.
When I arrived at his apartment, my head started to feel like someone was twisting it from within, and my eyes felt like they were being pulled into crossing. My headache was beginning. I looked around the room, and saw an Internet router with flashing lights on the shelf. Yes, there was the culprit. He said he wanted his printer hooked up wirelessly. Not saying a word, I began the procedure and within minutes, got the printer hooked up and printing wirelessly from the guys laptop computer. And I got out of there as fast as possible !!
It took at least a 1/2 hour before my headache subsided. I am truly amazed. Shocked. At how other people can sit in the same room as a wireless router that is emitting a signal, and they are not affected. Without going into it too far, I DO BELIEVE that a wireless signal negatively affects people in the long run, but am not going to go into that in this forum.
I am posting this with the thought that maybe at least one of you readers out there may find this useful. Do you have a wireless signal in your own home that is causing your migraines? The simple test is to unplug it, and see if your pounding headache clears up.
No cost. No complicated procedure. Just unplug the darn thing and see what happens.
Myself, I have NO wireless devices in my apartment. And yes, my neighbors all have wireless signals blaring out. And yes, they are negatively affecting me, but thank goodness, the signals are far enough way that they are tolerable. ( for the most part ).
If this post has helped any of you, or might help anyone you know, then I am ecstatic.
My cell phone does NOT affect me ( thank goodness) and I have a free app on it that detects wifi signals and their strength. ( I use that in my line of work also )
For the past 10 years, I have been living with headaches / migraines that have had me down on my knees in pain, sick to my stomach, and cloudy headed.
I found out that FOR ME, it is caused by WiFi signals from wireless routers.
I avoid wireless routers as much as possible, and I have reduced my headaches markedly.
Hope this helps...
Richard
Hi Richard,
Welcome to the discussion forum and thank you so much for your comments and sharing your story with us.
It's not out of the realm of possibilities that WiFi signals may be triggering a migraine attack for you. Maybe others will benefit from this information.
Nancy
This is all very interesting, I am 61 and have suffered migraines since my teenage years. In the last five years my migraines have become so much worse, almost every single day I am woken around 4am with a migraine, I thought sleeping was giving me the migraine.
I recently moved house, four days ago to be precise and this morning I realised that I have not once had a migraine in my new house, I tried to think of what was different in my old house, the only thing I could think of is my internet router was in my bedroom at my old house but downstairs in my new house.
So here I am looking to see if my idea was as silly as it sounds and it seems not. Unbelievable to think all I had to do to reduce my migraines over the years was to take the phone line and internet connection out of my bedroom!!
I also believe this is an issue, to varying degrees of sensitivity for people. Wifi goes through walls, it certainly goes through your skull too. Our neurologist told us point blank, reduce screen time, especially 2 hours before bed, DO NOT charge your phone near your bed. I took the additional step of turning down all our wifi devices at bedtime...router, cable modem, printer, PC's, and putting all cell phones in airplane mode. My daughter now does not wake with a migraine headache, and my very skeptical husband (who doesn't get headaches) found that he wakes far less now during the night.
I am considering going fully wired. Big expense, big inconvenience compared to the portability we are all used to. But we may have to do it for her sake.
Until a year ago I would have laughed at the suggestion, having worked with a wi-fi router a yard away from my head for about 5 years or more.
But last year we started having broadband problems and the telephone engineer suggested we move the router closer to the wall socket that was in our lounge, it solved the problem but created another one. At about the same time we bought a Roku box, a box that you can stream video to your TV wirelessly. The new router location meant it was behind the sofa about a yard behind my head, the Roku box beneath the TV 5 yards in front of me, meaning the signal was transmitting through my skull.
Over a weekend we decided to view some boxed sets, after an hour or so i suffered what I now know to be a migraine with aura, which scared me, having probably half a dozen events over the weekend, whilst still viewing the boxed sets, culminating with a massive headache sickness and an early night. Had never suffered such before.
Worried as to what was happening, I started questioning what I was doing differently, it quickly dawned on me that maybe the router/Roku box maybe the problem. I moved the router, set up cabled sockets around the house and switched off wi-fi when I could, which is a problem as other people in the house want a wi-fi connection. To overcome this I set up an upstairs and downstairs access point, so wherever I am, I'm as far away as possible from wifi transmission. It also times out overnight.
I think Richard above is alluding to the fact that exposure may be accumulative, that being the reason why I was able to sit so close for so long with out problem, although the difference may have been that my computer was wired to it and although wi-fi was on it wasn't transmitting.
This happened 9 months ago, thankfully it hasn't happened since.
Of course there could be other reasons as to why my auras happened, but quite a coincidence.
I do wonder about peoples future health, especially the young if going forward wi-fi is an issue.
hi - I have been experiencing wifi related headache from more than an year. Surprisingly, I work all through the day in my office in wifi zone which doesn't cause any problem. However, when I come and use internet by switching on the router for nearly 1-2 hours is causing headaches varying from mild to high headaches sometimes.
Another interesting fact to observe here is - the Wifi router used in my office is a very popular brand
the wifi router used at my home is a different brand but still this is also famous.I don't know the solution to get rid of this problem. But would need internet badly at home also, atleast for an hour a day.
Anyone who knows how to overcome wifi headaches, please respond.
Read my post for solution - is to DISABLE ALL WIRELESS AND GET WIRED WITH CAT6 SHIELDED ORIGINAL CABLE, AND SPOT TAKING CHEAP SKATE SHORT CUTS WHICH INDUSTRY MAKE MONEY OUT OF FAST FOOD STYLE, THE JUNK FOOD CONNECTION IS THE WIRELESS CONNECTION< GOOD LUCK
