Are you wondering if your smartwatch emits radiation or not? Do you want to know if smartwatches are harmful to your health?
If yes, then you are at the right place. In this article, I will give you answers to these questions. Not only this but I will also tell you whether it is safe to wear a smartwatch all the time and all the possible side effects of it.
So keep reading!
Quick Navigation
- Does Smartwatches Emit Radiation?
- Are Smartwatches Harmful For Health?
- Can Smartwatches Cause Heart Problems?
- Do Smartwatches Have Side Effects?
- How Do I Reduce EMF On Smartwatch?
- Are Smartwatches Safe To Wear All The Time?
- FAQs
Does Smartwatches Emit Radiation?
Yes, smartwatches emit radiation. But the question that arises is why do smartwatches emit radiation?
To know the answer to this question we will have to understand the working of a smartwatch a little. So let us look at it in brief.
Have you ever wondered how your smartwatch is able to connect to your smartphone, headphones, WiFi, or cellular network?
I know not every smartwatch comes with WiFi or cellular connectivity. But you can connect every smartwatch to a cell phone, right? So how does a smartwatch gets connected to a smartphone?
Well, this is made possible through something called EMF (Electromagnetic Field). Whether it is a smartphone or smartwatch, they generate an electromagnetic field around them. They work both as a sender and receiver of this electromagnetic field.
When the smartwatch comes in contact with the electromagnetic field of your smartphone they share the data wirelessly.
So it is because of EMF that your watch is able to connect to a WiFi network, Bluetooth device, or a cellular network. And this EMF is nothing but the radiation that your smartwatch emits. And whenever your smartwatch will go out of the EMF zone of the smartphone, WiFi router, etc. it will get disconnected.
Therefore, smartwatches emit radiation to communicate with other devices.
Are Smartwatches Harmful For Health?
Now that we know that smartwatches emit radiation, so the next question that arises is are these radiations harmful to your health?
There have been hundreds of researches and studies on this topic. But to date, there is no concrete result or evidence that shows that the radiation emitted by a smartwatch or smartphone is harmful to health.
It is safe to say that a smartwatch is not harmful to health. I have two reasons to say that, first all these studies are done on smartphones and second a smartwatch does not emit as much radiation as a phone.
Also, the device that emits radiation has to get approved by FCC before it can be sold. FCC tests the device for radio frequency safety and once it is sure that it falls under the specified range, only then approval is given. So you don’t have to worry about a smartwatch harming your health.
How Do I Reduce EMF On Smartwatch?
Smartwatch radiation may not be harmful to health but some people do complain of nausea, insomnia, and headaches after using a smartwatch 24/7 for several days. And if you are one of them then let me tell you how you can reduce EMF radiation on your smartwatch.
The first thing that you have to do to reduce the EMF radiation is to turn on the Airplane mode on your Apple Watch or any other smartwatch. When turned on, airplane mode will disconnect your smartwatch from all the connected devices. Basically, it turns off your smartwatch’s Bluetooth, WiFi, and cellular connection. And when these are turned off, your watch will not produce EMF radiation.
Also, I would recommend you not to use your smartwatch 24/7 and use it only when necessary. Even I don’t use my smartwatch to track my sleep. Because, when I don’t get a good night’s sleep then I anyway know it in the morning and I don’t need a watch to tell me that.
Can Smartwatches Cause Heart Problems?
The next question that many people wonder about is: Can smartwatches cause heart problems?
And the answer to this question is again a no. As discussed, radiations emitted by a smartwatch are not as powerful as compared to a smartphone. So if your smartphone is not causing you any heart problems then your smartwatch will not cause any problems either.
However, many smartwatch companies give a warning in their user manuals that the smartwatch may cause interference in the working of heart devices like pacemakers.
But contrary to this, many smartwatches come with an ECG feature these days, which has been proven to be really helpful to people having heart problems. In fact, there have been multiple cases where the lives of people were saved because the smartwatch was able to warn them about possible atrial fibrillation beforehand.
Do Smartwatches Have Side Effects?
There are many disadvantages of smartwatches but let’s talk about the side effects of owning one. Let us look at them one by one.
Effect On Health
Smartwatch’s radiation may not affect your health but using a smartwatch can. If you keep using your smartwatch before going to bed then its blue light can have a negative impact on your eyesight as well as on your sleep.
Also, the excessive use of a smartwatch and its health trackers can have a negative impact on your mental health. Let me share my experience with you, I was using a smartwatch from a very well-known brand. The sleep tracker of this watch was not very accurate, but I did not know that. So after a week of usage when I looked at my sleep score I was really in a shock. I slept the whole week very well but according to the smartwatch, I was just having a deep sleep of around 5-15 minutes per day.
The next whole week I kept thinking about my sleep quality and I even considered going to a doctor. But then I checked some of the user reviews of that watch and got to know that its sleep tracker is not very accurate. So yes, using a smartwatch can have an effect on your mental health as well.
Distraction
When you are at work, the constant notifications on your smartwatch can distract you. This will decrease your productivity at work. Similarly, if you are driving and get distracted by notifications on your watch then it can be fatal.
Are Smartwatches Safe To Wear All The Time?
Yes, smartwatches are safe to wear all the time. They do emit radiation but they are not proven to cause any harm to your health.
But in case you feel any discomfort then I would recommend not to use it all the time. You can also turn off all the connections of your smartwatch to be double sure.
FAQs
Do Apple Watches Emit Radiation?
Yes, Apple Watches emit radiation.
Does Airplane Mode Stop Radiation?
Yes, airplane mode stops radiation because it disconnects all the connections of your smartwatch.
Does WiFi Of Smartwatch Causes Radiation?
Yes, WiFi of smartwatches uses EMF radiation to get connected with WiFi devices.
How Do I Block Radiation In Smartwatches?
You can block radiation in smartwatches by turning on the airplane mode.
Is Smartwatch Radiation Harmful?
No, radiation emitted by a smartwatch is not proven to be harmful.