Heart Disease

New Airport Screening Machines

In the past 12-18 months new security screening machines have been installed in airports around the world. The new machines are designed to find weapons or other dangerous items via full-body detection; passengers are required to walk through the screening machine while being observed by security personnel. Similar machines are used in locations such as government buildings, and at some tourist sites. Many of these machines use forms of electronic monitoring, but details of precisely how they work are not public information.

Atrial Fibrillation – A Serious Heart Condition

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is an electrical malfunction of the human heart. According to the United States Institutes of Health, AF involves “a disruption of the normal functioning of the electrical conduction system of the heart.” The American Heart Association reports: “During AF the heart’s two small upper chambers (the atria) quiver instead of beating effectively. Blood isn’t pumped completely out of them, so it may pool and clot. If a piece of a blood clot in the atria leaves the heart and becomes lodged in an artery in the brain, a stroke results.”

Although there are some factors that increase the likelihood of having AF (age, heart defects, etc.), according the American Heart Association “many times we don’t know what causes it.”

A Personal Case Study

Following is a description of when and under what circumstances my own AF condition started.

My Health Background – I have always been in good health as indicated by yearly physical exams. I am 69 years old, 6’2”, 175 lbs. I have never had heart problems of any kind. Two years ago, when my blood pressure was marginally too high, rather than starting medication, I adopted a diet consisting primarily of vegetables, fruits and grains, and very low salt (the “DASH Diet”) ; (this diet was successful in controlling my BP and I have never needed BP medication). In order to monitor my blood pressure I obtained a home monitoring device and have taken and recorded my BP twice per day since then. The monitoring device also records pulse rate, so I have a long-term record of pulse rate and regularity of heartbeat.

Beginning of AF – Throughout the first 10 months of 2006 my pulse and heart rhythms were normal. On November 1 my wife and I flew to London for a 13 day vacation, during which time I did not measure or record my BP and pulse rate. Upon returning to the U.S. I recommenced monitoring, and it was immediately obvious that my heartbeat was irregular. I also noticed a decline in energy level and stamina. Soon thereafter I was diagnosed with AF. Obviously my AF condition started in London or while in transit (San Francisco-London-San Francisco).

Exposure to Electromagnetic Devices – During the 13 day trip in November 2006 I was exposed to electromagnetic security devices three times: (1) full body scan at San Francisco International Airport; (2) full body scan plus other “announced but secret” security devices at the British Airways “Eye” (giant ferris wheel) in London; and (3) full body scan at London Heathrow Airport. I am virtually certain my AF did not start at San Francisco International Airport, since I was full of energy while in London. The screenings at the “Eye” in London and at Heathrow airport were both just prior to my return to the United States, just at the time my heart condition began.

Concerns Over Electromagnetic and X-ray Screening Devices

Screening devices in airports are operated by at least minimally trained personnel. However, the full-body screening device in use at the British Airways “Eye” in London is operated by teenagers and other obviously untrained personnel. Could there be a danger of operators misadjusting the settings on these machines? Direct observation of the operators in November 2006 indicated that they were not paying any attention to the machines themselves, instead talking and joking among themselves.

Although most U.S. airports use electromagnetic screening machines, according to an August 2006 report from Dr. Wendy Wilcox, “recently another security screening device that takes an image of the surface of your body with low-level X-rays has been introduced on a limited basis abroad. London’s Heathrow Airport currently uses this machine, called a backscatter X-ray system. Despite the name, the potential for dangerous radiation exposure from these machines is low and it does not pose a significant risk to pregnant passengers.” (emphasis added).

Manufacturers of security screening devices could authorize carefully controlled scientific studies if they were so inclined. Such studies could be designed to indicate whether or not susceptible individuals could have AF triggered by exposure to the electromagnetic or x-ray backscatter technologies currently in use or planned for the near future. Without such studies, denials of the potential for heart conditions resulting from exposure to screening devices lack validity.

A Personal Word

Something triggered the onset of my heart condition between November 12 and 14, 2006. Given the fact that Atrial Fibrillation is defined by the United States government as “a disruption of the normal functioning of the electrical conduction system of the heart,” and given the fact that I was twice exposed to electromagnetic and/or x-ray backscatter full body screening devices during the period between November 12 and 14, 2006, it seems reasonable to consider the possibility that exposure to a screening device was the trigger.

During the period when my AF was being diagnosed, a professional medical technician with more than 18 years experience in performing echocardiograms told me that he had noticed two strong trends in the past several years: first, that newly diagnosed AF patients were younger than ever before, and second, that the incidence of AF among women (who traditionally had lower rates of AF) was growing. Both of these trends would be expected if powerful airport screening devices could trigger AF in certain cases, since younger males and women fly more frequently than elderly men.

At this point I am only able to make an educated guess at what triggered my own heart condition. I am hopeful that by publicizing my own situation I might encounter others who have had similar experiences, or who have information and/or thoughts on this potentially important issue.

Gary A. Glenn
garyaglenn@hotmail.com

I do not know about the airport screenings-
but I do know about the affects electromagentic
pulses can have on people's hearts prior to larger quakes. I am one of them who gets really irregular heart beats prior to them- and also predict for quakes. Here is a thought.
and based upon the dates given for your heart
fibrillations
You stated
"Something triggered the onset of my heart condition between November 12 and 14, 2006."

If you will note that a Great quake of 8.3 occurred
at Kuril islands on Nov 15 and another larger
quake, a 6.8 Argentina - couple days prior to the Great quake. I had the irregular heart palps prior to these coming in as I ususally do for larger quakes all over the world and have most of my life. You may have become sensitive to these incoming quakes for one reason or another- Something to think about.
Heart palps and arythmia's are affecting more and more people young and old.
I try to make sure I get enough Omega 3's
Here is my website if you want to check out
and verify that I do make earthquake
forecasts.
If you want to track it, make notes of when you may get these irregular beats and check out the
earthquake data at my site to see if there is
any correlations. I have a whole page called World Maps which includes the eq data.
I usually get mine a day or 3 prior to larger incoming or multiple moderate quakes coming in at same time.
As for the electromagentic radar e-ray machines
at teh airports, nothing liek this can be good for ones heart. Our hearts have an electrical system and thus, we are affected by all things
electrical, including quakes which send the
electromagentic pulses through the Earth and prior to the quaking.
Computers, microwaves,
Cell phone towers, cell phones--
all of it affects us.

I wish you good health and a better understanding into what is causing your disturbances.

thanks and take care

http://www.pamwiseman.com/
# Magnitude 8.3 KURIL ISLANDS November 15, 2006
# Magnitude 6.8 SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, ARGENTINA November 13, 2006