Condition affects one in 20

ELECTROMAGNETIC hypersensitivity is believed to be caused by the electromagnetic fields produced by everyday items, including televisions, mobile phones, phone signals, high-voltage power lines and wi-fi.

Sufferers complain of headaches and nausea, sickness, abdominal pain and even blackouts.

Some victims feel so ill they move to isolated rural areas to escape what is often described as an ‘allergy to modern life’. One in 20 people claims to suffer from EHS, studies in different countries have found, yet the existence of the condition remains a controversial topic in the UK, where it is not officially recognised among medical professionals.

The Health Protection Agency says there is no scientific evidence linking ill-health with electrical equipment where radio frequency exposure is below safety guidelines. But some countries, such as Sweden, recognise EHS as a ‘functional impairment’.