ABSTRACT

Wind Turbine Syndrome is a consistent, often debilitating, complex of symptoms which occur during residential exposure to large industrial wind turbines. Symptoms include sleep disturbance, headache, tinnitus, ear pressure, dizziness, vertigo, nausea, irritability, and problems with concentration and memory. Panic episodes associated with sensations of internal pulsation or quivering arise in the daytime or during sleep. Symptom intensity varies in concert with the direction turbine blades are turned, the rate of spin, or the presence of certain sounds. Panic episodes show no statistical association with previous history of anxiety or other mental health disorders, and a highly significant association with pre-existing motion sensitivity. Headache shows a significant association with preexisting migraine disorder. Secondary clusters of symptoms involve the chest and eyes.

Methods: Case series of 10 affected families with 38 members age 0 to 75 exposed to turbines erected since 2004. All adults were interviewed and information obtained on all family members in a pre-exposure, during exposure, postexposure format. Five families moved away from their exposed homes within 6 weeks before the interviews or between the first and second interviews, one family significantly reduced its time in the home 3 months before the interviews, and other families spent periods of time away from the home during exposure.

Conclusions: Core symptoms of Wind Turbine Syndrome are best explained as a vibratory disturbance of thoracic organs creating a disturbance to position and motion sense via visceral graviceptors. Anxiety and panic arise in previously unaffected but motion-sensitive people due to direct neurologic linkages between balance and position sense and brain centers mediating fear, anxiety, autonomic effects, and aversive learning. There are also direct effects on ears. Secondary symptom clusters suggest other effects on tissues inside body resonant spaces, but require further research. Syndrome recognition is important for control of turbine placement and compensation of affected persons.

Nina Pierpont, MD, PhD

Malone, NY 12953
pierpont@twcny.rr.com
www.ninapierpont.com