Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Photo Light Therapy

Photo light therapy, also called "Phototherapy" or "light therapy," involves using light (usually ultraviolet light) to treat a number of conditions. The NASA researchers who developed it looked into its therapeutic use on humans after they discovered that the light increased the energy in the mitochondria of plant cells.


Treating Skin Disorders








Use photo light therapy to treat many skin disorders such as psoriasis, vitiligo and eczema.


Psoriasis, an autoimmune disorder appears to result from T-cells that start acting abnormally. Photo light therapy exposes those T-cells, resulting in their death. Phototherapy also slows the production rate of skin cells and reduces inflammation caused by psoriasis. In a study published in The Australasian Journal Of Dermatology, the "quality of life in psoriasis improves after standardized administration of narrowband UVB phototherapy." According to expert Opin Pharmacother, utraviolet photo light therapy constitutes the best method to control moderate to severe cases of psoriasis.


Vitiligo, an autoimmune disease in which the body destroys its own pigment, occurs in patches. Use phototherapy to re-create pigmentation the patient has lost over a slow process, starting at the edges of the patches and working inward. A study published in the Journal of American Academy of Dermatology stated that this method of therapy worked safely and effectively on children with vitiligo.


Eczema consists of scaly, red patches of dry skin that often cause uncomfortable itching. It usually results from an overreactive response to an irritating substance, an allergy or even stress. A study published in "The Lancet" deemed phototherapy an effective, well-tolerated treatment for eczema.


Treatment of SAD








SAD, also known as seasonal affective disorder, is a mental disorder where depression occurs cyclically as the days shorten, with the worst of it occurring between December and February. Photo light therapy works most effectively in the morning hours and has the most therapeutic results when the light comes through the eyes of someone with SAD, versus through the skin.


Purchase a photo light therapy box online pr at a drug store for at-home use in treating SAD without a prescription. Before buying, make sure the light box has an SAD-specific label and filters out the harmful UV rays and emits 10,000 lux a comfortable distance from the lamp.


Treating Jaundice


Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin caused by excess amounts of the pigment bilirubin. In babies, photo light therapy can eliminate the amount of bilirubin in the blood. As the baby's skin absorbs the light, it transforms the bilirubin to a form that the baby can pass out of her system.

Tags: light therapy, photo light therapy, study published, photo light, Photo light therapy