LED Light Therapy for Eyes

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LED Light Therapy for Eyes

_http://www.ehow.com/way_5914974_led-light-therapy-eyes.html_

(http://www.ehow.com/way_5914974_led-light-therapy-eyes.html)

Red and near-infrared light wavelengths have positive effects on injured

cells. The light triggers an instant response to create ATP, which is

cellular energy. The light also increases both DNA and RNA functions. Light

emitting diodes (LEDs) deliver this healing light. LEDs aren't strong enough to

cause damage to tissue yet the light provides the energy for the body to

heal itself. Positive results are occurring in the treatment of eye

conditions.

Research

In the 1990s, LED research showed that near-infrared wavelengths enhance

mitochondria activity. NASA found this important as mitochondria does not

function appropriately in space and wounds heal very slowly. NASA created

light emitting diodes that proved as effective as lasers without the damage

caused by laser light.

Eye Research

LED light therapy treats many conditions of the skin, joints and soft

tissue, and it has also had positive effects on eye conditions that have defied

other treatments.

According to New Scientist Magazine, a neurologist, Harry Whelan, from the

Medical College of Wisconsin, tested eye injuries with LEDs. Rats blinded

by methanol were blind after one to two days. Their optic nerves and

retinal cells were dying. When treated with LEDs, using a wavelength of 670

nanometers five, 25 and 50 hours after exposure, they regained up to 95 percent

of their eyesight. Exposure to the LEDs was for 105 seconds at a time.

Macular Degeneration Treatment

Macular degeneration is a condition of the eye typically associated with

aging. The condition can detach the retina, causing blindness. Macular

degeneration was believed to be incurable.

Dr. McGee used an LED for 10 minutes in each eye of a patient.

Performing the treatment for 10 minutes each day over the course of a few

months, the patient's vision improved dramatically.

LED Significance

The Mayo Clinic studied the result of light therapy. The results indicated

that devices such as lasers and LEDs are more the mechanism of healing and

not the cause of healing. The positive healing results are directly from

the effect of light and not the delivery method. LEDs are considered less

harmful to tissue than laser treatments.

Dr. Harry Riley Spitler, who is credited with developing the clinical

science of light therapy in the 1920s, calls the process of light therapy

syntonics or to bring into balance. The research he performed validates the

effect that light has on human function and health.

Getting Treatment

Research LED therapy before deciding on a personal treatment. Although

many LED products can be purchased for self-treatment, they are recommended

for conditions such as aches and pains, skin problems and conditions such as

post-traumatic stress disorder and seasonal affective disorder.

Using syntonic phototherapy should be guided and supervised by a

professional. It is a valid treatment to address medical conditions with poor

visual

function. For example, the College of Syntonic Optometry provides light

therapy to its patients.

STUDY--

Photobiomodulation for the Treatment of Retinal Injury and Retinal

Degenerative Diseases

Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress play key roles in the

pathogenesis of retinal injury and disease. The development and testing of

strategies designed to improve mitochondrial function and attenuate oxidative

stress are essential for combating retinal disease. One strategy involves the

use of photobiomodulation. Low energy photon irradiation by light in the

far-red to near-infrared (NIR) range (630-1000 nm) using low energy lasers

or light-emitting diode (LED) arrays (collectively termed

photobiomodulation) has been shown to accelerate wound healing, improve

recovery from

ischemic injury in the heart and attenuate degeneration in the injured retina

and

optic nerve (5,12).

Photobiomodulation, low-energy photon irradiation by light in the far-red

to near infrared (NIR) range using low energy lasers or light-emitting

diode (LED) arrays, has been applied clinically in the treatment soft tissue

injuries and acceleration of wound healing for more than 30 years. The

therapeutic effects of photobiomodulation have been hypothesized to be mediated

by intracellular signaling mechanisms triggered by the interaction of

far-red to NIR photons with the mitochondrial photoacceptor molecule cytochrome

oxidase which culminate in improved mitochondrial energy metabolism,

increased synthesis of cytoprotective factors and cell survival.

30 References

_http://www.warp-photomedicine.com/EellsPBM_Proceedings.pdf_

(http://www.warp-photomedicine.com/EellsPBM_Proceedings.pdf)