The application of light as a means of treatment and healing has a lot of potentials, which the medical industry is out to unleash.
FREMONT, CA: Innovations in medical technology show no signs of halting, as stakeholders in the industry make consistent efforts to find viable ways of treatment for the widening spectrum of diseases. The use of light as a means to treat patients is not new. But a few recent advancements have greatly enhanced the potential of light therapy as an effective tool for the treatment of various health conditions. Be it for the healing of mood and sleep disorders, or cancer treatment, light therapy has shown to be of great value. Skin specialists are already using light therapy in several dermatological procedures. Even ophthalmology has been able to take advantage of light-based therapies to deliver better healthcare to patients. There are several factors that have contributed to the growing adoption of light therapy in the medical fields, some of which are discussed in this article.
• Availability of Approved Photosensitizer Drugs
The use of light therapy for cancer treatment depends on photosensitizer drugs that are injected into cancer patients. These photosensitive agents remain intact in cancerous cells for longer durations, making it easy to detect malignancies and expose them selectively to radiations. Thus, cancer cells can be targeted effectively without affecting healthy cells in the process. With more and more photosensitizer drugs getting approval from regulatory authorities, the medical industry has been able to adopt them quickly.
• Refining Light Therapy with Precise Devices
The development of advanced light-delivering devices and their approval have also played a role in making light therapy accessible to the medical fraternity. Today, light-emitting devices with the capability to produce lights of various intensities and wavelengths have become economically viable, enabling doctors and medical practitioners to provide light therapies. Patented and clinically tested, these highly precise devices are optimized to deliver light rays in various configurations.
• Effectiveness in Treating Insomnia and Anxiety
Although there exist medications that help patients deal with insomnia, anxiety, and mood disorders, there are no permanent treatments available. Light therapy qualifies as one of the most effective ways of helping individuals overcome commonly faced mental health woes. The deliberate use of lighting fixtures to alter particular wavelengths of visible light has several impacts on exposed individuals. Besides, medical reports, post clinical trials, have also suggested that light therapy could also be personalized according to the sleeping habits and other physical and medical traits of patients. By precise control of light using sensors, patients can improve cognitive abilities, reduce depression, and get sound sleep with less effort. Researchers who have tried studying the relationship between cardiac rhythms and lighting have discovered trends that can add value to personalized light therapy in the near future.
• Eliminating Infections
Transplants are often affected due to unpreventable infections. Light therapy provides a scope to overcome these infections. Using specific wavelengths of light that include UV radiations, researchers have been able to achieve the elimination of infections caused by the hepatitis C virus. Especially during lung transplants, phototherapy has been able to make the process safer as viruses are made non-infectious and cannot transmit any diseases. With the development of better light delivery equipment that enables proper penetration of the rays, light therapy is all set to become even more accurate and effective.
Extensive research and clinical trials are still on to develop the capabilities and potential applications of light therapy. However, medical practitioners can adopt the current generation of devices and technology for light therapy to boost non-invasive treatment procedures and deliver unmatched benefits to patients.
