Last Updated on April 25, 2020

Red light therapy side effects

If you are reading this article, you would be aware of what red light therapy is and what it can do to your body.

In the meantime, you are also a little concerned about the risks that are associated with red light therapy. In other words, you must be wondering what risks are linked with red light therapy and how it can negatively impact your body.

Keep on reading this article and we will provide you with all the details. We will also be able to help you with overcoming all the myths that you have in your mind about red light therapy.

Hence, you will be provided with the opportunity to go ahead and experience the positive results that come along with red light therapy while keeping the peace of mind.

What is red light therapy?

Before exploring the side-effects of red light therapy, it is better to have a basic understanding of what this therapy is all about. Then you can effectively guess the negative consequences that it can lead you to.

It is true that red light therapy is one of the most controversial therapy techniques in the world.

But having a basic understanding of red light therapy can help you with dealing with all the controversies on your own.

With red light therapy, you will be providing low-level red light in order to treat your skin and provide a large number of health benefits to your body. This light can penetrate deep into your body as well. Therefore, all the cells and tissues will be affected. Therefore, you can think about using it to treat scars, wrinkles, persistent wounds and an array of other health issues.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4961501/

Red light therapy is relatively new to the world. People discovered the health benefits of red light therapy in the recent past. Before that, red light therapy was used by scientists to grow plants in outer space.

Source: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/plant_growth.html

In fact, the scientists who worked on these experiments figured out that red light therapy is in a position to promote the growth of plant cells, along with photosynthesis. That’s where they were tempted to go ahead and use red light therapy for medicinal purposes.

The applications of red light therapy were examined across a variety of areas in medicine.

From those studies, it was possible to understand that red light therapy is in a position to increase the amount of energy that exists within human body cells.

As a result, it can trigger a series of changes in the body. These changes will be positive and you don’t need to worry about anything at all. For example, red light therapy can safely be used to overcome bone density issues, accelerate wound healing and to treat muscle atrophy.

But still, there are some minor negative effects linked with red light therapy. Only some of the people will have to experience negative effects. It is better if you can be aware of them as well.

Short term side effects linked with red light therapy

To begin with, lets’ take a look at the short term side effects that are associated with red light therapy. LED light or low powered laser rays will be used to provide the red light therapy sessions to the people.

The LED light is nothing but visible light. It has been filtered through an appropriate mechanism in order to get only red colored light. This light will be used to provide red light therapy and it will act as the base to deliver impressive results to you.

Your body is exposed to natural light at all times. Therefore, it cannot cause any negative effects to you. However, the specific exposure to red light therapy can lead some of the individuals towards a few side effects. These side effects are minor and they will not last long.

Some of the most common minor side effects that people have to experience after the exposure to red light therapy include headaches, irritability, and eye-strain.

The effects that you will have to experience are usually associated with the glare that gives out from the red light. Your body will find that glare intense.

Fortunately, there are some tips, which you can follow to overcome the negative consequences that the glare can cause as well.

You are encouraged to go ahead with them so that you can receive the best possible results. If you seek the assistance of a professional service provider for red light therapy, you don’t need to worry about it at all. But when you are using a red light therapy device at home, you should be mindful about it.

It is better if you don’t stare directly into the source of light. 

It can cause glare and lead you towards the negative side-effects that we discussed above. Moreover, it is also recommended for you to wear eye protection at all times. Then you can receive the benefits without any disturbance at all.

Source : https://www.cos-sco.ca/vision-health-information/vision-safety/

Is red light therapy safe for the eyes?

All people who follow red light therapy sessions are strongly encouraged to wear appropriate protection for the eyes.

When you are visiting a therapist to get the red light therapy sessions, you will be provided with eye protection.

Then you can protect your vision and make sure that your eyes are not damaged by the red light.

You should never take a look at the source of light under any circumstance. In addition, you need to be careful not to get the source of light closer to your eyes as well.

The red light wavelength is more than 1500 nanometers.

Therefore, it is not in a position to cause any permanent damage to your retina. But you will be increasing the temperature of the cornea. Hence, the lens of your eyes can get damaged. You need to be mindful about this at the time of using red light therapy to experience the benefits that it can provide you with.

Can red light therapy with infrared light lead you to side effects?

Infrared light is not similar to LED light. Therefore, the effects that you can experience through the exposure to infrared light would be slightly different. You need to be mindful about this fact as well.

According to the scientists and healthcare professionals, infrared light has got the ability to cause more side effects to you when compared to red light.

That’s because it can expose your body to wavelengths that carry more energy. It might even cause burning. This will be similar to a thermal burn.

Therefore, it is different from the sun burns, which you will get after the exposure to UV light. Therefore, you don’t need to worry too much as it is not associated with the risk of cancer.

You should still be mindful when you are overheating the tissues of your skin.

That’s because it can reduce the ability that your body will have to repair DNA in an efficient manner. Therefore, you will be subjected to more mutations that are caused by other factors. Due to the same reason, you need to be careful not to burn your skin with red light therapy. It is important to be mindful about this when you are going through red light therapy with infrared light.

Precautions that you need to keep in mind

There are some precautions that you need to keep in mind when you are using red light therapy. Then you will be able to receive all the positive results that red light therapy can offer, without having to worry about the side-effects. You will also be provided with the opportunity to keep the peace of mind at all times.

Red light therapy is completely safe. But you should still be mindful about the precautions that we will discuss in here.

When you are using a red light therapy device, you need to make sure that you don’t shine it in your eyes. Even though the red light that is given out from a red light therapy device is not intense, it can still cause some damage to your eyes. That’s because these devices are in a position to produce a lot of glare.

The reputed red light therapy device manufacturers tend to include eyewear for the people who are looking forward to purchasing red light therapy devices.

You can simply wear them when you are going through the treatment sessions. If you are looking forward to purchasing a red light therapy device for your own personal use, you need to be mindful about this. In fact, you need to stick to a device that provides utmost protection to your eyes. In other words, you need to look for a device that comes along with safety eyewear. If you already own a red light therapy device, you can think about purchasing eyewear separately.

At the time of visiting a professional therapist to get the red light therapy sessions, you don’t need to worry about this too much. That’s because they have a clear understanding of the risk factor associated with red light therapy. Therefore, you will be provided with eyewear. In addition to that, they will also make sure that no red light is imposed on your eyes directly to cause glare and damage your eyes.

Who should be mindful before going through a red light therapy session?

Red light therapy sessions are generally safe for everyone.

Therefore, you don’t need to worry too much before you expose yourself to a red light therapy session and receive the best possible results. But if you are pregnant, you are encouraged to get in touch with a healthcare professional and make sure that it is safe for you. Then you can overcome all possible complications that might arise.

On the other hand, people who are exposed to cancer and hemorrhage should also be mindful when they follow red light therapy. Then you will be able to receive positive results without any consequences.

Some of the healthcare professionals say that red light therapy should not be used by the people who have photosensitivity. On the other hand, some people who stick to certain medications are not encouraged to go forward with red light therapy. If you are consuming any kind of medication for another health condition that you have, you need to go get in touch with a doctor and make sure that it doesn’t clash with red light therapy.

Should you continue with red light therapy for a long period of time?

Yes, you can continue using red light therapy for a long period of time.

In fact, it is important for you to go through multiple red light therapy sessions to receive the positive results that come along with it. Single red light therapy cannot deliver any significant changes to the body. Even when you notice that you are getting positive results, you need to stick to it. Then only you can get hold of long-lasting benefits.

After you achieve your goals, you will need to stick to red light therapy and continue the results that you obtained.

When it comes to long term use, you will get worried about the side effects. A variety of clinical trials have been conducted on the long term use of red light therapy. These clinical trials have indicated that no person who goes through red light therapy for an extended duration of time will experience side-effects. You can easily go ahead with the multiple treatment sessions while keeping the peace of mind.

Final Words

As you can see, red light therapy is generally safe. But you should still be mindful about the risk factors that are associated with it. Then you can keep the peace of mind at all times and make sure that you are getting the most out of what red light therapy can offer.

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