Red Light Therapy for the Eyes Open or Closed (Read This)

Studies show that red light therapy improves color perception and macular degeneration. Does that mean red light therapy for the eyes is safe? Just as water is essential to life, it can also drown you. Bright light can permanently damage the retina. Close your eyes to protect them from bright light.

For the love of God and all that is holy, speak to an ophthalmologist before using any light therapy on the eyes.

Caroline Bogart

Key Takeaways

• A light that is too bright can hurt the eyes.
• Keep eyes closed during treatment to prevent retina damage.
• Red light therapy can improve color vision and reduce the light needed to see clearly.
• Consult an ophthalmologist before using red light therapy on the eyes.
• Benefits stem from increasing energy in light-sensing retinal cells.
• Blue light-blocking glasses don’t protect against intense light exposure.

Red Light Therapy Eyes Open or Closed?

Imagine stepping into the world and finding colors fading, becoming less vibrant, just as autumn leaves do before falling. This was the reality for many participants in a scientific study published in the Journals of Gerontology testing the use of red light therapy on eyesight. After only two weeks of gentle red light therapy, their eyes saw crisper colors and needed less light.

A Light That is Too Bright Can Damage the Eyes

Not too long after the study, a red light therapy enthusiast self-treated his eyes with a random red light therapy device. Due to the intensity of the light, he permanently damaged his retinas.

He would have known not to stare at the light if he had listened to the Gerstein Eye Institute’s advice. This is what they say:

Can Bright Light Damage Your Vision?

In short, yes, staring at bright lights can damage your eyes. When the retina’s light-sensing cells become over-stimulated from looking at a bright light, they release massive amounts of signaling chemicals, injuring the back of the eye as a result.

Gerstein Eye Institute

So, is red light suitable for the eyes?

While the Journals of Gerontology study showed that red light therapy is good for certain aspects of vision, that does not mean that all red light is safe for the eyes. Industry thought leaders with good intentions argue that infrared and red light cannot hurt the eyes.

It’s true that “red and infrared” light doesn’t hurt the eyes. That’s because it’s not the “red” or the “infrared” that causes the damage. The wavelength is not the problem. The intensity is the problem.

I’ve already given you a major hint about whether you need goggles for red light therapy.

Is Red Light Good for the Eyes?

The Journal of Gerontology study showed that 670 nm (which is the wavelength, by the way; 670 nanometers is the distance from the peak of one wave to the peak of another, and it is one of the many shades of red light) red light through closed eyes improved the ability to see the color blue.

That’s it. It did not cure short—or far-sightedness or improve macular degeneration (although other studies have, which we’ll see below). These results were nice but not nearly as impressive as the public relations reach would imply. I wish people would examine their actions before getting excited about the vision study.

Red light therapy is a tool, like a hammer. Just as you can hammer a nail to fix a chair, you can also hammer your thumb to the point of breaking it. The study does not give you a universal license to shine any light into your eyes. The brightness can cause blindness. For the love of God and all that is holy, speak to an ophthalmologist before using any light therapy on the eyes.

The Eye Health Light Therapy Study That Started It All.

A diverse group of 24 individuals aged 28 to 72 enlisted in this study. They started each day by basking in red light therapy for 3 minutes, which continued for two weeks. At the outset, those at least 40 years old had an average of 20% loss in color contrast. It was as if someone had cranked down the saturation knob on their world.  This was the color sensitivity portion of the study.

All the participants, regardless of age, had light sensitivity issues. They needed more light to see than people with healthy eyes. This was the light sensitivity portion of the study.

After two weeks of bathing in red light therapy, the vibrancy of colors returned to the older participants. They regained an average of 22% improvement in color sensitivity.  The younger subjects had less to no color vision loss and so did not have significant improvements. Their color sensitivity was still healthy.

Remarkably, three out of four participants in the light sensitivity group, including others who hadn’t seen their 40th year yet, also noted a significant improvement. These subjects now needed less light to see clearly.

The Red Light Therapy Vision Improvement Study Summary

Red light therapy’s superpower is reviving mitochondria. The retina, with the highest concentration of mitochondria in the body, experiences a significant decline in the function of its light-sensing cells, rods, and cones from age 40.

Red light therapy, particularly at 670 nm wavelength, has been identified as a potential solution to mitigate this decline and restore vision. A clinical study from The Journals of Gerontology demonstrated the effects of red light therapy on 24 healthy volunteers aged between 28 and 72. After two weeks of daily 3-minute therapy, older individuals experienced a 22% improvement in color vision, and 75% of participants in the light sensitivity group showed improvement.

The aging process affects rods and cones differently; by age 70, about 30% of rods tend to die off, whereas cones decline in function but do not die. Cones processing blue light are more susceptible to decline due to fewer mitochondria than cones that process green or red wavelengths. Red light therapy improves low-light vision by enhancing the function of rod cells and helps restore and protect color vision by boosting the function of cone cells. The therapy is most effective in the morning when mitochondria are most efficient at producing energy and can better absorb light to boost energy production.

Why Red Light Therapy Improved Color and Light Sensitivity

The eyes use “rod” cells to pick up light and “cone” cells to interpret that light as colors. Rods see light, and cones see colors. Those cells are jam-packed with mitochondria, the organelles that create the biological batteries that power cellular functions. However, the cells that see blue light have fewer mitochondria than those that see red and green.

Rods begin to decline after age 30 and lose 30% of their function by age 70. This loss is linked to problems with mitochondria, the energy factories of our cells. The eyes need more light to see as we age. The cone cells responsible for seeing the color blue start life with a weakness that worsens with age.

Blue cones have fewer mitochondria than green and red cells, so they have less energy for their blue-seeing work. The ability to see blue declines with age because the eye’s blue cones run out of battery makers. That’s where red light therapy comes in. Its superpower is powering the factory that makes the batteries power the eyes.

Benefits of Red Light for the Eyes

Red light therapy does more than increase the ability to see blue and to see with less light. It has been shown to help combat age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of vision loss in adults over 50. Red light therapy has also been effective in treating other eye conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

Can Blue-Light Blocking Glasses Help Eye Health?

Blue light blockers protect the eyes from harmful blue light from computer and phone screens. This blue light disrupts the production of melatonin and causes insomnia. Blue blockers help protect the eyes from blue light but do not protect them from overly intense light of any color.

Conclusion

Red light therapy shows promising potential for improving vision and treating certain eye conditions. The wavelengths of red, infrared, blue, green, and yellow are safe for the eyes unless delivered with bright intensity.

However, it is essential to exercise caution and follow proper safety measures. Exposing your eyes directly to intense light, even if it is in the red or infrared wavelength range, can cause permanent damage to your retinas.

It is crucial to keep your eyes closed during treatment sessions to enjoy the benefits of red light therapy for your eyes while minimizing risks. Additionally, it is highly recommended that you consult with an ophthalmologist to ensure that the therapy is appropriate for your eye condition and to receive guidance on the proper protocols. While red light therapy can be a valuable tool for eye health, it should be approached with care and under the supervision of a qualified professional. For the benefits of light therapy for the eyes, speak to your ophthalmologist about using red light therapy for glaucoma, AMD, color and light sensitivity, and retinopathy therapies.

https://youtu.be/Vak90qSKgeE

References

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