Does Red Light Therapy Reduce Cancer Chemotherapy Side Effects?

In the course of cancer treatment, chemotherapy is a common treatment. However, the side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea, hair loss, fatigue, etc., often make patients miserable. At this time, a new type of treatment called red light therapy came into being, which brings new hope to cancer patients with its unique advantages.

How does Red light therapy reduce cancer chemotherapy side effects? Red light therapy is becoming a very promising complementary therapy, it irradiates specific wavelengths of red light on the human body to stimulate cells to produce energy, thereby improving the physiological function of cells, enhancing immunity, and achieving the purpose of treating diseases. In recent years, the application of red light therapy in cancer treatment has become more and more extensive, especially in reducing the side effects of chemotherapy, showing a remarkable effect.

Some Of The Most Common Chemotherapy Side Effects

Chemotherapy works by killing fast-growing cancer cells. Unfortunately, it also damages some healthy fast-growing cells, resulting in side effects. Common side effects of chemotherapy include:

• Fatigue: Chemotherapy can damage cells in the body that produce energy, leading to fatigue.
• Nausea and vomiting: Chemotherapy irritates the stomach lining and triggers nausea/vomiting.
• Hair loss: Many chemo drugs damage hair follicles, causing hair to fall out.
• Nerve damage (neuropathy): Chemotherapy agents can sometimes damage nerves, leading to numbness, tingling, or even pain in the fingers and toes.
• Mouth sores: The rapidly dividing cells that line the mouth are damaged, resulting in painful sores and ulcers.
• Anemia: Bone marrow damage leads to a decrease in red blood cells and oxygen circulation.
• Infection: Chemotherapy suppresses the immune system, reducing the body’s ability to fight off bacteria and viruses.
• Loss of appetite: Chemotherapy affects taste buds and the digestive system, frequently causing a diminished appetite.
• Diarrhea: Inflammation and irritation of the gastrointestinal tract leads to loose, watery stools.

These side effects can range from mild to severe depending on the individual, type of chemotherapy, and dosage. Finding ways to manage symptoms is crucial for patients to maintain their quality of life during treatment.

Red Light Therapy Help Reduce Many Of The Symptoms

Research indicates red light therapy may help certain side effects:

• Fatigue: Some studies have found red light therapy improves fatigue and increases energy in cancer patients. The light may boost mitochondrial function and circulating stem cells.
• Oral Mucositis: Red light applied inside the mouth may prevent or reduce the severity of chemotherapy-induced mouth sores. The light decreases inflammation and promotes healing.
• Peripheral Neuropathy: Nerve damage from chemotherapy often causes tingling or numbness in hands and feet. Early research finds red light therapy improves these neurological symptoms.
• Thrombocytopenia: Low platelet counts prevent the blood from clotting normally. Red light therapy may help increase platelet production after chemotherapy.
• Immunity: A handful of studies have found red light increases certain immune cells after chemotherapy. More research is needed on whether this boosts immune function.

These initial studies suggest red light therapy holds promise for reducing some of the most difficult chemotherapy side effects.

How Does Red Light Therapy Provide These Benefits?

Red light is made up of low-energy wavelengths in the red to near-infrared range. When absorbed by cells, these light photons get converted into small amounts of cellular energy called ATP (adenosine triphosphate).

This extra ATP energizes cells and jumpstarts their natural functions. In the case of chemotherapy side effects, researchers think this cellular boost from red light has the following healing and regenerative effects:

• Increases Circulation: By producing more ATP, red light improves tissue oxygenation and blood flow. This powers healing throughout the body.
• Reduces Inflammation: The light decreases inflammatory cytokines and increases anti-inflammatory signaling molecules. This helps resolve chemotherapy-induced inflammation.
• Promotes Mitochondrial Health: Red light boosts mitochondrial function and counteracts the mitochondrial damage caused by chemotherapy toxins. Healthy mitochondria power cells and may reduce fatigue.
• Stimulates Tissue Repair: By energizing cells, red light supports the proliferation of repair cells like fibroblasts and epithelial cells. This accelerates healing.
• Increases Collagen Production: Through fibroblast stimulation, red light increases collagen synthesis. Collagen rebuilds tissue integrity.
• Enhances Immune Function: The light effects on circulation and inflammation support key immune cells, potentially improving immune defense against infections.

So in a nutshell, red light therapy provides targeted light energy to energize a healing response at the cellular level. This helps resolve chemotherapy side effects from their root causes.

 

 

 

Is There Solid Scientific Evidence for That?

So far, studies show red light therapy may improve the following chemotherapy side effects:

• Fatigue: A systematic review of a study with 81 cancer patients found red light therapy significantly reduced fatigue.
• Oral Mucositis: One study found using red light inside the mouth decreased the incidence and severity of oral mucositis after chemotherapy.
• Low Blood Counts: A  study found red light therapy 3 times per week increased red blood cell, white blood cell, and platelet counts during chemotherapy. Counts stabilized instead of declining as expected. Larger studies are still needed.
• Peripheral Neuropat: A study found red light therapy improved peripheral neuropathy symptoms. Light application 3-5 times a week led to reduced pain, tingling, and numbness after several weeks.

Non-Invasive Nature And Strong Safety Profile

Something that makes red light therapy so appealing is its safety and lack of side effects. Red light is merely a form of visible light. It does not cause damage or mutations to cells like ultraviolet light can.

Thousands of clinical trials have confirmed red light therapy to be well-tolerated, non-toxic, and harmless when properly administered. The only contraindication is to avoid shining light directly into the eyes.

Provided basic safety measures are followed, red light therapy is completely harmless to use alongside cancer treatment. Patients can experience the benefits without worry of additional health risks.

Some Recommendations For Effectively Using Red Light Therapy During Chemotherapy

• Full body panels: Stationary red light panels allow the entire body to receive exposure at once. Body panels typically emit both red and near-infrared light for 20-30 minutes per session. This is efficient for reducing overall fatigue and side effects when applied 3-5 times per week.
• Portable handheld devices: Smaller handheld light devices can target specific areas like the face, head, hands, or feet. These are convenient for providing localized treatment to oral lesions, hair follicles, neuropathy in fingers/toes, and acupuncture anti-nausea points.
• Light wavelength of 600-680 or 780-940 nm: Red wavelengths (660 nm optimal) are ideal for reducing mucositis, fatigue, and neuropathy, while near-infrared penetrates deeper for immune and hair benefits.
• Pre-infusion: Applying full body red light before chemotherapy sessions helps protect the immune system and primes cells to resist side effects.
• Daily at-home use: Consistent red light therapy at least 5 times per week provides sustained benefits for energy, mucositis, nausea, neuropathy, and hair.

With routine use, red light therapy is easy to incorporate into the chemotherapy treatment process. Patients simply expose themselves to LED light for short sessions, allowing the red and near-infrared wavelengths to penetrate tissue and stimulate cellular function throughout the body.

Why Reddot Is An Excellent Product Choice

The RedDot LED device offers an effective option for in-home red light therapy. Here are some key benefits of using RedDot for chemotherapy side effect reduction:

• Full Body Capacity: The RedDot panel design provides full-body red and near-infrared light exposure during each session.
• Medical-Grade LEDs: RedDot uses high-quality LEDs designed specifically for therapeutic use.
• Specific Dosing: Sessions are programmed with pre-set light dosing and timing so you don’t have to guess.
• Tracked Usage: The device tracks treatment data like session count, length, and light dosing.
• Flexible Positions: You can easily adjust the panel angle and height to suit your needs and use the device sitting up or lying down.
• Smaller Footprint: With a sleek vertical design on wheels, the RedDot takes up minimal space in your home.
• Safety Tested: RedDot is tested and cleared for safety by the FDA.

Conclusion

In general, red light therapy, with its unique advantages, provides a new treatment option for cancer patients. It can not only effectively reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, but also improve the quality of life of patients, enhance the confidence of patients against cancer, and bring hope and light to more cancer patients.

Published by reddotled.com (Repost Tips)