health sectionhealth section
Phototherapy is the treatment of disease through light exposure. When receiving phototherapy, skin is exposed to a full spectrum of light to simulate sunlight. When photons permeate the skin, energy is absorbed by cells creating a series of cellular events.
For newborns with jaundice, or a yellowing of the skin, fiberoptic phototherapy presents an alternative to conventional phototherapy that is safe, effective and might be more convenient for parents.
Ultraviolet phototherapy uses specific wavelengths of light to treat various skin conditions. The wavelengths of light already occur naturally as a component of sunlight. Phototherapy devices can only be used and obtained through prescriptions in the United States.
Phototherapy is "a form of treatment for skin conditions using artificial light wavelengths from the ultraviolet (blue light) part of the sun's spectrum," according to the Australasian College of Dermatologists. Phototherapy patients undergo exposure to artificial ultraviolet light for a certain amount of time. Doctors use it to treat conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo, lymphoma and general cases of itchy skin. Phototherapy consists of four basic types of treatment.
According to the National Skin Centre website, the link between the health of humans and the amount of light they receive dates back to Ancient Egypt. In 525 B.C. Herodot stated the link between the strength of a human skull and the amount of sunlight to which a person was exposed.
Phototherapy is a treatment that uses light to help a condition. It is typically used to treat certain mood disorders, such as seasonal affective disorder. However, phototherapy has also been shown to be beneficial in treating certain skin conditions, such as psoriasis, as well as neonatal jaundice. There are both UVA and UVB treatments, and the treatment may be administered in different ways. Your physician will help you decide which treatment option is best for you.
Dermatological phototherapy is a skin treatment option. While it is used to treat a number of skin conditions, there are a few side effects that should be considered before receiving phototherapy.
Neonatal phototherapy is a medical procedure that uses fluorescent light to cure jaundice---excess bilirubin in the blood---in newborn infants. If your baby has been diagnosed with jaundice, special equipment, including lamps, blankets and tents, help convert the bilirubin to forms that your baby can process. Neonatal phototherapy can be administered in the hospital, but your baby can also be treated at home with portable phototherapy equipment.
Hyperbilirubinemia occurs when there is build-up of a naturally occurring substance called bilirubin in the blood. The normal breakdown of red blood cells produces bilirubin. When infants are not able to get rid of the breakdown of bilirubin and it builds up in the blood, tissues, and fluids it is called hyperbilirubinemia. Hyperbilirubinemia is commonly referred to as jaundice in the newborn. Phototherapy is the most common treatment.
Phototherapy (light therapy) is the use of light to treat various health conditions. Typically the skin is exposed to man-made ultraviolet (UV) light for a particular period of time in order to correct skin conditions and other health problems. In most cases, patients stand in a device called a light box; sometimes a laser is used when the area needing treatment is very small. Consistency of treatment is the key to success in this type of treatment, according to the National Psoriasis Foundation.
Phototherapy is a treatment that involves shining ultraviolet light onto the skin. Most often it is used as a treatment for newborns with excessively high bilirubin levels, which is a condition that is common but can be frightening at first to new parents. Babies may have phototherapy in the hospital or at home. There are various ways phototherapy can be administered, but no matter what equipment is used, the baby receiving phototherapy must be monitored, eating well and well hydrated.
Phototherapy, also known as light therapy, is a skin condition treatment that uses artificial light wavelengths from the sun's ultraviolet field. Generally, phototherapy is administered with the patient standing in the center of a cabinet affixed with lighting around the walls. Phototherapy works to reduce inflammation, remove abnormal cells and make a change in the skin's immune system.
