Dr. Michael J. Dunn, Optometrist Member:
The Family Vision Center South Plains Optometric Association
Special Vision Needs Clinic Optometric Extension Program
2704 82nd Street
Lubbock, Texas 79423
Phone (806)745-2222
Light Stimulation
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
Throughout recorded history, societies have placed great value on light even to the point of
worshipping “Sun Gods”. Now modern science has proven that without light there would be no life.
Plants grow by converting light energy into their food and the building blocks of their flowers, leaves,
stems, and roots. Animals eat plants to acquire the light energy the plants have stored up. Animals
eat other animals to acquire that same light energy.
Without light, there would be no life.
But light also affects animals and people. The Egyptians used light passing through precious gems
for certain ailments. The Greeks built solarium cities in the high mountains to concentrate ultra violet light
to treat tuberculosis, and red light was used to overcome the effects of small pox. At the present, blue light
is used to treat jaundiced infants, and white light is used to treat seasonal depression, and special wave
lengths of light are used to activate chemicals circulating through the blood vessels or our eyes to treat one
type of macular degeneration.
Clinical use of selected colors of light began to be used in Optometry in the 1920’s to assist in treatment of
certain vision conditions, and vision conditions resulting from certain general health conditions.
How does light entering our eyes affect our vision and general health? Almost 50% of the nerves in our
eyes are connected to areas of our brains that are not used for seeing. These non-seeing areas help to
regulate our hormone system and nervous system. Light also affects us by causing chemical reactions in our
blood. Just as a certain color of light is used to fluoresce an injected drug in the vessels of our eyes to treat
one type of macular degeneration, the different colors in regular light react with the blood circulating through
our eyes to affect our immune system and hormone levels. Since all of the blood in our body circulates through
our eyes every two hours, the affects of the correct colors of light can be quite dramatic for some people.
How do we determine what colors of light would cause the desired affects and how are the colors
administered? The correct colors are determined by your medical history, any symptoms you are having,
and testing to determine how much and what kind of stress your nervous system is experiencing. The correct
light color can then be administered passively through tinted lenses or visors or actively with different
equipment that will project light into your eyes.
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