The sun gets a bad rap. We constantly hear about how horrible UV radiation is. It’s the enemy, plain and simple.
If you knew that the same thing that gives you a burn can also support your immune system, would you be surprised?
Doctors have used ultraviolet light – one of the many types of energy emitted by the sun – for over 60 years to treat infection in the body, and the results are nothing short of astounding. How? Simply by irradiating the patient’s blood.
The 1940s saw a multitude of articles and reports regarding the safety and effectiveness of ultraviolet blood irradiation. Various bacterial infections – some of them thought to be terminal – were cured in a matter of days, Hepatitis B and acute Polio responded likewise. Even asthma and always-fatal botulism infections responded to the treatment. In all, almost half of bacterially infected patients thought to be on the verge of death were cured, and in almost every single non-terminal case the patient likewise returned to health.
Unfortunately reports dropped off as the use of antibiotics rose, but naturopathic and integrative doctors continued to study this incredible tool, learning some of the ways in which it works and even discovering its use in treating cancer.
So how does it work?
First off, it kills bacteria, fungi, and viruses. UV radiation has been used to purify water for a long time, and has recently gained traction in air purification as well. All bacteria will be killed or weakened by UV radiation, and those that live inside the body – away from constant exposure to the sun’s rays – are especially vulnerable. If an organism was going to develop resistance to UV radiation, it would have done so many thousands of years ago!
Second is that it changes the landscape of the body, tipping the balance well in the patient’s favour and making things rather inhospitable to any infectious organisms. UV Blood Irradiation improves circulation, stimulates immune cells and increases oxygenation.
These types of cutting edge treatments always have a way of getting even better, so here it is: the effects last beyond treatment because the body’s hemoglobin (inside red blood cells) absorbs the UV rays and slowly releases them over a period of weeks!
Sound familiar? If you’ve read anything about Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy or Ozone Therapy, you’ve no doubt noted that the perks are similar. Indeed, using UV Blood Irradiation alongside other oxidative therapies can yield extraordinary results, working in tandem to boost the body and kill infections. That’s all well and good, but what’s the actual process?
You’re going to wonder how it’s so simple. Tiny amounts of blood are removed and exposed to UV light, then mixed with an anti-coagulant and put back into the body. We’re just beginning to understand the specific applications of this therapy, but it’s clear that it can help anyone with infection or autoimmune diseases. How many people do you know with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, Lyme disease, lupus, allergies, asthma, Epstein-Barr Virus, rheumatoid arthritis, and so on. UV blood irradiation is especially effective when used as an adjunctive with other naturopathic therapies. We all know someone who could benefit from UV blood irradiation. Especially noteworthy are the people who have not been able to successfully use medication for one reason or another.
