Phototherapy

Phototherapy uses controlled exposure to light to treat medical conditions or support health. Its effects depend on wavelength, dose, timing, and the tissue or biological process targeted.

Neonatal jaundice: Newborn jaundice is yellowing caused by elevated bilirubin in the blood. Blue-light treatment helps lower bilirubin in newborns whose levels pose a risk.
Bilirubin: Bilirubin is a yellow pigment produced during the breakdown of heme. Light changes bilirubin into forms that newborns can eliminate more easily.
Wavelength: Wavelength is the distance between successive peaks of a wave and determines its position in the electromagnetic spectrum. Treatment wavelengths determine which tissues and molecules absorb the light.
Laser therapy: Laser therapy uses focused, coherent light to alter or treat tissue. Unlike many phototherapy systems, lasers deliver highly concentrated light to selected targets.
Seasonal affective disorder: Seasonal affective disorder is recurrent depression associated with particular seasons, often winter. Bright-light therapy is a standard treatment option for winter-pattern symptoms.
Ultraviolet radiation: Ultraviolet radiation is electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than visible light and longer than X-rays. Many dermatologic treatments use carefully controlled ultraviolet wavelengths.
Irradiance: Irradiance is the power of electromagnetic radiation received per unit area. It describes how intensely a phototherapy device delivers light to the treatment surface.
Radiation therapy: Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation to damage cancer cells and control tumors. It treats disease with ionizing radiation rather than the nonionizing light used in most phototherapy.
Psoriasis: Psoriasis is an immune-mediated disease that causes inflamed, scaly skin plaques. Ultraviolet phototherapy can reduce skin inflammation and slow excessive skin-cell growth.
Visible light: Visible light is the portion of electromagnetic radiation detectable by the human eye. Bright-light treatments use visible wavelengths to affect alertness and circadian timing.

Linked from 9 pages