Written by Dr. Diane Mueller: There are many different mold illness natural treatments. We use so many things in our practice. Near infrared light therapy is one of our favorite supportive treatment methods. It is not a standalone therapy, but it great to use in combination with other treatments.
Before we start talking about Near Infrared therapy, let’s make sure we understand what infrared means. Infrared is a type of energy that we can’t see with our eyes, but we can feel it as heat. It’s part of a bigger group of energies called electromagnetic radiation, which includes things like x-rays and radio waves. Infrared is a type of non-damaging radiation, unlike x-rays, and there are three categories of it: near, middle, and far. We can’t see infrared waves, but special tools like infrared cameras can help us detect them. Infrared is all around us, and we’ve been using it for a long time to treat certain health issues, like sitting in a sauna.
Radiation can be scary, but not all radiation is created equal. There are two types: ionizing and non-ionizing. Ionizing radiation, like x-rays and far ultraviolet radiation, can damage your DNA, while non-ionizing radiation, like infrared radiation, is much gentler and generally doesn’t cause harm to your DNA.
We have helped thousands of people restore their health and quality of life by diagnosing and treating their Lyme Disease and Mold Illness.
Infrared radiation is a type of non-ionizing radiation that’s all around us, although we can’t see it with our eyes. It’s divided into three groups based on wavelength: near, middle, and far. Some objects are so hot that they emit visible light, like fire, while other objects, such as humans, only emit infrared waves. But just because we can’t see it doesn’t mean we can’t detect it. Instruments like infrared cameras and night-vision goggles allow us to see the infrared waves emitting from humans and animals.
Despite being invisible, infrared radiation has some pretty cool applications. It’s what makes thermal imaging possible, for example. And it turns out that infrared radiation has been used for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments. Heated saunas, for instance, are a popular way to deliver infrared radiation to the body in a controlled way. So, even though radiation might sound scary, not all radiation is bad, and in fact, some types of radiation can be used to help us feel better.
Before we talk about near infrared, let’s first talk about far infrared. IF you are someone who is dealing with mold illness, you have heard already about far infrared (FIR) therapy. Since this is more commonly known about, let’s first talk about what FIR is and what it does. Afterwards, we will move onto near infrared for mold illness natural treatment.
FIR radiation refers to longer wavelengths of radiation in the infrared spectrum, between 5.6 and 1000 micrometers (3). Although FIR radiation cannot be seen by the naked eye, its heat can penetrate up to 1.5 inches (almost 4 cm) beneath the skin (4). FIR radiation has been found to stimulate cells and tissue, and is considered a promising treatment for certain medical conditions (4).
Thankfully, there are new techniques for delivering FIR radiation to the human body, such as far-infrared saunas. These specialty lamps and saunas deliver pure FIR radiation, eliminating completely the near and mid-infrared bands. They are safe, effective, and widely used for the therapeutic benefits of FIR (4).
Another exciting development is clothing made with fibers containing FIR emitting ceramic nanoparticles woven into the fabric. This allows the body to generate FIR radiation and attain health benefits from its effects (4). So if you’re looking for alternative methods to help with your mold illness, you may want to explore FIR therapy and its various forms.
Benefits of FIR:
There are multiple medical applications of FIR that can improve health and reduce or even treat disease:
Near Infrared Therapy
As someone with mold illness, you may be interested to learn about Near Infrared Radiation (NIR) and its potential benefits for your health. NIR refers to the shorter wavelengths of radiation in the infrared spectrum, specifically 0.8-1.5 µm. NIR is used in a therapy called Photobiomodulation (PBM), which involves using near-infrared light over the brain, inside the nasal cavity, or over injuries or wounds. This form of light therapy can help to heal and improve tissue repair in wounds, bones, and tendons, reduce pain and inflammation, and restore and stimulate multiple physiological processes that repair damage caused by injury or disease.
NIR therapy has a significant anti-inflammatory effect and can be used for a variety of health issues, including cognitive performance or brain injury, wound healing, arthritis, muscle healing, inflammatory pain, lung inflammation and asthma, abdominal fat, obesity, and type 2 diabetes, cancer, Achilles tendinopathy, thyroiditis, psoriasis, hair loss, cognitive performance, memory, and mood, and cosmetic and aesthetic improvements.
There are no known risks or side effects associated with PBM, making it a safe option to consider.
When it comes to choosing between NIR and Far Infrared (FIR) therapy for mold illness natural treatments, we recommend NIR therapy due to its cellular effect on the mitochondria of the cells, which can provide greater rejuvenating effects over FIR. Humans are biologically designed to use near-infrared light more than far infrared light, as the sun emits 37% of its total energy in the near infrared range and only 3% in the far infrared range. However, in many cases, we may suggest using both types of therapy for optimal health and mitochondrial support.
Remember that this is only one tiny piece of mold illness natural treatments. Our approach at our medical practice is to build up the body and make it stronger while simultaneously helping with the detox process. Near infrared is a great therapy that many people tolerate to help build their body up and make it stronger to better handle the process of eradication of mold and mold toxins from the body.
References
The Causes or Mechanisms of Action
Despite the sometimes-similar symptoms, the MOAs of these two conditions are very different:
What is the Link?
Similar Symptoms & Mis-Diagnosis
So how do we differentiate between LD and FM?
How do we untangle symptoms and identify a case of chronic Lyme disease vs post-infectious Fibromyalgia?
We need to do a thorough exam, the correct labs and a deep analysis of the overlapping symptoms. There are other things to look at to get a correct diagnosis. These include:
In our clinic, we have expertise in treating a range of complicated, difficult-to-diagnose conditions like Fibromyalgia and Lyme Disease. We look for the root causes in our patients to identify what could be causing the symptoms. We regularly treat and resolve Lyme, chronic infections and other complex conditions in patients in our Functional Medicine clinic.
We have helped thousands of
people restore their health
and quality of life by diagnosing
and treating their Lyme Disease.
“Dr. Mueller’s approach to medicine is refreshing! There is only so much you can do with western medicine and in my life I was needing a new approach. By addressing the whole body, nutritional diet factors, environmental factors, blood work, and incorporating ideas I had not previously known, I was able to break through with my conditions. I am not only experiencing less pain in my life, but through the process of healing guided by Dr. Diane Mueller, I am now happy to say I have more consciousness surrounding how I eat, what to eat and when things are appropriate. Living by example Dr. Mueller has a vibrancy that makes you want to learn and know more about your body and overall health. I highly recommend her to anyone looking for new answers, a new approach to health, or in need of freedom from pain and limitations.”
-Storie S.
Kihei, HI
We have helped thousands of people restore their health and quality of life by diagnosing and treating their Mold Illness, Lyme Disease and other root causes.