As a person gets old, they start suffering from many health-related problems. This is something one can not stop. The function of many different organs tends to decay, and so does the health and working ability of the elderly. Most elderly people get really fragile due to the weight of their age, but one can still maintain their health by going through various measures. Even if a person gets old, it is still completely possible for them to enjoy a healthy life by resorting to those ways. One such way of maintaining sound health is going through light therapy.
Common Problems Faced by The Elderly
A person starts to suffer from various health conditions and chronic diseases. Due to that many elderly people just exist with their lives, instead of living it to the full. According to the National Council on aging, 92% of seniors suffer from at least one chronic sickness, and 72% of them possess more than one chronic symptom at the same time. Moreover, the statistics of the World Health Organization show that around 15% of people aged over 60 suffer from different mental health problems. The problems don’t end here. The transition from a strong young fella to a weak old person can claim severe tolls from a person. Depression and loneliness become normal phenomena for elderly people. Thus a healthy person suddenly loses his life’s purpose, physical & mental health, energy all of a sudden. The combination of all these isolates a person and throws him toward a bleak future.
Benefits of Light Therapy
It is just as important to take care of your mental health as your physical health, as one isn’t possible without the other. And here is light therapy that can take care of your both physical and mental health. Light therapy has recently gained a huge amount of popularity due to its manifold benefits. Even though light therapy has been around for quite some time, the huge benefits of light therapy have come to light very recently due to many pieces of research. Light therapy can improve the quality of someone’s life, especially the elderly, and bring a drastic change. Let’s see how light therapy can help the elderly-
Physical Health
With increasing age, the homeostasis and metabolism system get decreased. Light therapy helps to improve metabolism and restore homeostatic balance. Also, light therapy can help to get rid of muscle pain and provide a better balance for the body. With stronger muscle joints, one is less likely to trip and fall. Moreover, exposure to light makes the skin absorb Vitamin – D that activates mitochondria at the cellular level. That highly prevents heart failure, cancerous cells from developing, and risk associated with weight gain.
Mental Health
Light therapy can improve one’s mental health significantly. Different types of depression can be diagnosed with the help of light therapy. The elderly can fall victim to depression and anxiety due to many different reasons such as loneliness, and other things. Light therapy can make them more energetic, and provide them with an enjoyable life as it can reduce depression, stress, and anxiety.
Sleeping Problems
One of the biggest problems elderly people face is sleeping problems. Many old people find it really hard to sleep, and no matter how much they try to sleep, it doesn’t occur. This completely destroys their sleep cycle or circadian rhythm and makes them vulnerable to various health problems. Going through light therapy regularly can help a person to sleep properly, and fix their sleeping routine too. If they get a better routine of sleeping and manage to fall asleep based on that, it will further improve their health.
Skincare
It’s not rare to see the effects of aging on one’s skin, and it significantly impacts one’s personal and social life. Light therapy helps to reproduce elastin protein and collagen in the skin. That allows the skin to gain elasticity and provides it a natural glow. So, one can even look younger as well as feeling it with light therapy. Light therapy can be incredibly beneficial for improving the quality of life for the elderly.
Hair Loss
Many elderly people tend to lose their hair, and light therapy can help them with it. By applying light therapy to their hair on a regular basis, they can keep their hair healthy. And generate different hormones and nutritions in their body that are important for hair care, and will keep the hair strong, and prevent it from falling.
Light therapy has brought a revolution in the world of therapies, and it can help people a lot regarding many different problems. People of any age can get hugely benefited from light therapy and the elderly more than anyone else. As they keep suffering from various problems without any cease, they can be provided a breathable space where they won’t have to go through all those physical and mental sufferings in a chronic manner through light therapy. So make sure to provide elderly people that are close to you with regular light therapy so that they can lead their life in a better and healthier manner.
