In today's medical field, rhinitis, as a common and recurring disease, troubles the lives of many patients. The emergence of red light therapy devices has opened up a new way for the treatment of rhinitis. With its unique principle and wide application, it has gradually emerged in the otolaryngology department.
1. Working principle of red light therapy device
Red light belongs to the category of low-energy lasers, and its wavelength is generally between 600-700 nanometers. Light in this wavelength range has a special biological stimulation effect. When red light irradiates the nasal cavity, the photon energy can penetrate the nasal mucosal tissue and reach the deep lesions. From the cellular level, red light is absorbed by the mitochondria in the cells. As the "energy factory" of the cells, after absorbing red light, the oxidative phosphorylation process of the mitochondria is enhanced, prompting the cells to synthesize more adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is the direct energy source for cells to carry out various physiological activities. Adequate ATP supply in cells can greatly increase the vitality of nasal mucosal cells, accelerate metabolism, and quickly repair damaged cells. For example, damaged ciliated epithelial cells can restore normal morphology and function faster, swing efficiently again, promote mucus discharge, and improve the self-cleaning ability of the nasal cavity.
From the perspective of molecular biology, red light can also regulate the expression of cytokines. When rhinitis attacks, inflammatory factors such as histamine and leukotrienes are excessively released, causing symptoms such as redness, swelling, heat, pain, and increased secretions. Red light irradiation can inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory factors, while promoting the secretion of anti-inflammatory factors, rebalancing the inflammatory microenvironment in the nasal cavity, reducing congestion and edema of the mucosa, and relieving discomfort such as nasal congestion and runny nose. Moreover, red light has a significant effect on improving local blood circulation. It promotes capillary dilation and accelerates blood flow. On the one hand, it brings more nutrients to the tissue, such as oxygen, glucose, amino acids, etc., to nourish cells; on the other hand, it accelerates the removal of metabolic waste, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid, further optimizing the physiological environment in the nasal cavity and laying a solid foundation for the recovery of rhinitis.
2. Clinical application in the treatment of rhinitis
Treatment of allergic rhinitis: After allergic rhinitis patients come into contact with allergens, the immune system overreacts, and the nasal mucosa quickly develops symptoms such as edema, itching, and sneezing. The red light therapy device plays a role here, and the treatment cycle is usually 2-3 times a week, 10-15 minutes each time, and lasts for 4-6 weeks. When used in the early stage of an attack, red light irradiation can quickly relieve acute edema of the nasal mucosa, reduce nasal congestion, and allow patients to breathe smoothly; long-term persistence can regulate the local immune state of the nasal cavity, reduce the sensitivity of the nasal mucosa to allergens, and reduce the frequency of attacks and the severity of symptoms. Clinical studies have shown that after a complete course of treatment, about 70% of patients have a more than 50% reduction in the number of sneezes, and symptoms such as nasal itching and runny nose are also significantly alleviated, and the quality of life is greatly improved.
Rehabilitation of chronic rhinitis: Chronic rhinitis is mostly caused by repeated attacks of acute rhinitis and incomplete treatment. Patients suffer from nasal congestion, mucopurulent nasal discharge, headaches, etc. for a long time. Red light therapy is integrated into the comprehensive treatment plan as an auxiliary means, and cooperates with drug therapy and nasal irrigation. While drugs control inflammation, red light accelerates the repair of nasal mucosa. Generally, treatment is performed every other day, about 15 minutes each time, and a course of treatment is 2-3 months. After the course of treatment, the chronic congestion and hypertrophy of the nasal mucosa are significantly improved, the nasal ventilation function is well restored, and the problem of hyposmia is also alleviated. Many patients have restored their normal olfactory perception, re-tasting the aroma of food and natural fragrance, and returning to a high-quality life.
Postoperative auxiliary treatment: After surgery, patients with rhinitis have wounds in the nasal cavity, facing the risk of infection, and the mucosal tissue needs to heal quickly. At this time, the red light therapy device becomes an "acceleration artifact". Daily irradiation in the early postoperative period can kill bacteria and reduce inflammation, reduce the chance of wound infection, and its mild energy promotes the formation of new blood vessels, provides sufficient nutrition for wound healing, accelerates the growth of granulation tissue, and shortens the wound healing time by about 1/3. For example, for patients with sinusitis after surgery, normal healing takes 10 to 14 days, but with red light therapy, they can be basically healed in 7 to 10 days, which reduces the patient's pain, shortens the length of hospital stay, and saves medical resources.
3. Advantages and limitations
Red light therapy has obvious advantages in treating rhinitis. First, it is a non-invasive treatment without surgical trauma, avoiding complications such as postoperative bleeding and pain. It has high patient acceptance and is especially suitable for people who are afraid of surgery. Both the elderly and children can cooperate easily. Secondly, there are almost no side effects. As long as the operation is carried out in accordance with the specifications, it will not cause adverse reactions such as drowsiness and dry mouth like drug treatment, and will not affect the patient's daily work and study. Furthermore, it is easy to operate. Medical staff can get started after simple training. During the treatment, patients only need to quietly accept the irradiation. Even some small red light therapy devices for home use can be operated by patients at home following the doctor's instructions, which is convenient and fast.
However, the red light therapy device is not omnipotent. There are certain individual differences in its therapeutic effect on rhinitis. Some patients may have poor efficacy due to the complex nasal structure and different severity of the disease. Moreover, the red light therapy device can only be used as part of comprehensive treatment. For acute and severe rhinitis, red light irradiation alone cannot quickly control the disease, and timely combined drugs and even surgery are still needed. In addition, the quality of red light therapy products on the market varies. If you buy unqualified products, not only will the treatment be ineffective, but there may also be safety hazards, such as unstable light intensity burning the nasal mucosa, so be sure to choose products from regular medical channels.
Red light therapy devices have shown potential in all aspects of rhinitis treatment with their unique principles. Although they have limitations, with the development of technology and in-depth standardization of clinical applications, they are expected to dispel the haze of illness for more rhinitis patients and help them breathe freely.
