Researchers are discovering that a simple red light may be enough to recharge a person’s vision late in life, making them better able to detect colors.
Research asked two dozen people to use red eye treatment for only 3 minutes a day, and even that short time was enough to produce measurable results.
Researchers say this low-cost treatment option could be an easy way for seniors to keep their vision in good working order.
As a person who was forced to have cataract surgery at the middle age of … 35, I know how disappointing it is when our eyes decide that they have done enough work for a lifetime and start to close. We know how light can damage an eye and how staring at the sun can leave you with broken lights all the time, but new research suggests that a certain type of light can have a beneficial effect.
Research, published in the Journals of Gerontology, reveals that certain wavelengths of light appear to have a therapeutic effect on aging eyes. Specifically, red light in small amounts can potentially reverse vision problems over time.
As the scientists describe in their study, a total of 24 people were recruited for the research, half being men and the other half being women. The volunteers were between the ages of 28 and 72, and none of them had previously been diagnosed with diseases that could affect their vision. Nevertheless, they each received a special light which produced a red glow which they were instructed to watch for a few minutes a day.
Pretty easy, right? In fact, it seems so simple that it’s hard to imagine that it would affect a person’s vision one way or the other. Remarkably, it did, and the researchers noted that study participants over the age of 40 showed measurable increases in their ability to discern one color from another, suggesting that the deterioration in vision linked with age could potentially be reversed with this very simple type of light therapy.
“As you get older, your visual system decreases dramatically, especially after it turns 40,” said study chief professor Glen Jeffery in a statement. “Your retinal sensitivity and your color vision are both progressively weakened, and with an aging population, this is a growing problem. To try to stem or reverse this decline, we have sought to restart aging retinal cells with short bursts of longwave light. “
But why does the red light seem to work so well?
“Mitochondria have specific light absorption characteristics that influence their performance,” says Jeffrey. “Longer wavelengths from 650 to 1,000 nm are absorbed and improve mitochondrial performance to increase energy production.” The light given to the volunteers produced a light with a wavelength of 670 nm, just above the limit to be absorbed by the mitochondria and “recharge” the eyes.
“Our study shows that it is possible to significantly improve the vision that has diminished in the elderly by using simple brief exposures to light wavelengths that recharge the diminished energy system in the cells of the retina, rather than recharging a battery, “says Jeffery.
Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering the latest news and trends in virtual reality, wearable clothing, smartphones and future technologies.
Most recently, Mike was a technical writer for the Daily Dot and has been featured on USA Today, Time.com and countless other websites and print. His love of
the story is just behind his addiction to gambling.
–
