The older we get, the greater our risk of chronic fatigue, arthritis, falls and associated injuries, chronic back and joint pain, high blood pressure, and sleep disorders.

Fortunately, there are now treatments that alleviate the symptoms of these conditions and sometimes even make them disappear. You have probably heard before that you should watch your diet and get enough exercise. But did you know that infrared light therapy also offers many health benefits to the elderly?

What is infrared light?

Infrared light or infrared radiation is, just like 'traditional' light, a form of electromagnetic radiation that we cannot perceive. When hearing the word 'radiation', many people become quite suspicious. This is because many well-known forms of radiation are carcinogenic, such as X-rays and gamma radiation.

These types of radiation have a very short wavelength and a high energy content, which means they can damage cells and thus cause cancer cells to develop.

As we discussed in a previous blog , the properties of infrared are the opposite: infrared light has a very long wavelength and a low energy content. This allows infrared to penetrate your body without causing any damage.

Infrared therapy even has many health benefits for the elderly. We will discuss this in more detail below.

Infrared Therapy: The Health Benefits for Seniors

We have told you several times now that infrared light is very beneficial for the elderly. But what are those benefits? Well, infrared provides a better immune system, less stress, more energy, improved blood circulation, increased sleep quality and less joint pain.

Better night's sleep

Elderly people often suffer from sleep disorders. You can tell from their sleep patterns: they get up very early and fall asleep again in the middle of the day. As a result, seniors experience little deep sleep and chronic fatigue.

A doctor would recommend more sports to younger patients with similar problems. However, as an older person it is not always possible to move much.

But don't worry, thanks to infrared therapy, even the elderly can improve their sleep! Research shows that regular use of an infrared sauna blanket or infrared lamp, for example, stimulates the secretion of melatonin (the sleep-inducing hormone) and therefore also a better night's sleep.

Cardiovascular health: blood circulation

By creating heat at the level of your skin, infrared ensures better blood circulation, which reduces your risk of heart failure. When you are warm, your blood vessels dilate, which allows blood to flow through them better.

However, that is not all that infrared generated heat does; it also increases the production of nitrite oxide which relaxes (arteries) and blood vessels and prevents blood clotting (thrombosis). The latter is very important as older people are 40 times more likely to develop thrombosis than younger people.

Stimulation of the immune system

In the event of outbreaks of flu or corona, for example, it is always important to provide extra protection for the elderly. As we get older, the efficiency of our immune system decreases.

Infrared therapy can help to keep our immune system up to par. Infrared increases the energy of your cells, including white blood cells. These are the white blood cells that fight viruses, bacteria and other foreign substances.

By creating short-term heat in your body, infrared also creates an environment in which viruses and harmful bacteria are less able to survive and antibodies are produced more quickly. This is also the reason why infections and illnesses often come with fever.

Reduces joint pain and improves bone strength

As a senior, you often suffer from joint pain and your bones are becoming less strong. That is why seniors can fall more easily and a bone fracture can have very drastic consequences for them.

Infrared therapy can help improve both of these problems. By using infrared, you increase both the production of ATP (chemical energy source of the cell) and that of endorphins (happiness hormone). So your bone cells not only have more energy, but you also experience less joint pain.

Less stress

As we told you above, infrared therapy stimulates the secretion of endorphins (the happiness hormone). In other words: thanks to infrared therapy you experience less stress and feel happier!

Conclusion

From reducing joint pain to improving sleep and cardiovascular health, infrared light has a lot to offer seniors and the elderly!