Robb Wolf: Pretty interesting N=1 story of red light therapy helping with macular degeneration.
Anne Dann: 1/3 of people die with a diagnosis of macular degeneration. 2.5 years ago I was diagnosed with an especially rare genetic version called Stargardt’s Macular Degeneration, late onset, with no treatment and no cure. I was told that I should expect to be legally blind in about a decade.
Within a few months of that horrific diagnosis I changed my language, saying that I’m supposed to go blind… not saying that I will. I was so light sensitive by January 2020 that I could no longer teach. When the doctor dilated my eyes, my vision didn’t get brighter because a dilated level of brightness has become my normal.
The next year, multiple brilliant folks from the Ancestral Health Symposium 2022 (AHS22) suggested that I try red light therapy for my light sensitivity. I was reluctant, given my extreme light sensitivity, but in time I bought the machine and put it in front on my face six minutes a day, with my doctor’s blessing that it wouldn’t hurt me and that there was in fact interesting research going on.
Month by month my light sensitivity very gradually calmed down. I stopped needing to constantly wear extra dark wraparound sunglasses over my darkest possible prescription glasses. With a ballcap just to avoid headaches at home. Now I wear prescription glasses with a moderate tint and only wear the wraparounds for driving. My vision also returned to 20/20.
The machine I gave for six minutes every morning is https://www.walmart.com/ip/Beurer-Infrared-Light-Therapy-IL50-Heating-Lamp-Red-Heat-Device-Portable-Near-IR-Cold-Laser-Muscle-Pain-Relief-Improves-Blood-Circulation-300W-Safety/132199669?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=0
Today when the doctor dilated my eyes, I was shocked at how bright the dilation made my vision, because that used to be my normal. NCBI has studies of this modality yet people don’t know about it. I’m making this public in hopes that my story can help others. I was told to only use this particular machine and I use it six minutes every morning with my eyes closed, close enough that I feel the heat of the machine on my face.
Links:
Robb Wolf Facebook Post
Anne Dann Facebook Post
Red Light Therapy Device