By: Your JNH Lifestylist

Given the chronic nature of eczema, treatment can take some time to control the disease. In some cases, you might even need to try different treatments because there is currently no universal medicine. Generally, all patients with eczema are advised to constantly moisturize their skin to prevent it from becoming flaky. Steroid creams are also often prescribed to control the inflammation. In severe cases, oral drugs may be required.

In recent years, light therapy has been used in the management of atopic dermatitis. The most frequently used is UV light. However, despite improving the symptoms of eczema, UV radiation is harmful to the skin and is associated with skin cancer. Therefore, other options are being tested and one that is a great candidate given its safety is infrared therapy [5].

Infrared waves are a type of light that is invisible to the human eye since it has a longer wavelength than the visible spectrum. There are three different types of infrared waves and each one has its own unique properties. Infrared light can penetrate approximately 4 centimeters into your skin and generate a vibration in water molecules, which generates heat, causing you to sweat. This is the reason why it is used in infrared saunas.

Infrared saunas are just like regular saunas, except for how your body is heated. In a traditional sauna, your body temperature is increased through convection, which means that the air around you is heated and this heat from the air is then transferred to your body. An infrared sauna uses infrared waves to produce heat from within your body. Therefore, with no need to heat the air around you, they are much more comfortable since there's no stifling hot air [6].

There are two main ways in which infrared can be beneficial to manage the symptoms of atopic dermatitis. The first one has to do with inflammation. As previously stated, the skin lesions in eczema are a result of inflammation. Inflammation is a result of specific chemicals being released in your body, and these affect the tissues they reach. The infrared waves in infrared saunas have been proven to reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory chemicals in your blood, and this has clinical relevance. By reducing the inflammation, the skin lesions will improve. This effect is also seen in patients with autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis [7].

It is widely accepted that your immune system is influenced by your mind. Stress, anxiety and depression have a deleterious effect in your body and can worsen the symptoms of disorders such as eczema. Infrared saunas have also shown some promise in this regard. They control the sympathetic nervous system, which is the part of your nervous system responsible for fight-flight responses and stress. As a result, they promote relaxation and this translates into a clinical improvement. Infrared waves have also been used in the treatment of depression with excellent results [8].

As time goes by, more and more people are trying infrared saunas to control the symptoms of eczema and other conditions. Given the amazing results they can provide, and how harmless they are, infrared saunas could be what you have been looking for to manage your condition.