THE UV FACTOR
Surprising uses of Ultraviolet Light
Matt DeBow
For eons, nature has used our sun’s ultraviolet energy as a way to cleanse the earth. UV light has many practical uses, it seems as if many of its medical treatments have been ignored, neglected or purposely pushed aside. The reason for this is unknown, some believe it may be a conspiracy or a manipulation by the pharmaceutical industry. Others with a more optimistic view see it as a slow acceptance of new ideas that will eventually reach main stream medicine. With the new antibiotic resistant diseases on the rise could humanity’s slow acceptance be the beginning of our demise. Because of this frightening rise of resistant organisms, plus the side effect of chemical pharmacological medicine we need to utilize modalities that encourage the body’s natural healing response. The study of human photobiology is in it infancy.
Ultraviolet light is light on the purple side of the visible spectrum. This light has properties that keep medic. It has been used in hospitals around the world for over 50 years. It was discovered in 1956 that UV light treats jaundice, helping remove the pigment know as bilirubin that can be deadly to infants. UV light is now used in hospitals to cure this syndrome around the world. UV light is also used in water purification, sewage treatment and air ventilation systems in hospitals and office buildings amongst many other uses. Recent studies have shown that worker illness and respiratory problem decrease significantly after the installation of UV light in the ventilation systems of commercial and industrial work environments.
PUVA light therapy is a treatment wherein the patient uses a chemical called psorlin and within a couple of hours the skin is exposed to UV light. One it’s the working mechanisms is to bring the pigment producing cells to the surface. It stops the diseased cell from dividing and can often result in dramatic cures for psoriasis, vitiligo and de-pigmentation problems. Warwick L. Morrison, M.D., Associate Professor of Dermatology at John Hopkins University and Meyrick Peak Ph.D. Senior Scientist at the Center of Mechanistic Biology and Biotechnology at Argonne National Laboratory in Illinois both agree that PUVA is quite successful for treating various epidemic conditions. UV light is now being used to clean hospital blood for transfusions. It is currently the only known system that cleans blood 100% of bacteria and viruses. The system also uses psorolin which was originally derived from figs. This compound is light sensitive and it binds with the molecules of the blood. Once the blood is exposed to the UV light all of the bacteria and viruses are destroyed. Cerus of Concord, California, has a patent on this technology and recently received its European approval and currently an FDA approval is pending. The most impressive application of UV light is called UBI (Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation) or Photo-Luminescence. This process removes a small amount blood from the patient, exposes it to light then returns the blood back to the patient intravenously. This process is proven to be effective in the inactivation toxins, contaminates, destruction of viruses and the elimination of bacteria, while it activates white blood cells, helping blood viscosity, increasing blood oxygen transport and decreasing platelet aggregation.
It is bizarre that as little we know about this treatment it was developed over 100 years ago by Niels Finsen in Denmark. In the 1920’s Walter Ude reported success in treating several cases of erysipelas by irradiating the skin with UV light emulating Finsen’s innovations. Then in 1928, Emmit S. Knott developed equipment to perform the Photo-Luminescence process. Knott pioneered blood irradiation on dogs before treating humans. His first patient suffered from a bacterial blood infection (Sepsis). The results were astounding. The patient recovered rapidly after the treatment. Knott, working with Dr. Hankock, had great success publishing the results in 1934. By 1942 they had treated over 6500 patients. In 1930 Dr. George Miley, a clinical professor at Hahnemann Hospital and College of Medicine in Philadelphia, reported 151 consecutive cases wherein the patients where treated with UBI early and recovered 100%. In moderately advanced cases 98% recovered, and even the patients that were near death experienced a 42% recovery rate. Miley treated a woman who had slipped into a coma, from a soon to be fatal condition brought on by botulism. Within 72 hours of one UBI treatment she was awake and mentally clear. She was discharged in excellent condition 13 day later. Miley felt it was proper to treat any presumed infection with the UBI technique. In 1943 Dr. Miley published his successful results regarding his treatments of viral pneumonia. The documentation stated that within 24 to 72 hours after a single UBI there was a complete disappearance of the toxic symptoms. The cough disappeared in 3 to 7 days. And that the lungs had cleared within 1 to 4 days. Currently there is no other treatment that can accomplish that.
Dr. Miley published his findings in a book called “Ultraviolet Blood Irradiation”. Miley demonstrated that there was a decrease in blood oxygen in many disease states. He observed a “pinking up” of the patients skin routinely after treatment, and a rise in blood oxygen levels without a rise in hemoglobin or red-cell count to account for it. It is known that when the body responds to infection it consumes 100 times the oxygen that white cells need in the resting state. There were many reports of hopeless terminally moribund patients responding miraculously to what was referred to then as UV hemo-irradiation phototherapy. Several articles were published, appearing regularly in American medical literature during the 1930’s and 40’s. Many of these articles reported cases of dying patients responding almost instantly to UBI treatment, some within hours. The UV light’s biochemical reaction varies depending on vitamins and nutrients present in the blood. The light inactivates toxin and viruses, while it destroys and inhibits fungal, bacterial and parasitic growth. It also accelerates the lymphatic and circulatory activities, normalizing metabolism and glandular actions, while stimulating the sympathetic system. UV light helps facilitate oxygen metabolism increasing oxygen absorption and leading to fast symptomatic relief and long term healing. It breaks down toxins and helps the white blood cells in their phagocytes. After the blood is exposed to the ultraviolet light it continues to emit secondary emanations to the rest of the blood once back in the body, inactivating destructive pathogens deep within tissue. All of this activating antibody production and in turn immunizing the body against diseases. It is thought that the UV light plays a part in stabilizing the mineral balance in the blood. Some scientists theorize that the photon energy transferred to the blood is cross-linking DNA. This safe, simple, noninvasive and inexpensive treatment is an extremely effective method for treating many aliments.
But still many doctors and clinicians are uncomfortable using methods of therapy wherein the exact mechanism of action is unknown. It has been found that the photodynamic effect can be increased by incorporating light activating agents such as: Methoxypsoralen, photo sensitive amino acids, herbs, dyes and porphyrins derivatives. Dr. Richard Edelson of Yale University, developed a technique called extracorporeal photophoresis. In this technique the patient is given (8-MOP) 8-Methoxypsoralen a photo sensitizing agent two hours before the blood is withdrawn. The blood is withdrawn and separated into 2 cellular components. The white blood cell are irritated with UV-A and returned to the patient. This therapy is proven successful and has he received FDA approval for the treatment of Lymphoma. Photophoresis also augments the processes by adding a photo-active drug to the separated part of the blood. This system is less traditional in its process because it separates the blood cells, at a cost of over $2000, more than quadruple the traditional UBI treatment. An expensive filtration system has to be replace after each use.
Opinions in the scientific community about this type of blood treatment are mixed, there are concerns that this expensive treatment is prone to multiple complications. The method requires pheresing and a separation the white blood cells, not allowing the UV light to irradiate all of the blood. There are many elements other that white blood cells that are photosensitive; porphyrins, antibodies, steroids, insulin, liposomes and some amino acids are excited by ultraviolet that do not get exposed to light in this type of therapy. Traditional UBI treatment is clearly a powerful anti-infective agent. Plus its physiologic factors such as; improvement of oxygen delivery and consumption, rise in circulation, stimulation of mitochondrial oxidation. Many health problems can be linked to inadequate production of cellular energy, traced back to faulty oxygen metabolism. This leads to a weakening of the bodies bio-chemical defenses, against the continual attack of free radicals. In 1967 Robert Olney printed a pamphlet entitled “Blocked Oxidation”, wherein he presented 5 cases of various cancers that had been cured by a combination of techniques including UV Blood irradiation. He believed that cancer was a result a blocked oxidation within the cell. Olney also treated people with hepatitis with UV light, he documented a study of 43 patients. The average number of treatments was 3, he noted that 27 patients showed rapid subsidence of symptoms, 11 showed marked improvement in 4 to 7 days, and 5 showed improvement in 8 to 14 days.
William Campbell Douglass, MD uses an instrument called a photolume to irradiate blood with ultraviolet light. At this point he has successfully treated infection, cancer, arthritis, asthma and blood poisoning. It has been found that toxins such as: diphtheria, tetanus and snake venom are very unstable and inactivated in the presence of UV light.
The ultraviolet light seems to play a major roll in a number of things including: Inactivation of bacteria while raising the bodies bio-terrain, improves circulation, decreases swelling, balances the bodies alkalinity, it increases intracellular antioxidants which buffer and neutralize free radicals, reduction of articular plaque, balancing of calcium phosphorous, lowers blood surface tension, accelerates the lymphatic system, helps circulatory activities, stimulates antibody production and immunizes the body against disease, activates steroid hormones, positive effect on the autonomic nervous system, stimulates corticosteroid production and helps to reduce nausea and vomiting. Other ailments known to be successfully treated with UBI are vascular conditions, E-Coli, toxemia, helps people with chemical sensitivities, as mentioned both bacterial and viral infections, pneumonia, non-healing wounds and wound infections, reduction in atherosclerotic plaque, candidiasis, chronic fatigue, blood poisoning, allergies, asthma, emphysema, diabetic complications, rheumatologic diseases, acute colds, flu, fibromyalgia, poor circulation, brain dysfunction – stroke, emphysema, sinusitis, bronchitis, autoimmune diseases, chemical sensitivity, arterial disease, macular degeneration and weak immune systems. The amount of blood irradiated in the treatment ranges depending on a persons body weight, the formula is said to be 1.5cc per pound but never exceeding 250cc. Which is about 1/16 of a patients blood. More than that amount creates a risk of the patient going into shock. In some cases an anticoagulant is added to keep the blood from clotting, such as Heparin. The procedure can be done 2 to 3 times a week for long periods of time in cases of major immune disorders and cancer, though the procedure can be performed once every 24 hours in acute cases. In chronic conditions 1 to 3 treatments a week is sufficient, totaling between 5 to 20 overall. Although for some conditions such as a cold or flu only one or two may be needed.
A needle is placed into the arm or jugular vein, blood is withdrawn and then placed into the photolume instrument. The syringe rotates slowly for 3 minutes exposing it to around 3000 angstrom units UV light, then the blood re-injected back in the patient. This treatment takes about an hour to complete. Another method is done by putting a catheter in one of the veins near the elbow, similar to having blood drawn. Blood is removed and travels at a predetermined rate through a small glass chamber called a cuvette. The blood is then irritated by UV light twice and returned to the blood stream. Depending on the amount of blood or how fast the blood flows a treatment can range from 15 minutes to an hour.
The American blood Irritation Society has published several articles favorably received about controlling disease with the use of UBI. Including preliminary reports that indicate that UBI may be useful in the treatment of HIV. UBI techniques are taught at workshops sponsored by the International Association of Oxidative Medicine. The organization also certifies doctors in ultraviolet blood irradiation treatment. There is also the foundation for Blood Irradiation in Silver Spring Maryland that publishes journals and provides a list of practitioners around the United States. UBI treatment is also great for people whose bodies can’t tolerate pharmaceutical drugs. Individuals vary in their sensitivities to ultraviolet light therapy. Certain drugs cannot be taking before treatments such as Sulfanilamide, iodide and thyroid medication. Antibiotics should not be taken during treatment, because some are photosensitizing.
The German’s have performed hundreds of thousands of these treatments and never reported incidents of toxicity other than a mild Herxheimer reaction that occurs within the first 24 hours. The reaction is due to the rapid death of large numbers of infectious organisms. The symptoms are characterized by chill and a rise in temperature similar to “flu-like” symptoms: headache, achiness, tiredness just not feeling well for a couple of days. To reduce the chance of this type of reaction a patient should drink 8 or more glasses of purified or spring water a daily after treatment. This will help eliminate toxins, flushing out the body. It is also recommended to get some exercise and exposure to sunlight, but not immediately after the treatment.
Overdosing on UV light treatments can lead to a fall in hemoglobin, resulting in reduced bacterial killing potential and lessens resistance to bacterial infection. If someone does overdose on UBI the symptoms are depression, lessened resistance to bacterial infections, and reduced bacteria-killing potency and a fall in hemoglobin. This will not happen if the treatment is done properly in a clinical environment. Though this treatment mechanism is not fully understood, it works. The harnessing of electricity was not well understood in its early inception, look at it now. Scientist will eventually figure out the mechanism that makes it work, inventible leading to more breakthroughs. For now people should utilize its current benefits to live a better and healthier life. For more about light and other articles, treatments and log lines visit MDeBow.com It is permissible to post this article on the internet under the condition that my contact information and name remain intact.
Copyright © Matt DeBow
Broadcast Permission Granted
It is permissible to post this information on the internet under the condition that web address information remain with top and bottom page with active links.