Heliotherapy: how to use the sun for our well-being
When the sun heals us This could be defined as heliotherapy, that is the therapeutic science that involves controlled exposure to the sun to exploit the benefits and properties of light on our body. The sun is able to make us synthesize vitamin D, essential for health, but it can also help those suffering from psoriasis or other diseases. Heliotherapy can do us good, but beware: as explained in the video, sunspots are always lurking!
What is heliotherapy
Heliotherapy is a real therapeutic science also known to our ancestors and is based on exposure to the sun's rays. These have the function of treating ailments of various kinds, including skin diseases, rickets, and vitamin D deficiency. Furthermore, sunlight helps to instill a sense of well-being and warmth in the body, and therefore , promotes muscle relaxation. Heliotherapy, also known as heliotherapy (from the Greek word elios, ie "sun") uses the sun as a medicine and is a technique used since the ancient Greeks and Romans, who used to take long sunbaths (and do gymnastics outdoors) to strengthen the body.
Medicine over the centuries has made extensive use of it: in 1700 the doctor Lazzaro Spallanzani believed that sunlight was able to kill microbes and in the mid-1800s, the "sun doctor" Arnold Rikli founded the first European heliotherapy institute. in Trieste. Throughout the 1800s and 1900s, heliotherapy was used to treat tuberculosis and to date the studies and research on it have multiplied, confirming the leading role of sunlight for the treatment of many diseases. .
The principle behind it
Heliotherapy is based on the knowledge of the solar spectrum. The sun's rays, in fact, arrive on Earth in the form of visible light, radiation (infrared rays) and in the form of ultraviolet rays. Infrared brings heat and warms the body but , remaining on the superficial layer of the skin, they do not cause chemical consequences on the skin (except burns when the intensity of the rays becomes high); ultraviolet rays, on the other hand, have a powerful effect on our body, in particular on the skin, acting on the metabolic system.
These rays, called actinic, are responsible for the therapeutic action of sunlight. They kill microbes and at the same time help lower blood pressure, increase hemoglobin and the number of white blood cells. In addition, they have a relaxing function on the nervous system. The actinic rays, then, help to stimulate the production of melanin, to improve the synthesis of calcium and vitamin D, as well as to regulate the sleep-wake rhythm.
How it is practiced
Heliotherapy should be performed outdoors, exposing yourself to the sun under medical supervision. Some doctors believe that in the high mountains, where the spectrum is richer in ultraviolet, the sun's rays are more effective, while others argue that by the sea it is better However, heliotherapy therapy can also be done in the city. The only care is to respect the times and methods of exposure: we start with a small portion of the body irradiated by the sun, and then increase the surface and the minutes. The maximum to be reached is a few hours, but never during the hottest hours.
In the winter months, the most suitable hours for practicing heliotherapy are from 10 to 11 and from 12 to 14; in summer, however, from 7 to 10 and from 14 to 17. The average duration of irradiation should be a maximum of about three hours but the temperature should be at most 20 ° -25 °. It is practiced lying down, wearing a white hat and sunglasses. Generally it is better to put yourself in a sheltered place such as the panoramic terraces (the famous solariums), but you can also do it on the snow, on the beach and by boat.
The beneficial effects of the sun on the body
Heliotherapy brings numerous benefits in the treatment of various pathologies. In particular it finds application in the treatment of:
- Skin diseases. Psoriasis, dermatitis, vitiligo, acne, eczema.
- Osteo-articular diseases. Like rickets, osteoporosis and rheumatism.
- Diseases of the circulatory and respiratory system
- Anemias
- Mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression
However, even those in good health can benefit from heliotherapy because sunlight stimulates circulation and tissue oxygenation. In particular, it activates the production of vit. D, which provides calcium and phosphorus necessary for the bone system to renew old cells with new ones.
Furthermore, heliotherapy purifies the body, since sweating under the sun facilitates the elimination of waste substances, such as urea.
Heliotherapy has proved to be the most effective therapy for treating a particular disease, namely psoriasis. It has been shown that short and regular exposure to the sun (up to 20 minutes, several times a week) can slow down the rapid cell turnover that characterizes psoriasis.
Beware of negative effects
Heliotherapy has numerous beneficial properties, however, if performed without criteria, it can also be harmful. In fact, prolonged exposure to sunlight for too long can cause damage to the epidermis, such as premature aging of the skin and the appearance of melanomas.
For example, you may be subject to:
- sunspots, rashes and sunburn
- heat stroke
- premature aging of tissues
- eye disorders (cataracts and conjunctivitis)
Furthermore, heliotherapy is totally not recommended in the case of:
- Hyperthyroidism. Ultraviolet radiation indirectly stimulates the metabolism of the endocrine glands which in turn produce hormones which, in predisposed subjects, can lead to the onset of disorders such as fainting and tachycardia.
- Capillary fragility and varicose veins
- Liver disease
- Hypertensive diseases and arteriosclerosis
