The blue lamp is a device for heat therapy at home. Using the device will help you cope with colds and joint pain by warming it up, improve your general condition and increase your immunity. The medreflector will benefit the elderly and children. With proper use, the therapeutic result is guaranteed, and the risk of side effects is reduced to zero.
The blue lamp is used for warming up
What is a blue lamp
The blue lamp (the so-called Minin reflector) is an ordinary incandescent lamp, only blue, which is placed in a reflective shade. A mirror shade for a blue lamp can be bought in the price range of 1000-1500 rubles. depending on the diameter, a lamp with a blue bulb costs 150-200 rubles. The device is not sold in pharmacies; you need to buy it online; it is preferably produced in Russia or Ukraine, since Chinese analogues do not have a heat-resistant safety rubber band, which increases the risk of burns.
The blue lamp is not sold in pharmacies
Contraindications and precautions
Like any other type of treatment, this one also has its contraindications. Heating sore spots with a blue lamp is prohibited in the following cases:
- with autonomic dysfunction;
- during exacerbations of severe forms of diseases;
- with sympathalgia;
- with autonomic dysfunction;
- for purulent diseases;
- with active tuberculosis;
- during pregnancy;
- if the temperature is elevated;
- in severe forms of cardiovascular diseases;
- if there are kidney stones;
- with cerebrovascular insufficiency;
- in oncology.
In addition, it is worth paying attention to the fact that it is not recommended to warm up those areas where there are varicose veins, enlarged lymph nodes, thrombophlebitis, and it is also impossible to direct light to the area of projection of the thyroid gland.
Some people are interested in whether it is possible to do warm-ups if a blue lamp from the times of the Soviet Union is used. If this device is in working order, it can be used for medicinal purposes.
Also, some people may advise doing warm-ups with a simple lamp. But it is worth considering that, unlike blue ones, ordinary devices can cause burns. And if the face is warmed up, this light affects the eyes, the patient begins to squint excessively.
When choosing reflectors, some people notice that these devices may have different reflector diameters. You need to choose it depending on your needs. For example, it is easier to warm up the back with equipment with a large diameter, but a small diameter helps to focus on the diseased organ.
Useful properties of the Minin reflector
The reflector has many useful properties that have a positive effect on humans:
- activates blood circulation processes;
- stimulates metabolic processes, accelerating regeneration several times;
- relieves muscle pain and swelling after injuries and sprains;
- relieves pain;
- has an immunomodulatory effect.
The device is often used for diseases that require dry heat, using it in various fields of medicine. Blue light has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, improving the conduction of nerve impulses, therefore it is actively used in the treatment of seasonal depression, chronic fatigue syndrome and neuroses.
The device is indispensable for atherosclerosis, ischemia, strokes, and circulatory disorders, because:
- strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
- helps reduce blood viscosity;
- increases blood flow speed;
- regulates the hemostasis system.
The blue lamp has a beneficial effect on the circulatory system
Heat therapy is indicated for the treatment of non-purulent inflammatory pathologies of the ENT organs that occur without high fever:
- otitis and sinusitis;
- acute respiratory infections and acute respiratory viral infections;
- acute rhinitis.
For these diseases, the lamp is used at the end of the disease to speed up the recovery period.
How to use the device
The blue lamp turns on. A stream of light is directed to the area that needs to be treated. The distance from the lamp to the skin should not be more than 60 cm. The duration of the session should not exceed 20 minutes. To get results, doctors recommend using the device several times a day. While the lamp is on, you must close your eyes. After completing the procedures, you cannot go out into the cold. The warming up process should leave only positive impressions.
A blue warm-up lamp helps with the problems listed below:
- reduces pain;
- improves metabolism in tissues;
- treats respiratory diseases;
- supports the immune system;
- produces a regenerating effect;
- strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
- improves respiratory function;
- thins viscous blood;
- regulates the hemostatic system;
- improves the functioning of the oxygen delivery and removal system to cells;
- normalizes the conduction of nerve impulses.
Operating principle of the device
The principle of action of blue light is based on increasing the body's energy capabilities and photochemical reactions.
The medical reflector concentrates light and heat using the mirror inner surface of the lampshade. The blue light bulb provides a non-contact warming effect due to infrared radiation penetrating the upper layers of the epidermis. You cannot use an ordinary lamp, as it can cause burns. Blue light does not affect the retina of the eyes, reduces the heating of the skin and improves the heating of the underlying tissues of the body.
How to warm up a child's body?
It is best to carry out warming procedures with a blue lamp when the baby falls asleep. At this time, a cloth folded in several layers is placed over the child’s eyes so that the radiation does not wake him up.
The distance from the reflector to the skin must be calculated independently. The temperature should be comfortable and pronounced. Treatment of a runny nose in children is carried out within 5-15 minutes. But parents should check from time to time how warm the baby's skin is. If it becomes hot, then the procedure should be completed or the device should be moved a little further.
Reviews from parents who use the reflector show that the warming device can be used in another way. For example, it is recommended to buy a blue lamp for a warming procedure instead of mustard plasters or cans. Some parents warm up their child’s back and heels. And if you influence the feet, you can stimulate the points responsible for the functioning of the baby’s inflamed organs. In addition, such warming with a reflector will increase the ability of the immune system to fight diseases.
As a rule, the physiotherapy procedure lasts up to 10 minutes. Sometimes this time can be increased to 20, but no longer. Less than 5 minutes is also not recommended, because the skin will not receive enough dry heat and the body will not respond fully to infrared radiation. Therapy can be repeated twice a day.
Since there is a place to buy a blue lamp even in small towns, parents are recommended to use it in the treatment of colds in children. Thus, the following positive points can be achieved:
- Antibacterial therapy should not be used as often, which will be required in advanced stages of a cold and the appearance of complications.
- Increase the impact of topical medications, such as nasal decongestants
To prevent your child from avoiding the warming up procedure, you can tell him a fairy tale.
Instructions for using the blue lamp
There is no need to confuse ultraviolet and infrared radiation. Minin's blue lamp emits only infrared energy, which does not have the properties of ultraviolet - it does not have bactericidal properties, does not promote tanning, and acts only with heat on diseased areas of the body.
Warming up the nose
Treatment of a runny nose begins with 3 minutes of warming up the nose, adding one minute every day, bringing it to 9 minutes per session. Treatment should be carried out 3 times a day.
Warming the nose with a lamp will help cure sinusitis
Warming up the throat
Warming the throat is only possible when treating tonsillitis and coughing. Treatment of all types of sore throat with the presence of purulent plaque on the tonsils and elevated temperature is strictly prohibited.
Warming with a lamp should be used for coughs and tonsillitis
When coughing, it is enough to warm up first the chest for 15 minutes, and then the back in the lung area. After completing the procedure, wrap the heated areas with a woolen scarf.
Treatment of otitis media
For non-purulent ear diseases, you can use a healing lamp. To warm up the ear, pull the pinna up and slightly back to allow directed heat to enter the ear.
Blue lamp helps cure otitis media
How to treat bronchitis
When treating bronchitis, only a doctor can prescribe heating with a device, based on the patient’s general condition and accompanying symptoms.
If your doctor approves breast warming with a blue lamp, you should:
- choose the optimal distance to the body area;
- direct blue light to the area of the sternum below the collarbone;
- warm up the area for at least 20 minutes;
- After warming up, wrap the heated area with a warm scarf or shawl.
After the procedure, you need to wrap the warming area
How to treat acne
The blue lamp does not have bactericidal properties, so it will not help in treating acne. The Minin reflector can only help dry the skin and relieve inflammation. It can only serve as an additional home remedy to the main set of medicinal and cosmetic procedures.
Blue lamp does not cure acne
Treatment of jaundice in newborns
For mild forms of infantile jaundice, it is possible to treat at home with a device with a blue lamp, with the recommendation of a pediatrician. Irradiation of a baby with a Minin reflector during breastfeeding in combination with drug treatment will be especially effective.
During the procedure, you should not leave the child alone; be sure to change his position so that the infrared radiation acts evenly on the baby’s body.
The baby's position needs to be changed when warming up.
Monitoring the child’s weight is mandatory, since treatment with a blue lamp dehydrates the body.
The procedures must be carried out in full accordance with the doctor’s recommendations, but should not exceed 15 minutes in time.
Treatment of colds in newborns
You can replace the treatment of colds in infants with mustard plasters with dry heat from a blue light bulb. Controlling the degree of heating with your hand, you should warm up the baby’s chest, back and heels. Warm up each area of the body for no more than 10 minutes.
The blue lamp can be used to treat infants
Blue lamp for warming the nose and ears: treatment of ENT diseases
The use of various physiotherapeutic procedures in the treatment of diseases of the ear, nose and throat significantly reduces the duration of the disease and helps eliminate unpleasant symptoms as quickly as possible.
Minin's blue lamp for warming the nose and ears is one of the most famous and time-tested ways to help the body cope with the disease. Let's look at what this device is and when it can be used.
Harm of a healing lamp
The Minin reflector can only cause harm if the lamp is used for contraindications and without prior consultation with a therapist. Dry heat negatively affects the body if the rules of use are not followed, and treatment with a blue lamp for certain diseases.
Important!
Despite the apparent simplicity of the device, you cannot use it yourself, without the advice of a doctor.
The blue lamp can be used after consultation with a doctor
Warming up the ear
Otitis is the most common ear disease for which one has to consult an ENT doctor. Its main symptom is pain, and the first thing a person does is to warm up the sore spot. It is in this case that the dry heat of the Minin reflector will help. Despite the ease of use of the device, you need to know how to warm your ear with a blue lamp.
After turning on the device, the light will light up. A distance of at least 30 cm must be maintained between the switched on device and the ear. The first procedures should take several minutes. Gradually the duration increases to 10 minutes per session. The duration of treatment should not exceed 20 procedures per 1 course. You need to warm up the sore ear 3 times a day. After the procedure, you should not go outside; it is not recommended to expose the heated area to cold.
Blue lamp is effective for ear pain
If you have a purulent ear infection, you should not apply the heat of a blue lamp to the sore spot.
This is due to the activation of the infectious process under the influence of heat and the penetration of pus deep into the ear. Therefore, you need to remember that with purulent otitis media you cannot use a blue lamp in treatment. This will not only have no therapeutic effect, but will also complicate the course of the disease. If the disease affects a child, then before using this device, you must consult with an ENT doctor.
Since the middle of the last century, almost every family in the Soviet Union had a blue lamp. A miracle gadget under the unforgettable name “Minin reflector” was taken out from the mezzanine every autumn to warm the faces of loved ones who had caught a cold. The era has changed. Blue lamps have become a rarity. But some citizens still have them stored on their mezzanines, and nostalgic Russians can even purchase them in a store or online. MedAboutMe looked into what the Soviet-era legend, Minin’s blue lamp, can and cannot do.
The ideas of phototherapy (phototherapy) gained popularity in Russia at the end of the 19th century. It is believed that the creator of the blue lamp is a military doctor, surgeon Anatoly Viktorovich Minin. In fact, Minin was never particularly keen on light therapy. He treated people in the wars waged by the Russian Empire, went on internships abroad and published articles on purely surgical topics.
And at that time, the issues of using incandescent lamps in the treatment of various diseases were actively studied by the doctor for ear, nose and throat pathologies S.F. von Stein and zemstvo doctor G.I. Gachkovsky. They actively used electric light in its various variations. At the end of the 1890s, Minin followed in their footsteps and began to use incandescent lamps to treat neuralgia, joint and muscle pain, as well as surgical tuberculosis. In his articles of 1899, he does not attribute to himself the glory of a pioneer, but refers specifically to Stein and other doctors involved in light therapy. Even the first device - a copy of the future Minin reflector - was assembled by another military doctor, D.A. Kessler. It was only in 1900 that Minin published an article on the use of blue light for the treatment of injuries and inflammation.
It should be added that Russian scientists and doctors were not pioneers in this field. Physiotherapy with light was being actively researched in Europe at that time. But it was in our country that a blue lamp, the Minin reflector, began to be produced. Since the beginning of the 20th century, it could be purchased for 9 rubles, which was then relatively inexpensive and amounted to about half the salary of an orderly.
Interesting point: A.V. himself Minin did not patent the device that received his name. Moreover, since 1902 he has not published a single article on this topic, since he became the head of a large military hospital and practically retreated from scientific work. Historians believe that the name “Minin’s lamp” appeared spontaneously, among doctors.
Russia still produces blue lamps today. This is done by the only enterprise - the Kalashnikov Electric Tube Plant. It also produces cobalt blue light bulbs. You can buy a Minin reflector within 1.3-1.5 thousand rubles. On eBay, domestic “blue lamps” go for 25-30 euros.
Contraindications
Indications for the use of a blue lamp for physical therapy at home have limitations.
Contraindications to warming are:
- Any types of bleeding, including capillary.
- Problems with blood clotting.
- New growths or injuries on the skin, regardless of origin.
- Tuberculosis in any form.
- Purulent processes.
- Pregnancy.
- Oncological diseases.
Do not use a blue lamp even for minor bleeding
Do not point the operating device at the thyroid gland, warm the abdomen in case of acute pain, or heat varicose veins. It is undesirable to carry out treatment against the background of hormonal therapy and taking immunostimulants.
To avoid harm to health, consultation with a doctor is required. Only a doctor can determine whether heat treatment is possible in the case of a particular disease.
Features of use in children
For children, choose devices with a larger reflector diameter and lower light intensity. Treatment with a blue lamp must be supervised by an adult.
How to warm up a child's nose at home?
To do this, you need to sit or lay down the small patient. The device is held at a distance of 30-40 cm from the face and the baby is asked to close his eyes. Begin to warm up the area of the bridge of the nose and sinuses for the first time for one minute.
At the same time, they monitor the reaction of the child’s skin and his well-being. If severe redness or pain appears, the session is stopped. If everything is in order, then continue to warm up the inflamed areas every day, adding 1 minute each day, and increase the duration of the session to 5-7 minutes.
The entire course of treatment for a runny nose and other ENT pathologies lasts 5-6 days. If profuse purulent discharge from the nose appears, treatment with a blue lamp is stopped. [ads-pc-1][ads-mob-1] The Minin reflector and its effect are based on the beneficial effect of heat on inflamed tissue. Its effectiveness is manifested in the initial stages of the disease and during convalescence.
It is contraindicated to use the device during the acute period of the disease, during purulent processes and oncological pathology. In difficult cases, you should consult a doctor.
