Light Therapy for Depression

Human society has been using photo therapy or light therapy as an alternative medicine since thousands of years. Even sunlight is regarded as sacred and pious in many civilizations and is worshiped as a life sustaining force of nature. Medical advancements have proved that light energy has the ability to treat various medical problems. Light therapy is now seen as a cure for seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Also known as winter blues, SAD is considered as a major depression disorder that occurs during fall or winter and leads to symptoms like depression, hopelessness, anxiety, loss of energy, oversleeping, weight gain, drastic change in appetite and episodes of difficulty in concentration on a specific topic.

How Does it Work?

The treatment process of light therapy is simple. The patient is given a device, called light therapy box and this box emits light that is similar to the normal outdoor light. When light through the light box emanates and falls on the patient's body, it brings chemical changes in the brain, thereby easing symptoms of SAD. The light therapy boxes are sold at various medical stores and they are also available on the Internet retail shops. Mostly, your doctor will recommend you a light therapy box after examining your condition. Avoid using light therapy box on your own and use it under the guidance of an expert. Although, it's easy to familiarize yourself with the usage of the light therapy box, it is good to be guided under an expert for the first few sessions.

During light therapy sessions, you will be made to sit in front of the box so that light passing from the box can enter into your eyes. You must not stare by bringing both eyes very close to the box as high intensity light can damage your eyes. Just sit near the box and the light emanating from the box will reach your eyes. When the eyes absorbs the light rays, they will automatically cause chemical changes in the brain and help in relief from SAD symptoms. Consistency is necessary in light therapy for depression treatment. You have to sit every morning, just after you wake up for a session of at least 15 minutes. The sessions will also depend on the intensity of light in your light box. The unit used for measuring light intensity in the box is called lux. Use a light therapy box recommended by the doctor and follow all instructions given by the doctor, without fail.

Reviews

Generally speaking, light therapy is a safe form of treatment and even if a few symptoms exist, they are mild in nature. Some of the most common symptoms that a patient may experience after light therapy treatment are headache, nausea, eye strain, irritability, mania, hyperactivity, dry mouth and problems in sleeping. Even if these symptoms occur, they subside after sometime. Moreover, side effects of light therapy can be controlled by reducing light therapy treatment for sometime. It is important to consult a medical expert before an individual seeks light therapy treatment. This is so because people with skin disorders, history of skin cancer, eye related problems and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at a higher risk of developing side effects if they are treated with light therapy. There are some demerits of light therapy in cases of severe bipolar disorder and extreme maniac depressions. Hence, it is good to consult a doctor even before starting the treatment. Studies are being conducted to get more concrete results in cases of effectiveness of light therapy for the treatment of major depression disorders. Still, when viewed holistically, light therapy has many advantages that outweigh its demerits. For numerous cases, light therapy is beneficial like:

• Light therapy is advised in cases of seasonal affective disorder. It has been proved by medical research that light therapy works in such cases.
• Light therapy has very few side effects and it is risk free.
• Women during pregnancy or those who breastfeed their baby, are often discouraged to take antidepressants. For them, light therapy can be good option.
• Using light therapy is also healthy for people who wish to consume less antidepressants.
• In many cases, light therapy is used as a combination medicine. Hence, with antidepressants, light therapy can be a wonderful depression medication.

There is nothing like best light therapy for depression. You should purchase light therapy products (light box) for treating depression only from authentic medical stores and use it as per the guidelines of the doctor.