Posts Tagged ‘Light Therapy’
Tuesday, July 6th, 2010
Pregnancy is a joyous occasion. Pregnancy, though, does not protect women from experiencing mild to severe depression. Medication and/or therapy may be recommended.
Treating depression is always important and it can be successfully treated during and after pregnancy. Some antidepressant/anti anxiety medications can be used safely throughout pregnancy and breast feeding.
A drug free way of treating depression during pregnancy is by using a light therapy box. Bright light therapy is as effective as the antidepressants in depression cure in pregnant women. Bright light therapy has yielded favorable results for curing depression in pregnancy. It also is quite safe as it does not have any side effects. It requires a patient to sit in front of a box for about 30 minutes a day, depending on the patient.
Here are some findings from research on pregnancy and depression:
- Babies born to moms with depression have an increased risk for irritability, less activity and attentiveness and fewer facial expressions.
- There are possible fetal abnormalities when mothers take antidepressants in the first trimester. But there’s not a particular pattern associated with a specific medication or class of medications.
Some specific treatment recommendations include:
- Talk to your provider early if you are planning to conceive. You can talk about the best options for you as an individual.
- Encourage the provider who will deliver your baby and your mental health provider to consult with each other on the best options for you. They will help you understand the risks and benefits of medication versus therapy, etc.
- If you are taking an antidepressant for depression, don’t discontinue or change your dose of medication on your own. This could be dangerous and your symptoms could worsen.
- Use bright light therapy as a drug free option to treat your depression during pregnancy.
- If you have severe depression and are pregnant, you should remain on medication.
Untreated depression during pregnancy has been proven to lead to higher rates of:
- Lower birth weights
- Pre-term labor (depression doubles the risk)
- Increased use of alcohol and drugs to self-medicate
Please have a candid discussion with both your psychiatrist and OB-GYN regarding the benefits, risks and side effects of all medications. If you have been diagnosed with depression and are considering pregnancy, meet with your health providers before you get pregnant. This will provide peace of mind and help to make sure that you and your baby are both as healthy as possible.
Tags: Bright light therapy, Depression, Light box, Light Therapy, Pregnancy, SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Severe Depression
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Thursday, July 1st, 2010
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. Thousands of people die every year from this degenerating disease. Scientists are still no closer to finding a cure, even though research is being carried out daily.
The light therapy is mainly used in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease. It is well known for anybody who has been involved with a Alzheimer’s patient that they are at their best early in the mornings. This is because as the disease progresses it affects the part of the brain that controls the circadian rhythms.What the circadian rhythm does is it controls our body clock and the sleep-wake cycle in our brain.
It is common that an Alzheimer’s patient will start to become very agitated in the late afternoon and evening. This is because there eyes become affected, and as the daylight starts to disappear they find it harder to focus on things. They even find it hard to settle during the night and often wandering around the house. This is called sundowning.
The Alzheimer’s light is a helmet which has infrared lights attached to it and it fits onto the head. Scientist first carried out research with this helmet on mice, results proved that it showed great improvement in their learning ability. The mice also showed signs or less agitation at night time.
The trial was for twelve weeks and was tested on men and women between 60 and 70. Half of the participants where given one hour of exposure to bright natural light each morning. The rest where exposed to low light each day. Tests proved that the participants who where given the bright natural light, showed signs of not being as agitated during the day and settling in bed on a night a lot longer than normal.
Tests also proved that the Alzheimer’s light treatment has slowed down the deterioration of the nerve cells in the brain. Which means that an Alzheimer’s patient has been able to live a lot longer in their own home.
Although this is not a cure for alzheimer’s disease, if this treatment can give an Alzheimer’s patient a better way of light then that has got to be a positive thing. Research is still being carried out on the light therapy at the moment.
Tags: Alzheimer's Disease, Clinical Trials, Light box, Light Therapy, SAD light, SAD lights, Seasonal Affective Disorder
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Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is very frequently associated with poor overnight sleep and daytime sleepiness. We have a regular internal sleep/wake cycle that keeps us awake and keeps our sleep time on track. Being exposed to bright light therapy has been shown to improve the sleep/wake cycle in people with sleep problems as well as in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
This study is being done to look at the effects that exposure to a bright light has on daytime sleepiness and night-time sleep in PD. About 30 people with Parkinson’s disease and sleep problems will be in this study. Bright light therapy involves sitting in front of a light box for 1 to 1. 5 hours several times a day for a few weeks.
Three clinic visits (approximately 1 hour each) and two 24-hour stays (including sleep studies) are involved in this study. There are also three 14-day periods in between the clinic visits where activity levels will be measured using an actiwatch, a small, watch-like device that measures movement throughout the day and night, and participants will complete daily sleep logs at home. During one of the 14-day periods, participants will use the light box as instructed at home.
Below is a link to the Northwestern University – Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center for Clinical Trial Participation:
http://www.parkinsons.northwestern.edu/clinical_trials.html
Tags: Alzheimer's Disease, Bright light therapy, Clinical Trials, Elderly, Light box, Light Therapy, Parkinson's Disease, SAD lights
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Friday, June 25th, 2010
There is a new clinical trial starting at University College London (UCL) that will study whether light therapy could benefit people with epilepsy.
UCL Institute of Neurology and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery will be running the study which will involve 100 people who suffer a type of seizure called a complex partial seizure.
In this trial, the UCL researchers aim to find out whether light therapy reduces the number of seizures people experience. A study suggested that people suffered from less seizures on sunny days compared to cloudy days.
Full article can be read at:
http://www.ihe-online.com/index.php?id=2565&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=907&cHash=65536
Tags: Epilepsy, Light box, Light Therapy, SAD light, SAD lights, Severe Depression
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Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
Tags: Bipolar Disorder, Children, Depression, Light box, Light Therapy, SAD, SAD light, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Severe Depression, Summer SAD, Support, Teens
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Monday, June 21st, 2010
Today marks the official first day of summer, also known as the Summer Solstice in the northern hemisphere. Here are some activities to think about doing to get yourself outside and enjoying the sunlight:
Do some gardening, take the bike out for a spin, go for a walk with your family or pets, go for a swim, have lunch at a restaurant with an outdoor patio, get a hammock or swing, play some games outside, or have friends over and grill. Celebrate that it is summertime and enjoy the sunlight.
Daylight brought indoors has been shown to improve productivity, enhance health and wellness, and reduce overall energy costs. Pure natural daylight makes colors more vivid, reduces eye strain, and, according to studies, the variation in solar light levels throughout the course of a day helps cure Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Tags: Depression, Light box, Light Therapy, SAD, SAD light, SAD lights, Seasonal Affective Disorder
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Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
Here are a few support group links!
The Seasonal Affective Disorder Association:
http://www.sada.org.uk/
Daily Strength – Seasonal Affective Disorder Support Group:
http://www.dailystrength.org/c/Seasonal-Affective-Disorder/support-group
Mental Health America:
http://www.nmha.org/go/sad
Facebook group for Seasonal Affective Disorder:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Seasonal-affective-disorder/106176212746152
Tags: Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Facebook, Light box, Light Therapy, SAD, SAD light, SAD lights, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Severe Depression, Summer SAD, Support
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Thursday, June 10th, 2010
January and February are probably the worst months of the year for seasonal affective disorder sufferers. There are many things to do during theses dark days.
- Get more light in a safe way. You can:
• Use your light box regularly
• Keep our curtains open in the bedroom
• Get outdoors whenever the sun is out
• Take a drive in your car when the sun is out
• Brighten up your home
• Spend time in the brightest room in your house
• Don’t undertake unnecessary duties or chores
• Delay what can be delayed
• Don’t allow guilt to prevent you from saying no
- Explain to others what is going on and tell them what they can do to make your life easier
- Exercise as much as you can
- If you are not on medications and are still laboring under the burden of winter, discuss with your doctor the possibility of starting them
- If you are on medications and they do not seem to be helping, talk to your doctor about other possibilities
- Keep a journal
- Find out what brings you enjoyment and do more of it
- Find out what brings you discontentment and do less of it
- Accept the down time
- Accept that winter may never feel as good as the other seasons
- Busy some forced bulbs and watch them grow and bloom in the dark months.
- Wait for spring, because sooner or later it will come
Tags: Depression, Exercise, Light box, Light Therapy, SAD, SAD light, SAD lights, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Severe Depression
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Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
Other people can be a great source of support and comfort to those who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder.
The top 5 things to do:
1. Understand the problem – You need to recognize that SAD is a real problem and affliction. Someone who suffers from SAD may look okay but can be having major difficulties in functioning. Your relative or friend with SAD needs more light and can benefit from your support and understanding. Once you understand the mood and energy problems of SAD, you will be able to handle them better.
2. Just be there – Just your presence and company can do a SAD sufferer good. Even though they may seem withdrawn and unfriendly, they appreciate the company. Many like the people being around, but you need to remember that you will probably not get a lot out of them.
3. Encourage the seasonal person – Remind them that this phase will pass, and they will feel better again. Remind them of some good times you have had, they may simply have forgotten. Because you understand that it is a seasonal problem, it can help just to remind them that it will pass.
4. Help with simple things – Just getting out of bed can be huge step. But asking them what you can do to help is greatly appreciated. It can be getting the kids ready and off to school, making breakfast or lunch or even dinner, getting groceries, household chores, doing the laundry or even paying the bills. Some things are simple and will take a couple of minutes, but it can make a huge difference.
5. Try to understand the seasonal person when they are in the other phase – It may come as a shock when the sufferer all of a sudden is happy and successful. But you need to understand that you need to be supportive either way. Sufferers can become a bit wired from the sudden abundance of sunlight. Many can show poor judgment or impulsiveness. If you see this happening you may want to speak with your doctor.
Tags: Bipolar Disorder, Depression, Light box, Light Therapy, SAD, SAD light, SAD lights, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Severe Depression, Summer SAD, Support
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Friday, June 4th, 2010
What is LUX anyway?
lux Pronunciation: (luks), —n.,
—pl. luces Pronunciation: (lOO’sEz).
A unit of illumination, equivalent to 0.0929 foot-candle and equal to the illumination produced by luminous flux of one lumen falling perpendicularly on a surface one meter square. Symbol: LX. Also called meter-candle.
Basically, it’s a unit of light measurement. Higher the number, brighter the light source.
What is the importance of the 10,000 lux and distance rating?
The 10,000 lux measurement is important in light therapy to judge the effectiveness of any particular light box or lamp. Since the 1970’s, studies have shown that light therapy is effective when a person is within a 10,000 lux brightness range of light for twenty to thirty minutes. Our light box has a 10,000 lux range at 24 inches. This is important to consider when shopping around. Many lamps boast of 10,000 lux light, but fail to mention at what distance this is from the light unit. For example, a light that has a 10,000 lux range of twelve inches means that either you would need to sit within a foot from the light for ½ hour, or at a more comfortable two feet you would need to spend one hour to get the same therapeutic effect. You will need to consider what works best for your lifestyle when making your decision.
Light therapy boxes built with some UL-listed parts are not the same as those in which the whole light box has been UL-tested and listed. If a company says it uses UL approved parts, this means the whole light box was not tested. For safety sake, verify this before you buy. It’s also against the law to sell electrical appliances that are not UL-listed.
At Alaska Northern Lights, we base our light therapy and light box information on a variety of accepted scientific studies and not on the opinions of a few individuals. Research has shown that in light therapy, the light’s intensity is the key, not UV rays. UV rays are considered a liability and a health problem with the eyes and skin. Our light box produces no UV-A or UV-C rays and no measurable amount of UV-B. We block any remaining UV rays with our UV diffuser screen.
Tags: Light box, Light Therapy, LUX, SAD, SAD light, SAD lights, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Severe Depression, Summer SAD
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