How does the light therapy work? Light therapy involves exposure to bright light of a particular spectrum. Specially designed Light therapy boxes or visors have been designed to treat SAD. It is recommended that 30 minutes of light exposure (if you have a box with 10,0000 lux), and one hour (if you have a box with 5,000 lux) particularly in the morning, can have a positive benefit to lifting mood and energy. If it is effective, you should feel some relief within two to four weeks of initiating treatment. Treatment is usually continued throughout the winter period when symptoms are present. Some people with predictable episodes of SAD initiate treatment in advance of experiencing symptoms as a way of pre-emptying the onset of depression. Research has proven the effectiveness in treating SAD with fluorescent light boxes in approximately 65% of cases. The most common side effects of light therapy reported are: eye strain or visual disturbances, headache, agitation or feeling wired, nausea, sweating and sedation. These side effects are generally mild and subside with time or by reducing the dose of light. Hypo mania and mania have also been reported as uncommon but serious side effects of light therapy. Please consult your health care provider about the treatment and do not start light treatment without an accurate diagnosis by a trained clinician. It is extremely important to let your health care provider know if you are considering light therapy because exposure can cause severe reactions in people with certain medical conditions, like epilepsy, or with severe eye ailments like glaucoma, cataracts or retinopathy or if you are taking medication which increase photosensitivity before initiating treatment. litebook/images/pdf/argosy-20081120.pdf
Posted on: Fri, 09 May 2014 20:56:12 +0000
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