by Roohi
Light therapy, also known as phototherapy or bright light therapy, is most commonly used to treat seasonal affective disorder or SAD. However, it has also been found to improve various other medical conditions including certain skin conditions as well as sleep disorders.
In fact, light therapy can help lift your mood and make you feel more energetic even if you don't have any medical condition. Here is a brief look at what is light therapy and what medical conditions can it help with.
You have probably already heard that sunlight is good for various medical conditions. Light therapy uses the same principle to provide exposure to specific wavelengths of light through certain devices for a prescribed amount of time. These devices are called light therapy boxes or lamps.
Light therapy sessions are generally done each morning as soon as you wake up. While a professional can indeed be very useful in providing the prescribed amount of light for the right duration, you can easily do it at home as well with the help of light therapy lamps. These are easily available in the market these days.
These sessions usually begin with 15 minutes session. They go up to 30 minutes and even to two hours, depending on the intensity of the light therapy lamp. You need to be consistent with your sessions. If you want to get the best results, you should avoid skipping any sessions. You don't have to sit quietly during the therapy. The light therapy lamp can easily be placed on a table or desk while you continue reading, writing, or eating.
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Research has proven that light therapy is effective for seasonal affective disorder or SAD. This is a kind of depression that usually occurs in the winters when you don't get too much sunlight. If you have this condition, you should begin by taking light therapy during the fall.
Since the therapy alters brain chemicals that alter mood, it is also useful to treat other forms of depression. In fact, light therapy has been found to improve the effectiveness of anti-depressants and counseling for those with depression. However, people with bipolar disorder should not use it since it may trigger manic episodes.
Light therapy is also recommended for other conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorders, dementia, Parkinson's disease, and also Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
If you don't have any medical condition, you can still go ahead and use light therapy. Keep in mind that exposure to bright light brightens up your mood. So, it can help get rid of that jet lag or hangover much more quickly.
Simply said, if you are feeling gloomy or sad, a little bit of light therapy may just help you get back into a better mood. Or if you are looking for something to lift your energy or alertness levels, while working at your office desk, just switch on your lamp and get back to being at your best.
Light therapy can also be used for treating skin conditions such as psoriasis, acne vulgaris, and eczema. However, for this, the lamp used for such conditions emits ultraviolet light. The affected part of the skin is exposed to this light for a specified period of the time. This is different from the other forms of light therapy where the light enters the eyes indirectly to be beneficial. This one will need to be carried out by a professional.
So, now that you know what is light therapy, how about exploring its many benefits? Keep in mind that just by buying a light box or lamp you can reap the benefits of this form of therapy. It will not only lift your mood but also increase your energy levels and balance your sleep patterns.
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Comments
Yes, exposure to bright light can indeed lift your mood in a few minutes not to mention that you will be more alert and be able to focus better on the task at hand. Thanks for taking a look at the article.