In this modern era, light therapy is one of the most popular treatments. People take this therapy for various purposes, such as treating acne, sleep disorder, SAD, different mental conditions, skin diseases, etc. Generally, light therapy is a safe treatment. It’s great to see this tech is getting very popular in recent times.
What is light therapy?
Light therapy is a method to treat the seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and certain other conditions by using artificial light. Sad is a mental condition that occurs a particular time each year, mainly in the fall or winter. People with “the winter blues” feel tired, less motivated, and sad, and they sleep more than usual.
The device used in light therapy is called a lightbox.
During the light therapy process, you sit or work near the lightbox device. The box gives off bright light that imitates natural light.
Light therapy is a reflection that affects brain chemicals linked to mood and sleep. This process helps to ease SAD symptoms.You can also get treatment for other types of depression, sleep disorders, skin conditions, and different health conditions using a light therapy box. Light therapy is also familiar as bright light therapy or phototherapy.
How Does It Work?
Generally, light therapy is meant to compensate for the lack of exposure to sunlight that is thought to be linked to major depressive disorder with seasonal patterns. You’ll sit near a lightbox, which emits intense light. The light usually imitates natural sunlight, but there can be alterations. A unit of measure is called a lux gauges. Between 2,500 and 10,000 lux is the standard output of a lightbox.
Treatments usually start in the fall and continue until early spring. Each therapy session commonly lasts from 10 to 15 minutes. The session’s length depends on how well you handle the treatment and the strength of the lightbox. Treatment time may be shorter for newcomers. The more powerful the lightbox, the faster the treatment session can be.
Why light therapy is effective is still an ongoing study. Some studies show that light naturally triggers the production of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is the “feel-good” brain chemical. Some experts believe that success with light therapy is because of a placebo effect.
Why Do People Take This Therapy?
The therapy has various positive effects on the human body. The process of this treatment is very easy and quick. Some major reasons that people prefer this therapy are:
- It is very convenient
- The process is very fast.
- It is a non-invasive therapy
- Very safe therapy
- You can also take this therapy at home with the help of a lightbox.
Who Needs This Therapy More?
It can treat various mental, skin, and other human body conditions, as we already know. But who have SAD, jet lag, sleep disorders, Dementia, and various skin conditions they take this therapy more. So let’s understand how people treat those diseases with light therapy.
Seasonal Affective Disorder:
It is one kind of mental condition that generally occurs in the winter or spring season. The severity of SAD differs from person to person. Some may feel a bit of irritation, while others face significant impacts on their daily activities.
The symptoms of SAD are: low mood, low self-esteem, feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness, feeling stressed or anxious, a reduced sex drive, be less active than usual, find it difficult to concentrate, etc.
Light therapy provides relief from these symptoms. A light therapy box mimics outdoor light. Some researches show that this type of light causes a chemical change in the brain that lifts your mood and eases SAD symptoms.
Before buying a light therapy box, make sure it is designed for SAD because some other lightbox types treat other symptoms like acne, skin conditions, etc. Try to take doctors’ advice before taking this therapy or buying a lightbox for SAD treatment.
Jet Lag:
Jet lag is one kind of sleep disorder that can affect anyone who travels across multiple time zones. It is usually a temporary condition and does not require treatment. But sometimes the symptoms last longer—that time you need to treat this condition.
Doctors suggest light therapy because this involves exposure to artificial bright light or lamps that reproduce sunlight for a specific and regular amount of time when you’re meant to be awake. People can get this therapy in various forms, such as a lightbox that sits on a table, a desk lamp, or a light visor that you wear on your head. For a frequent traveler, it is a beneficial therapy.
Dementia:
Dementia is one kind of mental problem where you lose thinking, remembering, and reasoning ability. Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal disorders, Lewy body dementia etc. are different types of dementia.
The bright light between 7-9 may help people to treat dementia. But it is not always possible to take natural light therapy. So, here light therapy can help a lot. Light therapy uses specialized artificial light to treat mood disorders, shift one’s biological clock, or synchronize one’s sleep-wake cycle with the day/light cycle. It is useful in normalizing sleep and behavior in people with dementia, although more study is needed.
Skin conditions:
Through light therapy, people can also treat various skin conditions such as acne, rosaria, redness, scars, etc. Recently in the medical industry, the light therapy box gained popularity because of its skin effectiveness. UV light lightbox reduces various skin problems. But Uv light is harmful to the eyes, so you have to be careful when taking this therapy for skin conditions.
Nobody likes to have scars or acne on their skins. They all want quick and easy recovery. As we already know, light therapy takes less time, and people can take this therapy at their home. That’s why people chose this therapy frequently, and it is also very effective and less painful. But Before taking any therapy, people have to consult with the doctor.
Light therapy may not permanently remove your problem of skin, SAD, or other conditions, but it can reduce the symptoms and make you feel better.
