Information on light therapy | Fields of application and links

Light Therapy

Light therapy simply involves regular exposure to strong light under certain conditions of use.

It consists of sitting close to a light therapy device, with lights on and eyes open. The head must be oriented toward the light source. But staring at the lights is not necessary (nor recommended); therefore, users are free to read, write or eat while using a light therapy device. Treatment sessions can last from 15 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the intensity of the light. Sessions should preferably take place in the morning.

Fields of application

Light therapy has been developed to treat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). People suffering from SAD generally show, throughout the dark winter days, the following symptoms: lack of energy, difficulty in getting up in the morning, weigh gain (due to cravings for sweet foods), frequent depression and fatigue.

A SAD patient may not show all the symptoms, but feels unable to lead a normal life in winter. Although people suffering from SAD often diagnose themselves correctly, a diagnosis by a physician is required to make sure the causes of the symptoms have been properly identified. Many clinical researches have been carried out to study SAD and light therapy as a treatment against SAD.

Light therapy is also used against a sub-clinical form of SAD, often referred to as “winter doldrums”. People suffering from this show the same symptoms as SAD patients, but remain fully functional. This more benign form is far more common than SAD.

Studies are under way to confirm the effectiveness of light therapy for other biological rhythm disorders such as jet lag.

Side effects and medical supervision

Very few side effects have been reported. Mostly eyes irritations that can be avoided by placing the device farther or reducing the time of exposure.

People suffering from (or with an history of) eye disease, taking medications increasing sensitivity to light (such as some antidepressant drugs) must check with their physician before starting to use a light device, and thereafter use it under medical supervision.

Links

The following websites provide detailed, documented and unbiased information about light therapy and its related fields:

Society for Light Treatment and Biological Rhythms

Not-for-profit international scientific organisation founded in 1988.

Medline

Data base for medical researches and professional use. Keywords: sad, bright light therapy.

Bright light improves vitality and alleviates distress in healthy people Timo Partonen and Jouko Lönnqvist 1997-1998 Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland

Canadian Consensus Guidelines for the Treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder(SAD) Detailed information about SAD and its different treatments.

Radiation safety of light treatment instruments in treatment of winter SAD and hyperbilirubinaemia Paula Kosonen, Helsinki University of Technology 27th February 1997 Professorship: Power Systems and Illumination Engineering.