In the summer people get a lot of natural light and this promotes changes in the body, allowing an increased sense of well-being, more energy and an overall good mood. In the winter, when most people spend less time outside combined with shorter days, many do not get enough natural light to maintain those ‘feeling happy’ brain signals and may experience seasonal affective disorder.
Light deprivation, and consequently the disruption of circadian rhythm, is associated with an increased risk of serious psychological disorders, including depression. The symptoms of depression can even amplify due to the “COVID-19 rules and unwanted lifestyle“. It’s not groundbreaking information that we’re all finding ourselves indoors more right now. Add that to the colder, darker days ahead and you may notice yourself feeling a little more moody or blue than usual.
Many of us are feeling the emotional toll of the uncertainty, worry and dramatic changes to our habits and our lives.
COVID-19 blues/depression/Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) includes the following symptoms:
- Feeling of unhappiness
- Chronic fatigue
- Feelings of sadness, tearfulness, emptiness or hopelessness
- Feelings of restlessness
- Guilt
- Anger or irritability more than normal
- Withdrawing from things you used to enjoy
- Avoiding talking to friends and family
- Changes in sleep (sleeping too much or not enough)
- Thoughts about harming yourself
- Lowered motivation
- Anhedonia (inability to feel/perceive happiness)
- Increased need for sleep
- Changes in appetite (losing or gaining weight)
- Loss of interest in activities you once enjoyed
- Feeling sluggish or agitated
- Difficulty to be focused and concentrated
- Social withdrawal
How to treat these conditions in a natural way, without synthetic drugs, and without side effects?
The successful use of light in medicine has a long history.
Ancient civilizations, the Greeks, the Egyptians and the Arabs, understood the importance of light and its healing effects on our health.
“Heliotherapy” was the first natural Light Therapy successfully used as an effective medical treatment for preventing and healing various medical conditions. Hippocrates, a Greek scientist, the father of modern medicine (460BC-370BC) used to say: “Vis medicatrix naturae” – Honor the healing power of nature!
If you are diagnosed with SAD or are experiencing symptoms of depression, data shows light therapy will help 80% of those who use it correctly.
SAD lamps, are clinically referred to as light therapy boxes. The tool mimics outdoor light and can help mitigate some of the mental health problems that come with the wintertime.
“Light therapy may normalize individuals’ circadian rhythms by stimulating retinal cells, which consequently affect the hypothalamus, a portion of the brain involved in the regulation of many important bodily functions,” said Leela R. Magavi, a psychiatrist and regional medical director of Community Psychiatry in California. These functions include sleep cycles, emotions and appetite.
Here, experts explain what makes SAD lamps so effective and what to look for before you buy one. Some light therapy products are more expensive than others for valid reasons.
“Most homes with standard light bulbs will give you a light intensity of approximately 300 to 1,000 lux,” Hoffmann explained. “This is actually rather dim when compared to natural light.
Bright sunlight at noon easily can be greater than 100,000 lux, whereas light intensity on an overcast day will be around approximately 1,000 to 2,000 lux. In the winter, outdoor light intensity can be much lower depending on where you live.”
As a point of reference, the luminance of standard room lighting is approximately 500 Lux, a cloudy day creates up to 5,000 Lux, and mid-day summer sunlight reaches at least 50,000 Lux
All SAD lamps are not created equal, which is why a higher-end model may end up being better
While brighter is better, there are a few other qualities your SAD lamp should have, which may increase the price.
“A high-quality lightbox will provide light at 10,000 lux when the lightbox is placed 12 inches or more from the eyes or face and will have a UV filter to avoid the risk of retinal damage,” Hoffmann said.
This is where you’ll need to do some research as a consumer, Magavi said. SAD lamps aren’t FDA approved and don’t require a prescription to purchase, so you won’t be steered toward a specific model. In addition to brightness, certain lamps that provide convenience due to their shape and size may also increase the price, she added.
Why to choose BIOPTRON® QUANTUM HYPERLIGHT FOR SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (SAD)?
BIOPTRON® Quantum Hyperlight is medically approved and ideal for the treatment of seasonal depression. The sensory and neural effects of Quantum Hyperlight can reduce the symptoms of seasonal affective depression, with a light intensity of greater than 10,000 light units (Lux). Therefore, a daily treatment of approximately 30 minutes is considered to be effective.
BIOPTRON SENSORY STIMULATION OF THE SKIN AND THE EYES
Scientific studies have shown that there is a change in the electroencephalogram (EEG) signal (a recording of the electrical activity of the brain) under the influence of medical Quantum Hyperlight and that this effect can be used to alleviate depression or help in its treatment.
Exposure:
20 – 40 min. = 20 cm distance
40 – 60 min. = 30 cm distance
60 – 120 min. = 40 cm distance
The BIOPTRON® pilot study on the neuroendocrine effects of using the spectra of visible and infrared light has demonstrated positive effects. Researchers have investigated the effects of Quantum Hyperlight throughout the neuroendocrine and immune systems based on hematological parameters (i.e., red and white blood cells, hemoglobin, potassium, sodium, etc.), physiological and behavioral parameters (i.e., insomnia, depression, heart rhythm, blood pressure, etc.), and psychological parameters (i.e., mood, etc.).
Participants in the study were exposed to BIOPTRON® Quantum Hyperlight during ten-minute sessions (three times per week on the face, with open eyes, at a distance of 40 cm). The results indicated that treatment with Quantum Hyperlight resulted in a significant decline in anxiety, even for the subjects within the normal range of values. There was considerable improvement regarding the somatization of anxiety (i.e., a reduction in cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive symptoms; as well as significant improvements in the quality of sleep, as was evidenced
by improvements in melatonin levels).
Results also showed increases in serotonin and dopamine levels and decreases in stress hormones.
Therefore, use BIOPTRON each day, ten minutes – as a daily dose of health!
Stay safe!
With love and gratitude,
Order, information, advice: wellness@zepter.com
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References:
BIOPTRON® for SAD
9.1. Avery DH, Kizer D, Bolte MA, Hellekson C. Bright light therapy of subsyndromal seasonal affective disorder in the workplace: morning vs. afternoon exposure. Acta
Psychiatr. Scand. Apr 2001. 103(4): 267–274.
9.2. Eastman CI, Young MA, Fogg LF, Liu L, Meaden PM. Bright light treatment of winter depression: a placebo-controlled trial. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry. Oct 1988. 55(10):
883–889. 51
9.3. Golden RN, Gaynes BN, Ekstrom RD, Hamer RM, Jacobsen FM, Suppes T, Wisner KL, Nemeroff CB. The efficacy of light therapy in the treatment of mood disorders:
a review and meta-analysis of the evidence. Am. J. Psychiatry. Apr 2005. 162(4): 656–662.
9.4. Lam RW, Levitt A. Canadian Consensus Guidelines for the Treatment of SAD, A Summary of the Report of the Canadian Consensus Group on SAD, Can J Diagnosis
1998; Suppl.
9.5. Lee TM, Chan CC. Dose-response relationship of phototherapy for seasonal affective disorder: a meta-analysis. Acta Psychiatr. Scand. 1999. 99(5): 315–323.
9.6. Partonen T, Lönnqvist J. Bright light improves vitality and alleviates distress in healthy people. J. Affect. Disord. Mar 2000. 57(1–3): 55–61.
Article based on scientific research: source/ texts by Huffpost
