Light is not just for providing our homes. It can likewise serve therapeutic objectives. The most notable example is 'light therapy.'
Light treatment is a type of alleviative treatment where people are exposed to specific wavelengths of synthetic light for established number of hours a day. It is utilized in the therapy of common skin disorders, psychological conditions as well as rest disorders and has actually been verified extremely effective in many cases.
The treatment itself involves making use of tools called light boxes. As the name recommends these are containers loaded with light bulbs or LED Strip Lighting and covered by a pane of frosted glass.
The light given off by the box is directed towards the impacted location of skin or shone directly into the retinas, depending upon the sort of condition concerned.
In the case of skin problems the light is focused on those areas of the body requiring interest. For psychiatric problems light is shone straight right into the eyes.
Light therapy has been revealed to be specific effective in the therapy of Seasonal depression (SAD). SAD associates with the regulation of 2 crucial hormonal agents (mood modifying chemicals) created by the mind's hypothalmus; melatonin and also serotonin.
- Melatonin is a sleep regulating hormonal agent. Production of this hormone is prevented by light and promoted in its absence.
- Seratonin is a mood regulating hormonal agent. It is produced under reverse conditions to melatonin.
During the dark winter season when sunshine remains in short supply there is a tendency for people to endure a seratonin defficiency, consequently making them dissatisfied as well as sorrowful. The beginning of SAD is noted by signs such as saddness, general lack of well being as well as insomnia. Signs reoccur on an annual basis in between mid-autumn as well as enduring right through up until springtime.
Light boxes can be used to remedy the imbalance of seratonin in the body by radiating light straight into the eyes of a person. The light is UV filteringed system to stay clear of damage to the skin or retinas.
Non-seasonal clinical depression and various other psychological conditions, such as bi-polar clinical depression, can likewise be relieved via the use of light treatment.
A research carried out by the Cochrane Partnership got to the conclusion that "for patients struggling with non-seasonal depression, light treatment provides modest though appealing anti-depressive efficiacy."
