Light Therapy Boxes for Treating Seasonal Affective Disorder

A way you can treat your seasonal affective disorder is by using light therapy boxes. A light therapy box offers treatment for a seasonal affective disorder where features like style, cost, safety and light intensity are the most important considerations.

Seasonal affective disorder is a kind of depression which typically occurs every year during winter and fall. And light therapy box offers relief; but for some people, this treatment only works with the combination of another seasonal affective disorder treatment like psychological counseling or an antidepressant. Light therapy boxes are also called phototherapy boxes, bright-light therapy boxes, and light boxes. These boxes are designed for the pain relief but one box can possibly work better for you than the other.

It is recommended to talk to your doctor before you use light therapy box for treating your seasonal affective disorder. If you are experiencing both bipolar disorder and seasonal affective disorder, the timing and advisability of using a light box should be rechecked by your doctor carefully. Using the light box for a long period of time or increasing exposure too fast every time might induce manic symptoms if you are suffering from bipolar disorder. If you’ve current or past problems like eye damage from diabetes, cataract or glaucoma, then getting advice from your ophthalmologist is recommended.

Although the light which comes from the sun is white in color, it is made of numerous colors. You don’t see it always but can possibly see it during rains, when the spectrum of colors creates a rainbow.

A light therapy box impersonates outdoor light. It is believed that this kind of light which helps in changing the chemicals in your brain and lifts the mood & alleviates other signs of seasonal affective disorder. Usually, a light box provides:

• An exposure of light up to 10k lux.
• It emits as very little Ultra Violet light.

Recommendations for using a light therapy boxes for seasonal affective disorder:

• Use a light therapy box with your eyes open but ensure that you do not look directly at the light.
• Use this treatment by keeping a distance of 41 to 61 centimeters (16 to 24 inches) from your face.
• Use this treatment for about 20-30 minutes.
• Use it within the first hour of waking up in the morning.

Light therapy boxes are made to be effective and safe. However, (FDA) Food and Drug Administration does not approve this therapy for seasonal affective disorder treatment. So, you have to consider your options on your own. It basically means that taking this treatment is totally your own risk.

You can purchase a light therapy box without a prescription. Your physician might recommend you a certain light therapy box, but you MUST know that most of the health insurances don’t cover its cost.

Following are some things you must consider before purchasing a light therapy box for seasonal affective disorder:

1. Is the Light Therapy Box made for Treating Seasonal Affective Disorder?

   If that light therapy box is not made for treating the depression, there will be no effective results seen. There are few light therapy boxes, specifically made for skin problems and not seasonal affective disorder. Lamps which are for disorders of the skin emit ultraviolet light and thus if handled improperly can do serious damages. Light therapy box for treating seasonal affective disorder must filter all Ultra Violet light.

2. Is the Light Therapy Box Bright Enough?

   Different light therapy boxes emit multiple light intensities. Dimmer devices will need more duration to use every day, considered to the brighter devices, to reach the same quality. Usually, the suggested light intensity is 10k lux.

3. Does Light Therapy Box Release enough Ultra Violet Light?

   Light therapy boxes treating seasonal affective disorder should filter most of the UV light. It is better to clear all you questions, prior to using it by contacting the manufacturer.

4. Can Light Therapy Box Result in Eye Injury/Loss?

   There are many light therapy boxes which have features designed for protecting the eyes. Ensure that the light therapy box filters most of the UV light for avoiding the eye damage. If you are suffering from any eye damage, then it s better to approach your eye specialist and ask which light box will suit you.

5. Is Light Therapy Box the Design You Wanted?

   Light therapy boxes are available in numerous sizes and shapes, and with a wide variety of features. Some are rectangular and small. The efficiency of the light box therapy will depend on you regular use, so it is necessary to buy those which are beneficial to you.

6. Will You be Able to Install in the Correct Place?

   You should have a good place in your home to keep the light therapy box. Also, think about what you would be doing while taking the therapy; many people read novels or listen to music while its use. Ensure that you check the manufacturer’s instructions to draw the correct quantity of light from a proper distance.

The theory behind conventional light therapy box is that they can replicate the sunshine effectively. This results in giving the user a positive response.

Traditionally, full spectrum light therapy box were used for treating light deficiency disorder. And with advancement in research and technology, a particular bandwidth of blue light has been invented to effectively treat seasonal affective disorder.

Usually, doctors recommend both blue and white light therapy boxes for treating seasonal affective disorder.

There are numerous studies that have shown the efficacy of blue light and white light therapy box. It is a clinically proven technology for treating seasonal affective disorder.

For the past one decade, LED light therapy box for treating seasonal affective disorder has proved to be effective almost equivalent to traditional tube bulb seasonal affective disorder light devices. It is necessary to buy LED light boxes from a credible manufacturer that has proved some research. There are many fraud manufacturers in the market that do not produce correct level of light.

Experts recommend that the use of LED light boxes and traditional tube bulb light therapy boxes can amazingly improve the seasonal affective disorder.

To ensure that you are buying from a credible manufacturer, check their website and research thoroughly. Buying an ineffective seasonal affective disorder light therapy box could prove adverse.

Also Read:

• What is Light Therapy or Phototherapy? Its Experiments and Benefits In Treating Psoriasis, Insomnia, Vitiligo