Light is not only to furnish our homes. It can also have corrective purposes. The most notable example is “light therapy.”
Phototherapy is a form of reliever treatment in which patients are exposed to specific wavelengths of artificial light for a specified number of hours a day. It is used in the treatment of common skin disorders, psychiatric disorders, and sleep disorders and has been shown to be very effective in most cases.
The therapy itself involves the use of devices called light boxes. As the name suggests, these are containers filled with LED light bulbs or strips and covered by a frosted glass panel.
The light emitted by the box is directed towards the affected area of the skin or directly affects the retinas, depending on the type of ailment in question.
In the case of skin disorders, the light is focused on those areas of the body that need attention. For psychiatric disorders, the light shines directly into the eyes.
Phototherapy has been shown to be especially effective in treating seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is related to the regulation of two important hormones (mood-altering chemicals) produced by the hypothalamus of the brain; melatonin and serotonin.
– Melatonin it is a sleep regulating hormone. The production of this hormone is inhibited by light and stimulated in its absence.
– Serotonin it is a mood regulating hormone. It is produced under conditions inverse to melatonin.
During the dark winter months, when sunlight is scarce, there is a tendency for people to become deficient in serotonin, making them unhappy and dejected. The onset of SAD is marked by symptoms such as sadness, general lack of well-being, and insomnia. Symptoms recur annually between mid-autumn and last until spring.
Light boxes can be used to correct the serotonin imbalance in the body by shining light directly into a patient’s eyes. The light is filtered with UV rays to prevent damage to the skin or retinas.
Non-seasonal depression and other psychiatric disorders, such as bipolar depression, can also be alleviated through the use of phototherapy.
A study by the Cochrane Collaboration concluded that “for patients suffering from non-seasonal depression, phototherapy offers modest but promising antidepressant efficacy.”
Treatment of APR is particularly important for companies, particularly offices, as it can delay employee performance. Upgrading the lighting system in an office to improve the color rendering index (CRI) has been shown to increase employee happiness and comfort, thereby increasing productivity. Cool White LED Strips have exceptional color reproduction, making the color appear more vibrant and natural under its light.
