Light Therapy and Depression

Many women are depressed during pregnancy. This is not just because of the protruding and heavy abdomen. The several hormonal changes contribute to make them irritable and depressed. Bright Light Therapy may relieve depression during pregnancy. Because of the teratogenic effects of antidepressants and possibility of respiratory center depression, it is a difficult situation treating depression during pregnancy.

Depression during pregnancy can compromise her unborn baby's health, increasing risk of preeclampsia, lower birth weight, premature birth, and childhood behavioral problems, the use of antidepressants during pregnancy is still not advised as explained by the lead researcher C. Neill Epperson, MD, a psychiatrist with Yale School of Medicine.

According to a study she conducted; these mothers are at very high risk of postpartum depression, which further puts her child at risk for brain development problems, depression, and substance abuse. And while most antidepressants do not cause major birth defects, they may adversely affect the newborn's growth and development.

In another study conducted by Epperson, bright Light Therapy has shown effective treatment for depression in pregnant women.

Method: The patient is made to sit in front of a specially designed light box that provides either a bright or dim light for 60 minutes within 10 minutes of waking up in the morning.

In her study, 10 pregnant women, all diagnosed with depression, were assigned to get either five weeks of bright Light Therapy or were exposed to dim room light. The women underwent a standard interview to measure symptoms of depression and were given a score. Researchers found a just small difference in the women's depression scores after five weeks. However, after 10 weeks of Light Therapy, they saw a significantly beneficial effect.

Depression scores were reduced in the women who were exposed to bright Light Therapy compared with women exposed to dim lights.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

If you just don't feel like yourself during the fall and winter months, you may be like many other Americans and suffer from seasonal depression. This is commonly called 'winter blues'(Seasonal depression), also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or S.A.D., is a real problem especially for who feel uncomfortable when there is reduction in natural sunlight, and can develop lethargy, weight gain and other problems.

Seasonal Depression is now being treated with Light Box Therapy. Exposure to light from a light box few minutes daily with a light box can reduce and even eliminate the effects of S.A.D. Light box therapy is a safe, effective proven way to help those with S.A.D. feel normal and live their lives to the fullest. Dr. Richard T Loving and his colleagues ran a study with 81 volunteers, between 60 and 79 years old. At the end of the light SAD therapy study, they improved 16% just after 4 weeks. For a good light box, Apollo Health has been the forerunner in this kind of technology.

Non-Seasonal Major (Chronic) Depression

Studies of Light Therapy for depression have not been limited to SAD. It has been found to also be effective in nonseasonal depression as well. A recent joint trial at Columbia University Medical Center and Wesleyan University indicates that patients with chronic depression - who for years have not had any relief - actually improve after Light Therapy just like in patients with SAD.

Dr. Daniel Kripke of the University of California at San Diego compared a set of placebo-controlled trials of bright light with antidepressant drug trials, and found the improvement rates to be similar.

Interestingly, light used in conjunction with medication appears to be superior to either one alone. Several European and American hospitals are now administering Light Therapy alongside antidepressant drug treatment.

Premenstrual Syndrome

Many teenagers and middle aged women become depressed just days before their menstruation. The symptoms are vague and include irritability, breast fullness and tenderness, loss of appetite and general apathy. Bright Light Therapy has found great usefulness in the treatment of symptoms associated with PMS. Several clinical trials have been completed, focusing on light treatment in the luteal phase preceding menstruation, with significant relief of premenstrual depression. Light Therapy has helped to improve the mood of PMS sufferers, and also reduces the physical symptoms of "premenstrual tension." While an optimum dosing regimen still needs to be determined, Light Therapy stands as an option particularly for women who have not responded to medication for PMS or worried about the side effects of medication.

Bulimia is a troubling disorder in which patients eat unusually large amounts of food within a short interval of time ("bingeing"), often followed by vomiting, purging, fasting or excessive exercise. And often, bulimia is accompanied by depression, which can be seasonal.

In a controlled study, Dr. Ray Lam at University of British Columbia (Vancouver) showed that within two weeks of treatment, 10,000 lux bright Light Therapy for 30 minutes a day significantly reduced bingeing and purging, while the winter depression lifted. After four weeks of open treatment, bingeing reduced by 50 percent, and purging by 42 percent.

Is Light Therapy for treatment of Depression Safe?

There are concerns about Light Therapy affecting the eyes and this is what an expert has to say. In a publication on Light Therapy safety, Dr. David Sliney, who is well known in this field concludes that light sources show no potential for danger to the eye; that concern over use of the blue light box is not justified; therefore unlike popular believe that it causes macular degeneration, these fears are unfounded.