Phototherapy is a type of treatment that consists of exposure to a source of white light applied directly to the face of a person, to treat what is known as seasonal depression, a type of depression associated with short days and long nights in the fall and winter times, and it has even been shown in recent scientific research that this technique could also be effective in the treatment of major depression.
Phototherapy is administered with a white light lamp that emits 10,000 lux units, which must be received for 30 minutes as soon as you wake up in the morning. This technique works by restarting and normalizing the biological clock, causing the phenomena related to the circadian rhythm to manifest and improve the symptoms of depression. Light has been shown to be the most powerful synchronizer of biological rhythms and is extremely necessary for the proper functioning of the circadian cycles.
Light is captured by the retina, transforming into nerve impulses. These are conducted to our internal clock “suprachiasmatic nucleus” (NSQ) setting it in time from there the signal is transmitted to the pineal gland where the nocturnal release of melatonin is regulated following a circadian rhythm. This hormone in conjunction with the NSQ is responsible for regulating the biological rhythms of temperature, sleep-wakefulness and motor activity.
What is depression?
- Persistent nonspecific pain, constant headaches and digestive problems.
- Blaming yourself for bad things that happen
- Low self-esteem.
- Have feelings of hopelessness and loneliness
- Difficulty concentrating and making decisions
- Tendendensia to isolation.
- Thinking about suicide
- Feeling tired all the time and not wanting to get up in the morning.
- Character changes with outbursts of anger and irrationality.
How does light work in the treatment of depression?
The circadian rhythm can be defined as the set of physical, mental and behavioral changes that occur in the body during a period of more or less 24 hours and that respond to the light and dark hours of the environment. For this circadian rhythm to occur, the body needs to “perceive” that it is day or night and this occurs thanks to the brain’s biological clock, composed as mentioned above by a mechanism that includes the retina, optic nerves and a a group of highly specialized nerve cells.
When the retina realizes that it is night, the pineal gland makes melatonin, which makes us sleepy and prepares us for sleep. Conversely, when the sun rises and the light stimulates the retina, the pineal gland suspends the secretion of melatonin and we wake up.
That is why daylight is therefore important for our body to start the diurnal circadian cycle, which is accompanied by changes in blood pressure, hormone secretion, increased appetite.
At Kalstein we are MANUFACTURERS of medical equipment of the highest quality and at the best PRICES and we offer you excellent lamps for phototherapies that are very useful in the treatment of depression. That is why we invite you to take a look at the Products menu. HERE