When using light boxes for the treatment
of Seasonal Affective Disorder, winter depression, or simply the rainy day blues,
full spectrum light is not only critical, it is much more effective and safer.
Vision is made possible by light reflecting off of objects and striking the eye's
retina. The brighter the light, the more we can see up to a point. Bright light
also brings about the unwanted side effects of glare, loss of color contrast,
eye fatigue and in some cases headaches. By using a quality full spectrum
light box product you can greatly reduce these unwanted problems that occur
with poorly equipped light therapy. Depression treatment through
medication can result in unpleasant side effects, but so can inadequate seasonal
disorder therapy products.
Daytime vision is made effective by the
use of wider "cones" in the eyes, but the pupils response to light and pupil size
is controlled by the much more plentiful "rods" of the retina. This is known as
the "scotopic response" and is highly sensitive to blueish white light. When using
antiquated cool-white or standard fluorescent bulbs this range of the spectrum
is almost non-existent resulting in a very poor scotopic response. Pupil diameter
remains larger than it should be for the amount of light being received resulting
in glare,eye fatigue and discomfort for the user. Through the use of quality full
spectrum light boxes, containing the proper amount of wavelengths throughout the
spectrum, this scotopic response of the eye can be properly balanced with the
amount of light being produced. Pupil size is greatly reduced, just like you were
outdoors, and the glare, contrast, and eye fatigue problems decrease. Why would
you want to use a light therapy product that is going to cause unwanted side effects?
At lighttherapyonline.com, we will provide you with a truly beneficial light
box. Seasonal disorder therapy should not cause harmful side effects.
The SAD lights we use do not produce "Ultra Violet Rays" in any wavelength
and are completely safe for regular use. Full spectrum light sources that produce
UV rays can be dangerous to your eyesight long term. This hazard, known as the
"bluelight hazard" is well documented by specialists in the vision field. As high
frequency light, such as UV, strikes the light sensitive cones in the retina a
chemical reaction occurs causing the cell to "bleach" temporarily and then quickly
recover. If a continuous flow of UV enters the retina and strikes these same "bleached"
cells before they have had a chance to recover and rebuild the necessary chemicals,
cell damage can occur and compound over time resulting in long term vision loss
and problems such as cataracts. This same type of problem has also been noted
for monochromatic blue LED light sources. Click
for Abstract Through the use of full spectrum light box that contains
a balanced spectrum of wavelengths without the UV, the bluelight hazard is minimized
because different wavelengths of light are striking the photosensitive cells of
the retina at any given time allowing the "bleached" cells the proper environment
to recover. Using a full spectrum lighting source that does not contain UV is
simply much safer than exposing yourself to the "bluelight hazard" of blue LEDs
or lamps containing UV rays. Why would you want to use a light therapy device
that is going to put your eyesight at risk? Before making a purchase, make sure
you know the specification of a light box. Seasonal disorder therapy with light
boxes, when properly equipped, should produce no harmful side effects.
Many companies that make light boxes and light therapy products know very little
about lighting and make claims that are not consistent with their own statements.
If the company that you are looking at states that the bulbs they use can be purchased
through normal electrical supply or lighting supply houses, their bulbs are not
full spectrum. A lot of companies talk about Kelvin temp but will not state the
CRI because they use poor quality lamps in their lighting products. Ask for the
specs in writing. If the lighting device does not use a light source of 90CRI
or higher and Kelvin temp of 5000 to 6000, it is not full spectrum.When
we suffer from seasonal affective disorder, we are missing the exposure to the
natural sunlight spectrum that we enjoy with the longer days of summer time. The
closest thing to natural sunlight is quality full spectrum lighting. Countless
schools, businesses and homes have used full spectrum light boxes to help with
many problems associated with the lack of sunlight we experience in the winter.
A full spectrum light box also significantly reduces any chance of side effects
that can be associated with the use of a poor quality light that is used in many
light therapy depression treatments.
We will be glad to test any
bulb you send us for free. Just send the bulb marked "Submit for Testing" to PO
Box 1087 Jackson, MI 49204
and we will test it at no charge in our spectrometer.
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