Seasonal Affective Disorder Light Therapy UK

What treatment is available for people suffering from SAD?

The main treatment for SAD is bright light therapy; this is affective in more than 85% of diagnosed SAD cases. Light therapy works best when given in the early morning (between 06.00 and 08.00 hours). The increased light levels are believed to cause a reduction in the sleep hormone melatonin production and thereby reduce the desire to sleep during the daytime.

Bright Light Therapy is supplied via specially made 'light boxes' that supply high doses of intense white light. Conventional light boxes provide doses of approximately 10,000 light units* called lux and daily treatment periods of 30 minutes are considered sufficient. Light boxes vary in cost but, once purchased, can be used for many years.

(* For comparison indoor light is around 500 lux, outdoor light on a cloudy day is up to 5,000 lux and midday summer sunlight can real at least 50,000 lux).

BIOPTRON LIGHT THERAPY is a new and effective treatment for SAD.

The light intensity generated by BIOPTRON Light Therapy devices are equal to greater than those produced by conventional light boxes:

BIOPTRON Compact III           = 10,000 to 22,000 lux
BIOPTRON Pro 1                    = 10,000 to 20,000 lux
BIOPTRON 2                         = 13,000 to 14,000 lux

Therefore BIOPTRON Light Therapy is ideal for use in the treatment of SAD and winter depression. Also BIOPTRON Light Therapy devices have the additional advantage in that they can be used to relieve symptoms for many other medical conditions and to improve or maintain health.

How to I use BIOPTRON Light Therapy Systems if I have SAD?

It is simple! You should place the BIOPTRON Light Therapy device on a table or desk. Turn on the device and then sit at a distance of between 60 to 90cm facing the light for around 30 minutes a day. You do not need to look directly at the light source and can carry out normal activities such as watching television, reading, knitting whilst enjoying the BIOPTRON treatment.

BIOPTRON Light Therapy should be used every day during autumn and winter for it to be effective in treating SAD.

What are Seasonal Affective Disorder and Winter Depression?

The long night and dull days of winter can cause some people to experience feelings of low mood and this is termed Seasonal Affective Disorder or SAD. A milder version of SAD is know as winter depression. SAD is characterized by the inability to feel happy or to experience pleasure, an increased need for sleep, profound periods of tiredness or fatigue, increased appetite which particularly includes carbohydrate foods such as bread, potatoes and pasta and therefore increased weight gain during the winter months.

Who gets SAD?

SAD affects people living in countries that have long, dark winter months. It is extremely rare in those countries near the equator where daylight hours are long and there is far more sunny weather. In Canada and the UK up to 4% of the population have SAD compared to 2% in the US. The frequency increases in counties closer to the Arctic with 9% of the population in Finland and almost 10% of people living in Alaska suffering from SAD.

What causes SAD?

Seasonal affective disorder is believed to be caused by an imbalance in the production of a chemical called a hormone that affects the area of the brain that triggers sleep. Production of this sleep hormone called melatonin is usually turned off in the morning in response to increased light levels and turned on again at night. The sleep hormone melatonin level of people with seasonal affective disorder do not decrease properly in the morning and so they continue to feel very tired and sleepy all day.

Symptoms usually begin between September and November and continue on until springtime around March to April. Symptoms include the following although some sufferers may not have all of these symptoms.

Depression or low mood - feeling miserable, guilty, despairing
Tiredness - lethargy - fatigue
Sleep problems such as inability to wake up and feel alert
Overeating - craving sweet foods and carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes, pasta etc
Weight gain as a result of the above and increased inactivity
Loss of sexual interest
A strong desire to avoid social contact
Anxiety and a feeling of being tense and stressed most of the time.

People with winter depression rather than SAD also usually feel tired and sleepy and may eat too many sugar/carbohydrate rich foods but they do not suffer from significant depression or anxiety.

— A single unit emits a broad range of light wavelengths at a constant intensity for safe light therapy
— Employs innovative new technology for visible results.
— Is a mobile, easily manageable and maintenance-free device.
— Developed and produced by BIOPTRON AG, Switzerland.
— BIOPTRON’s technology is endorsed and used by leading physicians in major universities and clinics across five continents.

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