Light therapy boxes offer bright light therapy, which consists of the individual sitting close to the light box with the eyes wide open, as the light shines on the face of the person. Not required to look directly into the light bulb, a person can read, write, eat, or simply think about things. Treatments are usually within a range from 15 minutes to three hours, but can be adjusted for desired results.
Full maximum results can be achieved within two to four days, or even several weeks, but a lot depends on the condition and the individuals involved. With light therapy, a longer or shorter duration of exposure to the morning light, or even evening light, can be changed. Skipping treatments are also acceptable without any side effects if too much exposure causes problems to develop.
There are several things to consider when purchasing light therapy boxes--light intensity, cost, style, or personal needs and likes. The basic ideas behind light therapy boxes are simple. They are small, portable devices with fluorescent bulbs that are used to treat a depression disorder--seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. Additionally, other conditions are being researched and studies with favorable results.
Light therapy boxes are available in a wide variety of choices, but should only be purchased and used under a doctor's guidance. Too many individuals purchase them over the Internet, over-the-counter, drugstores, or even hardware stores. Unfortunately, not all light therapy boxes are safe and may come without proper instructions.
When purchasing a light therapy box, the intensity of the light box should have the correct light at a comfortable seating distance. What is preferred is a 10,000-lux full-spectrum light box. The greater the 10,000-lux distance, the further away the light therapy treatment can be given. A person can eat their breakfast, work at their desk or computer, or read a book while still receiving a light treatment.
Another thing to consider is whether or not to get full spectrum or broad-spectrum light therapy boxes. The full spectrum bulbs imitate natural sunlight while producing UV rays. Having a purple or bluish cast, they have a Color Rendering Index (CRI) of 90 or above. The natural outdoor light is 100, with the full spectrum bulbs having a kelvin temperature of 5,000 or higher. Many of the light therapy boxes today offer full spectrum lights as they are more natural, but block the UV rays through the diffuser screens. The other choice is broad spectrum--close to full spectrum but without the UV rays, while having a CRI of 82 with a kelvin temperature of 4200. They are considered as being pure white light, which most light box companies offering the majority of the time as they have no UV ray danger.
Light therapy box treatments are used for many things today, not just seasonal affective disorder (SAD)--pregnancy, winter depression, PMS, chronic fatigue, acne, bipolar disorders, sleep disorders, mood disorders, and atopic dermatitis--all beginning with recent studies showing that about 80% of SAD sufferers have high treatment success. Yet research on the light therapy box is still in its infancy stage, with light therapy not 100% accepted by the professional medical field at this time.
Quite a bit has been found out lately about bright light treatments and light therapy research, with the use of the light therapy box a major part in it. The key is the intensity of the light, called the lux, with light therapy box intensity ratings given at a specific distance from the unit as light diminishes with distance. A minimum of 2,500-lux is required for the light therapy box to be effective, but researchers and doctors recommend that a 10,000-lux be used as it is much more powerful, and is considered significantly higher than any standard indoor lighting.
Natural sunlight levels are unpredictable because of the every-changing weather patterns, where a person lives, and the time of year it is. Only on a very bright sunny day can natural sunlight match the 10,000-lux of the light therapy box for their successful treatments. But normally, not every day is sunny and bright on a routine basis, so other options are needed.
To fulfill that need, a variety of the light therapy box products are available to match each person's individual needs. The best light therapy boxes are metal fixtures that contain white fluorescent light bulbs behind a diffuser. The diffuse is important as it provides two purposes: it helps to spread the light evenly over the unit surface, and it absorbs and filters out harmful UV rays.
The light therapy box also needs to be able to be titled slight forward, which allows flexibility of the unit to allow light to be entered into the eye areas of the individual. This tilting also decreases the brightness of the light, creating less glare and helping the individual to be more comfortable during the treatment. Full spectrum lighting needs to have UV rays filtered out for both eye and skin--even though a critical part of the light therapy box is its intensity--with both UV-A and UV-B rays filtered out, producing less glare and more comfort to the individual.
For those who have side effects, even though they are very small and mild, moving away a few inches from the light source and then gradually over a period from two days to two weeks, move back toward the light in increments until the full dose of 10,000-lux is being received. Another method is to reduce the treatment time to 15 minutes instead of 30 minutes per day, gradually moving that time back up a few minutes a day until the desired time exposure is met.
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