The IP address used for your Internet connection is part of a subnet that has been blocked from access to PubMed Central. Addresses across the entire subnet were used to download content in bulk, in violation of the terms of the PMC Copyright Notice. Use of PMC is free, but must comply with the terms of the Copyright Notice on the PMC site. For additional information, or to request that your IP address be unblocked, For requests to be unblocked, you must include all of the information in the box above in your message.If you’re sleeping too much, feeling depressed or have your days and nights mixed up during the winter months, have you considered using a sun lamp? The light delivered through sun lamps is often particularly effective for people suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD), according to family medicine practitioner Robert Cain, MD. “Long periods of dark and a lack of sun exposure gets your sleep-wake rhythm thrown off. Sun lamps reset it,” he says.
Sun lamps positively impact your body’s regulation of melatonin, a hormone that helps control your sleep-wake cycle, as well as serotonin, which helps regulate your mood by relaying signals in your brain. Do I need a prescription for a sun lamp? Sun lamps are widely available at many retail stores, and they’re relatively affordable, Dr. Cain says. The average price is around $150. Any doctor that treats depression — a primary care provider, psychiatrist or psychologist — can recommend light therapy, but you don’t need a prescription to buy a sun lamp. If you are considering trying sun lamp therapy, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor about whether it’s right for you. Sun lamp therapy works best with bright, white light, Dr. Cain says. Research shows red, blue and green light isn’t as effective. RELATED: Seasonal Affective Disorder: Beyond the Winter Blues Are sun lamps safe? Sun lamps don’t give off ultraviolet radiation, so they pose little risk to most people, Dr. Cain says.
It’s a good idea to ask your doctor if any medication you take makes you more sensitive to light. Avoid using one if you have: Individuals with bipolar disorder should use a mood stabilizer with a sun lamp, Dr. Cain says, because the added light exposure can incite a manic episode. Evidence is scant on the safety of using sun lamps with children, but Dr. Cain says they are effective under certain circumstances. “If a child has been diagnosed with depression, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it,” he says. “I think it’s pretty safe. Just make sure he or she doesn’t look directly at the light.” RELATED: What To Do If Your Teen Has Signs of Depression How do I use a sun lamp? Position the lamp overhead by 30 degrees, Dr. Cain says, because light receptors are at the bottom of your eyes. Never look directly into the light. The therapeutic goal is 5,000 lux (the standard unit of illumination) per hour of light therapy, but he recommends using a 10,000 lux bulb for 30 minutes.
(A standard household light averages 100 lux.) Light therapy via sun lamps is most effective in the mornings, so Dr. Cain advises patients to use the lamp daily while they eat breakfast or have coffee. Also, even though it’s a light-based therapy, sun lamps don’t impact Vitamin D production. Be sure to get your vitamin D through your diet and/or supplements as your doctor advises. RELATED: Think Your Child Gets Enough Vitamin D? You Might Be Surprised What about sunrise alarm clocks? Sunrise alarm clocks are similar to sun lamps. These devices are basically alarm clocks that you set to mimic the sunrise. They do not emit UV rays and have equal efficacy to sun lamps. For maximum benefit, Dr. Cain recommends setting the clock to resemble a sunrise in June or July. Your eyes can absorb the light through your eyelids, so you wake up gradually and may take care of your light therapy before you even get out of bed.Unlike Psoriasis, the possibilities for treating vitiligo are limited to phototherapy, except for a small number of patients with stable vitiligo, who can be treated with skin autologous pigment grafts.
The first report of the use of ""phototherapy"" in the treatment of skin disorders dates from about 1400 BC among Hindus, as already mentioned. They used ""photochemotherapy""-administration of plant extracts, followed by sun exposure-for vitiligo. The same treatment was also used in ancient Egypt. The active ingredients in these plant extracts were isolated in 1947 by Fahmy et al. as 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) and 5-methoxypsoralen (MOP). In the same year, these authors and also El Mofty started to treat patients with vitiligo with 8-MOP and sun exposure. Kromayer, a German dermatologist, designed in 1904 a water cooled mercury vapor UV lamp. He was the first to treat vitiligo with artificial UVB. In 1969 Fulton et al. used "black light" UVA tubes for the first time in combination with topical 8-MOP in the treatment of vitiligo. Parrish and Fitzpatrick introduced modern photochemotherapy with 8-MOP, having a peak sensitivity at 330 nm and UVA fluorescent tubes. They used fluorescent tubes emitting in the 320 - 380 nm waveband in the PUVA treatment of vitiligo.
Although late effects, e.g. skin carcinogenesis, have rarely been reported in vitiligo, the frequently observed phototoxic responses were considered a severe practical problem. N.B.: Our UVB lamps are NOT registered with FDA as medical devices as they are NOT packaged or labeled for commercial distribution for health-related purposes. Unlike Psoriasis, the possibilities for treating vitiligo are limited to phototherapy, except for a small number of patients with stable vitiligo, who can be treated with skin autologous pigment grafts.Although late effects, e.g. skin carcinogenesis, have rarely been reported in vitiligo, the frequently observed phototoxic responses were considered a severe practical problem.Get the tools and support you need to best manage your eczema PhototherapyPhototherapy, also called light therapy, means treatment with a special kind of light. The most common type of phototherapy used to treat eczema is narrowband ultraviolet B (UVB) light. This uses a special machine to emit UVB light, which is the best part of natural sunlight for treating eczema.
Broadband UVB phototherapy, PUVA (Psoralen and UVA), and UVA1 are other forms of phototherapy that may be used in special circumstances to treat eczema. Increase vitamin D production Ramp up bacteria-fighting systems in the skin Phototherapy is used for eczema that is all over the body (widespread) or for localized eczema (such as hands and feet) that has not gotten better with topical treatments. About 70% of people with eczema get better with phototherapy. Some people find that phototherapy puts their eczema in a “remittive” or “quiet” state long past the end of the treatment. What should I consider before starting phototherapy? Before you start phototherapy, there are some things to consider: For it to be effective, phototherapy generally requires 2 to 3 treatments per week in the office. Risks: burns, increased aging and increased risk of skin cancer over time are all significant risks with any type of phototherapy. Eye protection must be worn for every treatment to prevent damage to the eyes.
What should I expect with phototherapy? During your visit you will apply a moisturizing oil to the skin and stand in the cabinet undressed except for underwear and protective goggles The machine will be activated for a short time, usually just seconds to minutes, and will treat the entire body, or just certain exposed areas Careful records are kept of your response and the light is slowly increased with each treatment After several months of treatment, the frequency of the visits can sometimes be reduced to once or twice weekly If things continue to improve, phototherapy can be stopped for a period to see if the eczema is in remission If successful, some patients may restart the cycle or simply come once or twice weekly to maintain their improvement When it does work, it is not a rapid improvement like some treatments: generally 1-2 months of steady treatment is necessary to start to see improvement. The latest eczema news and research, delivered straight to your inbox