What is seasonal depression exactly?
Seasonal depression is a sort of mood disorder, which occurs around the same time of the year, and regularly encumbers those who don’t have any symptoms or complaints the rest of the year. The most frequent seasonal depression occurs in autumn and in winter, but there are lots of people, who experience this in spring or in summer. If you experience the following symptoms, it’s worth seeing the doctor, because it can easily happen that you are suffering from depression: difficulty waking up, dizziness, nausea, increased need for sleep, and increased appetite (especially for carbohydrate), weight gain, fatigue, deterioration of concentration, or isolation. All of the above can cause pessimistic mentality, negative and hopeless feelings and the lack of happiness, which are all the trademarks of depression.
In the North, especially in the Scandinavian countries every tenth person is affected by seasonal depression and each specialist see the cause in genetic features. The only exception is Iceland, where seasonal depression is surprisingly rare.
Some explain that the high salt consumption is the reason for the balanced state of Icelanders. An ordinary Icelander consumes 90kg fish during a year, Hungarians 4kg a year and Americans 24kg by comparison. In Japan salt consumption is also high (A Japanese consumes 60kg fish on average per year) and seasonal depression can occur very rarely.
Treating with or without medicine?
In a Canadian research of 2006, the degree of efficiency of the most current antidepressants was compared to that of the light therapy in case of treating seasonal depression. Scientists, specialists were astonished by seeing the results, because the therapy which appeared in the 1970’s was considered to be part of the pseudoscience. As a result of the 8 week long research, the efficiency of the most frequently used antidepressant was identical with the efficiency of light therapy. Both of these methods can improve the symptoms with a 67% success ratio. In the last decade, there has been more and more research projects based on the efficiency of light therapy. Moreover, the success of light therapy in treating classical depression and major depressive disorder is examined these days.
What is light therapy like?
All living creatures need the vital sunlight. Not only in the ancient Greek and Roman cultures, but also in Egypt, the sun had a great significance, certified by the respect for Helios, Ra, for the Greek and the Egyptian sun gods. 1500 years BC, the sun light was already used for healing. For example: wounds and skin disease was treated by covering the affected area with some herbs and then they let the warmth of the sun extract the drugs from herbs.
We can thank the Faroese doctor, Niels Finsen for discovering the light therapy of modern ages. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, he developed an artificial light source, with which he could effectively treat lupus, and the symptoms of smallpox. Because of the later appearing antibiotics, the „Finsen” light therapy was fading, but it turned up again in the 1970’s.
Herb Kern, an American researcher of the National Institute of Mental Health, started to study the seasonal depression at the beginning of the 70’s and realized that he also had these symptoms. Kern made a complaint to his colleagues, who were dealing with human biorhythms, and who built a lamp that simulates natural sunlight. After using this lamp for some days, his symptoms relieved. People, who took part in his research and who suffered from seasonal depression also experienced positive changes using the light therapy.
Nowadays, light therapy is the primary method for treating seasonal depression, but apart from that it is very efficient for treating circadian rhythm disorders or skin diseases (eczema, psoriasis, acne). Low-intensity laser, infra-red and ultraviolet lights can be used for pain relief, stimulating hair growth, during skin treatments and healing wounds.
Sauna and light therapy
The connection of light therapy and sauna is very beneficial and well-known. On our blog, numerous articles can be found about the charitable mental and physical effects of having regular sauna sessions. In an INUA sauna there are LED light panels and light tracks which incorporate the natural sunlight, but still they can create an intimate and relaxing atmosphere with their soft lights.
If you suspect that you suffer from seasonal depression, you should see your doctor and ask about light therapy and its types. It is good to keep in mind that there really is a cure for our problems and with having a sauna session at home you can do something pleasant and useful at the same time.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seasonal_affective_disorder
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_therapy
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/chronotherapy/201512/when-depression-ignores-the-seasons-light-therapy-works
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/how-do-life/201502/light-therapy-seasonal-affective-disorder
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-athletes-way/201511/light-therapy-can-help-treat-depression-year-round
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/chronotherapy/201301/light-therapy-antidepressant-meds-eitheror-both
Nowadays, more and more children are suffering from asthma, eczema or are allergic to something and it’s very frequent that they can’t even grow out these problems. The appropriate medical treatment is a key point in case of these complaints, but salt therapy is a very effective solution as supplementary treatment.
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