Phototherapy, also called light therapy, treats medical conditions through controlled exposure to sunlight or artificial light at specific wavelengths. It is used for seasonal affective disorder, circadian rhythm sleep disorders, neonatal jaundice, and skin conditions such as psoriasis, acne, and eczema, working variously by regulating melatonin production or by using targeted wavelengths to reduce skin inflammation.
Facts
Phototherapy
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What does the evidence say about light therapy for seasonal affective disorder?
Studies report that light therapy reduces seasonal affective disorder symptoms, with results lasting at least one month.
Studies show that light therapy helps reduce the depressive symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, such as excessive sleepiness and fatigue, with results lasting for at least one month. The source describes it as a relatively safe and easy therapy with minimal side effects, and says two methods, bright light and dawn simulation, have similar success rates. This page records what the literature reports and is not medical advice.
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Treats
Source Light Therapy (Wikipedia)
Source Light Therapy (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Wikipedia
Wikipedia contributors, Wikimedia Foundation
2. Light Therapy (Wikipedia)
History section
Indian medical literature dating to 1500 BCE describes a treatment combining herbs with natural sunlight to treat non-pigmented skin areas.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_therapy, lead section
Light therapy, also called phototherapy or bright light therapy, is the exposure to direct sunlight or artificial light at controlled wavelengths in order to treat a variety of medical disorders, including seasonal affective disorder (SAD), circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders,
Treats: Psoriasis, Lead: treats Psoriasis
Treating skin conditions such as neurodermatitis, psoriasis, acne vulgaris, and eczema with ultraviolet light is called ultraviolet light therapy.
Treats: Eczema, Lead: treats Eczema
Treating skin conditions such as neurodermatitis, psoriasis, acne vulgaris, and eczema with ultraviolet light is called ultraviolet light therapy.
In Group: Oxygen, Light and Pressure Therapies, Introduction
Light therapy, also called phototherapy or bright light therapy, is the exposure to direct sunlight or artificial light at controlled wavelengths in order to treat a variety of medical disorders, including seasonal affective disorder (SAD), circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, cancers, neonatal jaundice, and skin wound infections.
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