UV Sun Lamp

I am Eighty years old, run a village post office and have never been depressed. For the past thirteen years I have used a powerful UV sun lamp on waking. This lamp bathed my bedroom with 800 watts of light and gave me a bright start.

During June of 2007 I was diagnosed with macular degeneration and was told that UV light could aggravate MD and should be avoided. I stopped using the lamp.

During January 2008 I felt unwell, was diagnosed with depression and given drugs.

It occurred to me that my depression could be caused by lack of sunlight, a condition known as SAD, and that the cure was exposure to strong light. For the next Five mornings I used my sun lamp and on the fifth day visited my Doctor again. He was amazed to see that my depression had gone and medication was no longer needed.

Clearly, to use the UV sunlamp would be unwise so I have bought a Pharos lightbox and the depression remains banished with no deterioration of eyesight.

Peter

What a lovely story..

Lightboxes are really good, a touch expensive, but if it works is brilliant value for money.

Im really happy for you.

Me x

That's wonderful, Peter. I'm really glad the light box works for you. I've had mine for the first time this year and I've found it very effective. I really notice the difference when I don't use it too.

Taheya, I have a cheap mini lightbox just for when I go away for the weekend or on holiday and I've found it brilliant. What type is yours? Is it second hand?

After convincing my wife to move north to Vermont from her beloved Tennessee, this winter (her 5th) she has really started complaining about being 'depressed'. The new time change for daylight savings (like 2 weeks earlier) didn't help. But I got her a http://www.verilux.com/light-therapy-lamps/seasonal-affective-disorder]Happy Light from Verilux and she seems to a heck of a lot better.
She gets up at 6:30am (when the sun comes up) and sips her coffee while reading the news online in front of her light. She swears by the light therapy and is much more energized during the day and doesn't fall asleep at 6pm with a frown on her face anymore :)

Background: The role of light exposure in the development of age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) has been questioned. We present the relationship between lifetime light exposure and ARMD as examined in the Pathologies Oculaires Liees a l'Age (POLA) study.

Methods: The POLA study is a population-based study on cataract and ARMD and their risk factors. It included 2584 residents of the town of Sete, located in the South of France. The presence of early and late ARMD was assessed on the basis of 50 color fundus photographs using an international classification system. A questionnaire about light exposure was administered.

Results: Late ARMD (n = 38) was not significantly associated with any light exposure variable. Subjects exposed to high ambient solar radiation and those with frequent leisure exposure to sunlight had a decreased risk of pigmentary abnormalities (odds ratio = 0.61; 95% confidence interval , 0.39-0.93, and OR = 0.70; 95% CI, 0.52-0.95, respectively) and of early signs of ARMD (OR = 0.73; 95% CI, 0.54-0.98, and OR = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.64-1.00, respectively). Subjects who had used sunglasses regularly had a decreased risk of soft drusen (OR = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.66-1.00). These relationships were not modified by further adjustments for potential confounders.

Conclusion: Our study does not support a deleterious effect of sunlight exposure in ARMD.

Arch Ophthalmol.2001;119:1463-1468

Copyright 2001 by the American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved. Applicable FARS/DFARS Restrictions Apply to Government Use. American Medical Association, 515 N. State St, Chicago, IL 60610.

Above is a study done in 2001 which I have copied and pasted. The conclusion is in your favor as it cannot find an effect of sunlight exposure in age related MD.

Hope this helps,

Donna.

Thank you Donna. Do you have an analysis of the spectrum emitted by the Pharos lamps. Both the "broad" and the "daylight" I am particularly interested in the "blue" content.

I have just stumbled onto this site and am so glad you all wrote your comments, i lose all my energy every winter and become really depressed (except the time i was in Australia) i really like the sound of these lightboxes, does anyone know where to buy one in the UK.
P.S. "st john's wort" is a natural extract that also really helps with depression on a biological level. when i have taken it regular i have felt some improvement (more so with the liquid extract put into smoothies or milkshakes)it's a cheaper alternative until i can afford one of these lightboxes.
Thanks everyone
Dave