The birthplace of modern medicine, Ancient Greece, sunny since ever, was the place where Sun was medically proscribed as a therapy, by the Father of Wetern Medicine, Hippocrates. The early Greek physician Hippocrates, among others, had developed courses of treatment for numerous diseases based on exposure to sunlight.
Guess what... Solaria were structures devoted to sunbathing, which was prescribed to cure ailments of the skin and promote good health and vitality.
Hippocrates wrote the first texts about the sun's benefits on mental health and mood and named this therapy "Heliotherapy."[1]
Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary defines heliotherapy as "exposure to sunlight for therapeutic purposes" and phototherapy as "exposure to sunlight or to ultraviolet light for therapeutic purposes."[2] Phototherapy may be used to treat conditions such as extensive atopic dermatitis, extensive psoriasis, seasonal and nonseasonal depression, seasonal bipolar disorders, and neonatal hyperbilirubinemia.[3] From about the middle of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century, sunlight, in combination with isolation, proper hygiene, fresh air, good nutrition, and physical exercise, was used to control and treat tuberculosis.[4] Moreover, Niels Ryberg Finsen (1860-1904) earned a Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1903 for his work on phototherapy to treat diseases such as lupus vulgaris.[5]
Light Therapy in Medicine
Outdoor Exercise
Sensible sunshine exposure plays an essential role in overall health. Michael F. Holick, Ph.D., MD, a researcher at the Boston University Medical Center, indicates that "vitamin D is the sunshine vitamin" and sunlight plays a role in vitamin synthesis.[6][7][8][9]Sunlight exposure may improve overall health,[10]control infections,[11]improve life expectancy,[12]reduce cognitive impairment,[13]help manage influenza pandemics[14][15]enhance the immune system,[16]manage coronavirus,[17]and improve employee mental health.[18]
Moreover, sunlight may have bactericidal potential[19]and help reduce fungal contamination in contaminated clothes.[20]Light therapy may be used to manage seasonal affective disorder,[21]for major depressive disorders and bipolar depression without seasonal pattern,[22]beneficial for improving sleep-wake cycles in individuals with Parkinson's disease,[23]and for multiple sclerosis-related fatigue.[24]
Light Therapy for Mood Disorders
An article by Turner and Mainster[25] in the British Journal of Ophthalmology indicates that the eyes play a vital role in good health. The authors state that “Bright light (≥2500 lux), particularly from bluer sources such as outdoor daylight, can reduce or eliminate insomnia and depression; immediately increase brain serotonin, mood, alertness, and cognitive function.” A study in Biological Psychiatry in 1994[26] indicates that “many Americans may be receiving insufficient light exposure to maintain optimal mood.” Interestingly, the subjects in this study were located in sunny San Diego, California, and 40 to 64 years old. According to Figueiro and colleagues,[27] “Light can also elicit an acute alerting effect on people, similar to a ‘cup of coffee.’” A longitudinal study in the Journal of Neural Transmission in 2007[28] concluded that blue light increases alertness and information processing speed.
Light Therapy for Pain Management
A randomized study in Pain Medicine in 2014[29] indicates that light therapy could not only improve depressive symptoms but also reduce pain intensity in individuals with chronic nonspecific back pain. The authors say that this effect may be due to pain and depression sharing similar pathophysiological pathways. Another study by Burgess and colleagues[30] shows that morning light therapy may help U.S. veterans with chronic low back pain. Another research study by the same lead author[31] shows that light therapy may be feasible as an adjunctive treatment for fibromyalgia.
Benefits of sunshine and sunlight
Source of vitamin D
Source of natural bright light to improve mood and seasonal and nonseasonal depression
Treating medical conditions such as tuberculosis and psoriasis
Controlling infections
Improve immune system
Bactericidal potential
Potential to reduce fungal contamination
Light levels in outdoor and indoor environments.
Outdoor activity, exercise, and work help achieve optimal light exposure[37]. Sample outdoor activities, sports, exercises, winter exercises, and indoor exercises to improve bright light exposure.
So don't miss the chance to take advantage of the Light in Greece, Enjoy the sunny days by taking good care of your skin and sun protection
Researchers have found suboptimal lighting practices in the home,[32] work,[38] and school39[39] can affect performance,[38] depression,[32][40] sleep,[41][42][43][43][44] and myopia.[45]
Below are practical self-management strategies that may be used to enhance light exposure at home, work, or school as published by physiopedia
Practical self-management strategies for increased light exposure in the home.
Get enough natural outdoor light during the day, especially in the morning.
Have your breakfast near a window or on a balcony, porch, patio, or in your backyard gazebo.
Open the curtains to let in as much outdoor light as possible, especially in the morning.
Consider remodelling the home to add more windows or skylights or enlarging existing windows.
Consider adding a sundeck or a gazebo to the backyard for exercise, meditation, relaxation, or reading.
Consider painting walls with light shades or tones (e.g., white) and purchase furniture with light colours.
Create a reading, relaxation, or healing space in the home that has sunlight streaming in. For reading, it's best if the sunlight is behind the person.
Place the home computer or workstation to face out a large window where a person can gaze off into the distance periodically. However, the homeowner should avoid facing direct sunlight.
Wash home windows and trim the bushes and trees near the windows to allow for more light to enter the home.
To prevent sleep problems, turn off cellphones and computers several hours before bedtime.
Sit on a balcony, patio, porch, or in the backyard, and do some bird watching or gaze at the horizon or trees in the distance for light and relaxation.
For optimal benefits, homeowners may need to consider remodelling their homes to allow more interaction with the outdoor environment. See a sleep medicine or lighting specialist for additional guidance.
Practical self-management strategies for increased light exposure at work
If a person has windows in their office, position the desk to face out the window. Being able to look away from a computer monitor and into the distance may help reduce eye strain. However, the office worker should avoid facing direct sunlight.
Arrange all workstations at the perimeter of the office to face out windows.
Place vending machines, water dispensers, and photocopiers near windows.
Have meetings in well-lit rooms with large windows and natural outdoor light.
Consider holding small group meetings while walking outside on a sunny day.
Consider adding skylights to areas with many workstations.
Open window blinds and trim back bushes and trees covering office windows.
Eat lunch outdoors (at a picnic table or sit on a portable chair), even if a person sits under a tree or in the shade. If a person can't go outside due to heat, cold, allergies, or pollution, sit near a window in the cafeteria and do some bird watching or gaze at the horizon or trees in the distance.
After eating your lunch, take a 10 to 15-minute walk. Exercise outdoors before work, during lunch, or after work. Short bout exercise has been shown to be effective for improving health and enhancing exercise adherence in overweight and obese adults.[46][47]
Go outdoors during work breaks. Even on an overcast day, being outdoors provides more light than the typical indoor office lighting (see Table 2 for lux levels).
For optimal benefits, companies may need to consider remodelling their buildings to allow more interaction with the outdoor environment. See a sleep medicine or lighting specialist for additional guidance.
Practical self-management strategies for increased light exposure at school.
Open the blinds and curtains to allow natural outdoor light to enter.
Have children sit near the windows. However, the students should avoid facing direct sunlight.
Take recess outdoors.
Include activities that involve outdoor projects such as gardening and sports.
Encourage children to eat outdoors, even if it's under a tree or in the shade. If the children can't go outside due to heat, cold, allergies, or pollution, have them sit near a window in the cafeteria and do some bird watching or gaze into the distance.
Include more outdoor recess breaks and outdoor physical education classes. According to some researchers, higher levels of total time spent outdoors may be associated with less myopia.[45]
For optimal benefits, schools may need to consider remodeling their buildings to allow more interaction with the outdoor environment. See a sleep medicine or lighting specialist for additional guidance.
and more sources
Comments