Beurer TL 35 Gebrauchsanweisung Seite 18

3. INTENDED USE
Purpose
The daylight therapy lamp is intended to compensate the effects of lack of light, particularly sunlight,
and provide relief from winter seasonal affective disorders, mood disorders and circadian phase sleep
disorders.
Patient population
For adults and children over the age of 3 years.
Intended users
The use of the device does not require a specific knowledge or professional ability. The patient is the
intended operator, except for patients who require special assistance.
Indication
The device simulates daylight to provide relief from seasonal or mood disorders.
Contraindication
Do not use in case of people insensitive to heat, people with skin lesions due to illness, people with a
condition that might render his or her eyes more vulnerable to phototoxicity, people with a photosensitive
skin condition, patient is taking a photosensitizing medication or herb.
Why use a daylight therapy lamp?
When the hours of daylight are noticeably shorter in autumn and people increasingly stay inside in winter,
the effects of a lack of light may become apparent. This is often described as "winter depression". The
symptoms can present themselves in a number of ways:
• Imbalance
• Subdued mood
• Lack of energy and listlessness
• Generally feeling under the weather
The cause of these symptoms is the fact that light – particularly sunlight – is essential for life and has
a direct effect upon the human body. Sunlight indirectly controls the production of melatonin, which is
passed to the blood only in darkness. This hormone shows your body that it's time to sleep. That's why
more melatonin is produced in months with less sunshine, making it difficult to get up in the mornings
because your body functions are powered down. Use the daylight therapy lamp immediately after waking
up (i.e. as early as possible) to end the production of melatonin and to brighten your mood.
Lack of light also prevents the production of the happy hormone serotonin, which is said to significantly
influence our well-being. The application of light thus yields quantitative changes to hormones and
neurotransmitters in the brain that have an effect on our activity levels, our feelings and our well-being. To
compensate for such a hormonal imbalance, daylight therapy lamps can create a suitable replacement for
natural sunlight.
In the medical field, daylight therapy lamps are used to combat the effects of a lack of light. Daylight
therapy lamps simulate daylight over 10,000 lux. This light can influence the human body and be used as
a treatment or as a preventative measure. Normal electric light, however, is not sufficient to influence the
hormonal balance. This is because in a well-lit office, the light intensity is just 500 lux, for example.
• Need for more sleep
• Loss of appetite
• Difficulty concentrating
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