In the News--Smartphone technology

Do you own a smartphone?  If not, you may miss out on upcoming medical technology?  My research points out that this technology for medical purposes has begun and promises to grow.

As an example, a professor at MIT developed an eye-piece and an App for his iPhone which optometrists will be able to use to determine a person’s vision and prescribe eye glasses.  Instead of needing an expensive, large piece of equipment in their offices, optometrists can measure and prescribe proper eye glasses with this eyepiece and smartphone App.  

Smart phone apps already exist for tracking calories we eat, measuring how much we walk/run (pedometers).  What other medical applications are being developed?  Future applications may detect irregular heartbeats, monitor Parkinson’s disease tremors and alert a woman when she’s ovulating.  I find this use of technology interesting.  Watch this one and see where we go. 

This interesting article can be found at http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/162/health-industry-smartphones-tablets?cid=xtw_humancap

More treatments for SAD

The last two doctor prescribed treatments for seasonal-affective disorder (SAD) includes anti-depressants and psychotherapy. For people who find other strategies do not work, antidepressants “effectively treat episodes of depression in people who have seasonal affective disorder.  http://www.webmd.com/depression/tc/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad-treatment-overview The most commonly used anti-depressants include paroxetine (Paxil), sertraline (Zoloft), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem) and venlafaxine (Effexor).

Psychotherapy can “help you identify and change negative thoughts and behaviors that may be making you feel worse.  You can also learn healthy ways to cope with seasonal affective disorder and manage stress.  The staff at MayoClinic.com have provided excellent suggestions on preparing for your doctor’s appointment and treatment options at MayoClinic.com, Seasonal affective disorder, http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195

Light treatments for SAD

If simple tips (yesterday’s post) don’t help, see your doctor and ask about light therapy.  “Light therapy is an effective treatment for SAD.”   

Two types of light therapy can be used for SAD:  bright light treatment and dawn simulation.  Bright light therapy involves sitting a specified distance from a ‘light box’ in the morning for a specific amount of time your doctor recommends (maybe 30 minutes up to 2 hours). 

Dawn simulation involves a low-intensity light which comes on ‘dim’ and gradually increases intensity and becomes brighter as time to awaken arrives. 

Two cautions about light therapy: 1.   be aware that light therapy may interfere with melatonin production and cause sleep problems if it is used at night.  For that reason, Light therapy usage is recommended for mornings.  2.   Some people use tanning beds as a substitute for light therapy.  Ultraviolet lights, tanning beds and tanning lamps aren’t recommended because of the danger of skin cancer.  http://www.webmd.com/depression/tc/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad-treatment-overview

How can we better deal with SAD?

How can we better deal with SAD?  

Take a trip to a warm, sunny place.  We’ve done this several years and recommend the dose of sunshine (vitamin D) one gets from walking the beach and lying in the sun.  Remember your sun screen to prevent sunburn and possible skin cancer.  However, I recognize a tropical trip is not possible for everyone or even every year.   

What are other tactics we can use?  Add more light to your life.  Open curtains and get as much light in your house as possible.  Dress appropriately and get outside for a walk, if possible in the middle part of the day.  Sit and soak up the sunlight for a few minutes (But keep warm, even if you have to bundle up in coat, earmuffs and mittens).  

Do any of my readers have suggestions of how to cope with SAD?  What works for you?

If these simple strategies do not work, your doctor may have some suggestions.  More tomorrow. 

What causes seasonal affective disorder?

What causes seasonal affective disorder? 
Experts aren’t sure but they believe three factors contribute to SAD.

Not enough sunlight upsets our circadian (biological) clock.  This internal clock affects when we sleep and when we are awake.   We say, ‘the days get shorter’ in fall and winter but that’s not true.    The amount of daylight is decreased during fall and winter.  When our daylight hours shorten, we may not see the sunlight.  Watch a group of people who go to work in the dark and come home in the dark.  After a few days, they will start to feel crabby. (My observation, not a scientific finding.)

Serotonin levels drop because of reduced sunlight.  Serotonin is a neurotransmitter in our brains; a low level of serotonin may contribute to depression.

 

    Melatonin levels may change.  Melatonin is a natural sleep hormone produced by the pineal gland (a small structure inside our heads).  Our retinas (posterior eye involved with vision) transmit light signals to first the hypothalamus and then the pineal gland.  The pineal gland releases melatonin (our natural sleep hormone) when we see low light.  Melatonin level is lowest during the day when the light is bright. Gloomy days may contribute to more melatonin production and sleepiness. 

What are symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?

According to MayoClinic.com, symptoms of winter-onset SAD include feeling depressed and/or hopeless, lacking energy, feeling anxious,  finding it hard to concentrate, feeling like it takes too much effort to socialize or do things you usually enjoy, sleeping more than usual, craving simple carbohydrates (like sweets and fast foods), eating too much and gaining weight.    More information can be found at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195/DSECTION=symptoms   

Tomorrow we look at what causes SAD. 

Are you SAD?

Do you dread wintertime with its dreary days and cold weather?  Do you find yourself depressed, lacking energy and wanting to eat carbs all the time?  Could you be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD)?   

People who find they deal with depression every year at the same timeframe may be dealing with SAD.  

I find I deal with SAD during January through March when days are dreary and the cold wind blows.   Often we schedule a trip to a tropical place during the winter (see last year’s vacation picture), but not this year.  So what is SAD and how do we cope with it?    More tomorrow.