Review: FSS BlueMax 70 Light

Let There Be Light!

Do you start getting depressed and lethargic about half way through the winter months? If so, and you are not normally like this the rest of the year, you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as S.A.D. (of course it is). So what are you supposed to do if you do have S.A.D.? Well, if you can’t spend the winter months somewhere down south, one treatment option is anti-depressants; another treatment option is light therapy. You read that correctly, light therapy, and there is quite a bit of scientific data to back up its effectiveness.

So how do you get this light therapy? Well, fortunately you don’t need a prescription, though if you are feeling depressed you should see your doctor just to confirm that it really is S.A.D. and not something else. You also don’t need a degree in thermonuclear physics so that you can create your own mini-sun in your living room (let me know how that works for you though, if you try). Really, you just need to get yourself a light therapy unit from many of the companies that are out there. They come in all shapes and sizes, from literally a little light box, all the way to a huge floor lamp that can flood an entire room with simulated daylight.

One of the companies that has probably the best and most stylish collection of lights would be Full Spectrum Solutions, which is based here in Jackson, Michigan. The folks at Full Spectrum Solutions sent me two of their BlueMax 70 watt High Definition Full Spectrum Desk Lamps to test out. I have been using one unit on my computer desk down in the basement of my house and the other unit has been used as a bedside lamp for my wife, the estimable Dr. Lockwood who most definitely gets S.A.D. every winter.

So the question is do they work? Well, I personally think that the literature in the medical journals put that question to rest quite a long time ago but from a personal standpoint I would have to give a slightly reserved yes. Now this isn’t to say that I haven’t been extremely happy with these lights, it is just that I don’t really get into my S.A.D. funk until about February so I can’t really assess how well the light does at bringing me out of that funk. I can definitely say though that I feel better now after using these lamps for two months than I normally do at this time of year and my wife agrees that she feels better as well.

So how does light therapy work? Typically you get a light that simulates the full light spectrum of the sun (the lamps you normally have in the house only put out light in a rather narrow band) and sometimes even blue light is used. Typically you just need the light next to you (you aren’t supposed to stare at it or anything like that) for about an hour a day. Some doctors may also recommend that patients use a dawn simulator that gradually brings up the light as they get close to their waking hour so that it is a more natural way of waking up.

I have been using it for several hours every day since I spend most of my non-working/sleeping hours down in the basement either on my computer or on my Xbox which is right next to my computer desk (I literally have a guy cave). I couldn’t think of an easier way to use this light since I have to have a light on next to my desk anyway even during the day. This is by far the easiest and most passive medical treatment I have ever used!

While my recommendation for the lights’ usefulness in S.A.D. may be on the reserved side, my recommendation just as a normal lamp is not reserved in any way. These are by far the best lights I have ever used. I kind of scoffed when I read in the literature they sent me about these being High Definition lights since everything seems to be HD nowadays, but for once I was genuinely surprised by a product I tried out. When I first turned on these lights in my house, I almost had to pick my jaw up off the floor. The quality of the light is like nothing else I have seen, they really are like having perfect sunlight (without the nasty UV rays) in my house. My wife even commented that once she thought she had left the blinds open in our bedroom and the sun was coming in, when really the light streaming into the hallway was from the lamp.

When they say High Definition, what they really mean is that since the light is like what your eyes were intended to see, you really do get a different look at things in your house. Be careful though, you will find all kinds of things in your house that you might have overlooked using dingy incandescent lights. I’m already a neat freak and unfortunately now I see dust the minute it shows up, though I do have to say that I’m keeping my house even cleaner than I normally do. Also if you are like me, you will have a much easier time reading under this light and I already have 20/10 vision.

Now you might think that these lamps must draw a ton of electricity to mimic the light of the sun, but really these lights use special fluorescent bulbs that utilize unique phosphors that are ‘tuned’ to mimic sunlight. So not only do you get a great light that can help ward off S.A.D. but you are also helping the environment and your pocket book by using less electricity. Also like any other fluorescent light, these bulbs last thousands of hours longer than incandescent bulbs.

Being the amateur photographer that I am, I also wondered how these lamps would do for photography. Many professional photographers use ‘daylight balanced’ bulbs in their photography and I wondered if these would work the same way, and indeed they do. While the models I have are desk lamp sized, they were great for doing some still life work in my little home studio. Full Spectrum Solutions does sell daylight balanced bulbs in the normal compact fluorescent spiral form we are all used to, and I’m going to see about buying a few of these for use in a full photographic light set-up.

As I stated at the beginning of the article, Full Spectrum Solutions has a huge variety of shapes and sizes of their lamps as well as bulbs for use in your own lamp fixtures. They have everything from those dawn simulators, to personal light boxes, to desk lamps, all the way to large floor lamps and torchieres. Now I will say that these lamps are a bit more expensive than your average table lamp but here you truly get what you pay for. Those other cheap lamps only give you a part of the light spectrum and here you get the whole shebang. Once you get one of these lights you are going to want to replace all of your lights with them since you will really notice the difference between your Full Spectrum lamp and your other lights.

If you are interested in learning more about these lights, I encourage you to check out their website at www.fullspectrumsolutions.com or give them a call at 888-574-7014. Remember that they are also a Michigan company so not only are you getting a great light, you are also helping out the Michigan economy.

As always, if you have any questions about this article or any other gadgets, please feel free to write to me at jeff@healthandleisureonline.com. Have a great new year!

Is Winter Making You S.A.D.?

If you have not heard of SAD, you may have heard of a more common term: “the winter blues.” It is a disorder that is most common during fall and winter months; however, a milder version does affect some people in the spring or summer.

Symptoms of SAD vary as much as the seasons. Those suffering from the “winter blues” may experience loss of energy, anxiety, oversleeping, daytime fatigue, decreased sexual interest, weight gain, social withdrawal and moodiness.

Those feeling SAD during the spring and summer months may experience insomnia, irritability, agitation, weight loss, poor appetite and increased sexual energy.

So what causes SAD? There are many different hypotheses but no true known cause. Like most mental illness, genetics, chemical imbalances and other outside stimuli may have an affect on this illness.

Some suggest that the change in seasons affects our serotonin level; a chemical known to play a role in depression. The less sunlight, the less serotonin the body produces.

A similar hypothesis surrounds melatonin which is a sleep hormone. As daylight becomes shorter and the nights become longer, the production of melatonin increases and can also have an affect on depression.

There are different ways to treat the “winter blues” such as antidepressants and psychotherapy. Another option that is commonly employed is light therapy. This unique treatment option involves the patient sitting under light that simulates natural sunlight. The process is supposed to stimulate chemicals in the brain that relieve the depression, much like the sun’s light does during the spring and summer months.

Many therapists believe this is a useful treatment option, however, data is not very clear as to its success, and it has not been approved by the Food & Drug Administration.

If left untreated, SAD can result in complications similar to depression. These can include one or more of the following: social withdrawal, drug or alcohol abuse, suicidal thoughts or tendencies, or even problems at work or school.

You should seek medical attention if any of the symptoms of SAD arise, especially if these symptoms persist over several days in a month. Many people may feel depressed on any given cold, winter’s day, but when these feelings become consistent and frequent, this is the sign of a more severe situation.

Because SAD is a recognized mental illness, many physicians are able to diagnose and treat the condition. The severity of the illness and the patient’s ability to participate in treatment will ultimately determine which options a doctor will utilize.

Ultimately, your best outcome will depend on your own ability to recognize that you have a problem and seek out the proper medical attention from your family physician or psychiatrist.

Signs & Symptoms of S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder)

Source: www.MedicineNet.com

You should seek medical attention if any of the following symptoms persist over several days in a month.

• Tiredness
• Fatigue
• Depression
• Crying spells
• Irritability
• Concentration problems
• Body aches
• Loss of sex drive
• Disruption in sleep patterns
• Social Withdrawal
• Decreased activity levels
• Overeating (especially carbohydrates)