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Risks
By Mayo Clinic staffRisks and side effects associated with light therapy are uncommon but can happen. They can include:
- Eyestrain
- Headache
- Agitation
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Irritability
- Fatigue
- Dry mouth
- Sleep problems
- Mania
When side effects do occur, they're usually mild. They may go away on their own within a few days of starting light therapy. You also may be able to manage these problems by reducing treatment time, moving farther from your light box, taking breaks during long sessions, or changing the time of day you use light therapy. Talk to your doctor for additional help and advice, or if your side effects don't go away or get worse.
Who shouldn't use light therapy
Some light boxes don't filter out or shield harmful ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light can cause skin and eye damage. Don't use light therapy without consulting your doctor first if:
- Your skin is sensitive to light
- You take medications that react with sunlight, such as certain antibiotics or anti-inflammatories
- You have an eye condition that makes your eyes vulnerable to light damage
Cautions for bipolar disorder, severe depression
Light therapy may trigger episodes of mania in people with bipolar disorder. Also, although rare, some people, particularly those with severe forms of depression, develop thoughts of suicide after light therapy. Be sure to talk to your doctor or mental health provider before starting light therapy or at any time during treatment if your condition gets worse.
- Morgan AJ, et al. Self-help interventions for depressive disorders and depressive symptoms: A systematic review. Annals of General Psychiatry. 2008;7:13.
- Glickman G, et al. Light therapy for seasonal affective disorder with blue narrow-band light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Biological Psychiatry. 2006;59(6):502-507.
- Desan PH, et al. A controlled trial of the Litebook light-emitting diode (LED) light therapy device for treatment of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). BMC Psychiatry. 2007;7:38.
- Lurie SJ, et al. Seasonal affective disorder. American Family Physician. 2006;74(9): 1521-4.
- Byrne B, et al. Seasonal affective disorder and light therapy. Sleep Medicine Clinics. 2008;3:307-315.
- Even C, et al. Efficacy of light therapy in nonseasonal depression: A systematic review. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2008;108(1-2):11-23.
- Rosenthal NE. Winter Blues: Everything You Need to Know to Beat Seasonal Affective Disorder. Rev. ed. New York, N.Y.: Guilford Press; 2006:113-165.
