Chicago has it all – world-renown landmarks, great shopping, incredible food, fun night-life, and numerous outdoor activities. However, most of what makes Chicago stand apart from other cities requires weather suitable to be outdoors (Chicago in the summertime is what makes Chicago). All of us who live in the “windy city” know this term of endearment given to Chicago is in fact not rooted in the hot-aired politicians, but is actually due to the bitter, take-your-breath-away winds, snow, and rainy weather that lasts for approximately 8 out of the 12 months of the year! As a result, many of us are indoors for 2/3rds of the year making it difficult to achieve adequate amounts of sun exposure necessary for production of the vitamins and hormones that help to combat those winter blues!
What are the “winter blues”?
What are the “winter blues”?
Some people fall into a mild depression cyclically starting in autumn as the days become shorter and the weather gets colder. These winter blues has a more severe form of depression known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and affects four times as many women as men. The winter blues are primarily caused by unstable melatonin levels, a hormone produced during sleep, and serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for mood, hunger, and sleep. With the decrease in amount of sunlight each day, these hormone imbalances cause changes in sleep, mood, the ability to concentrate, and as a result a change in the way one reacts to every day tasks.
Could you be suffering from the “winter blues”?
Those experiencing two or more of these symptoms each year starting in the autumn and continuing into the spring may suffer from the winter blues. Some symptoms include:
- Increased feelings of lethargy
- Difficulty waking up in the mornings as the days get shorter
- Difficulty concentrating and thinking creatively in comparison to the summer months
- Incorrectly blaming oneself for things that go wrong
- Difficulty performing tasks that normally seem to be easy/enjoyable
- Increased craving for carbohydrate-rich food like chocolate and sodas
Gannett Health Services website stated that of those who suffer from this condition, 85% will recover with some form of treatment. This statistic is important to remember. Those “winter blues” along with SAD can be treated with the help of your doctor.
Here are some tips to get through the rest of our “dark” season.
Light Therapy
Light Therapy has been proven to be an effective form of treatment on those experiencing dementia, other mental disorders, and those experiencing rhythm sleep issues. The pineal gland, located in the middle of the brain, responds to darkness by secreting melatonin, which re-sets the brain's central clock and helps the light/dark cycle re-set the sleep/wake cycle and other daily rhythms for those with insomnia, trouble getting to sleep, and those experiencing trouble staying asleep. The use of light therapy creates light similar to that produced by the sun, which helps to re-set this cycle. Time of light dosage and intensity of light can be prescribed by a physician. It is important to realize that bright light could pose dangers to patients with known retinal pathology and those who are photosensitive whether it is due to a side-effect of medication or the patient is elderly or fair-skinned. Excluding these cases and excessive exposure, light therapy overall appears to have a very favorable risk-benefit ratio.
Exercise
Aerobic exercise has proven to help people fight feelings of the blues in the winter by increasing serotonin levels. Not only does aerobic exercise improve mood, but it also has been shown to reduce stress which often exacerbates feelings of depression brought on by the winter blues. According to the Gannett Health Services, one hour doing aerobic exercise outside (even with a cloudy skies overhead) has the same benefits as 2.5 hours of light treatment indoors. Brisk walking, running, skiing, and cycling have all been proven to help combat the winter blues.
Diet
It is common that those experiencing winter blues crave foods high in carbohydrates, soft-drinks, and other comfort foods to obtain a quick “pick-me-up.” These foods contain high levels of sugar and carbohydrates, which increases the levels of serotonin in the body and brain. Instead of reaching for a slice of bread, a can of pop, or white and processed foods which are white bread, pasta, sugar, and white rice, eat larger portions complex carbohydrates and proteins to prevent rapid raises and falls in blood sugar. Good examples of these include: spinach, apples, oatmeal, wild rice, carrots, broccoli, and lentils to name a few.
When to see your doctor
If your winter blues seem to be more severe than in the past and do not respond to treatments that have previously been effective, it is time to seek help from a physician. Vitamin D levels can be assessed through a simple blood test and depending on your obtained value, supplementation might be necessary. Also, melatonin is a hormone manufactured from serotonin and may be supplemented to help treat the winter blues. These are just a few examples of treatments physicians can implement to help with the symptoms of the winter blues. The knowledgeable doctors at Serenity Health & Wellness blood tests have the resources to order and interpret both of these tests and many more. For more information or to schedule your appointment, please visit our website www.serenityhealthwellness.com.
Sources:
Gannett Health Services at Cornell University. http://www.gannett.cornell.edu/healthAtoZ/healthAdvice/winterBlues.html
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health
Lewy AJ, Lefler BJ, Emens JS, Bauer VK. The circadian basis of winter depression. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. 2006 Apr 28.
Shirani, A. & St. Louis, E. K. 2006. Illuminating rational and uses for light therapy. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, April 15; 5(2): 155-163
No comments:
Post a Comment