The holiday season is a time known to be full of joyous activities, cheerful smiles, various parties and family gatherings. However, for ageing individuals, it can be a time of self-evaluation, loneliness, reflection on past failures and anxiety about an uncertain future. Also, changes in light and temperature combined with the stresses of holiday events and heightened expectations can increase anxiety and cause depression. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder associated with depression episodes and related to seasonal variations in light. Recent news update says that doctors now prescribe a unique treatment called phototherapy. Another major problems faced by the seniors is hip pain, which is commonly treated by hip replacements. In the recent news, the U.K. Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued another hip replacement warning for a DePuy hip replacement. A recent study connects metal-on-metal hip prosthesis and 'nanoparticle' release in human tissues.
There are many factors that can cause the depressed, stressed, agitated, fatigued, and those down and out, to have dreaded bad feelings that many people experience over the holidays.
These factors include stress, fatigue, unrealistic expectations, over-commercialization, financial constraints, and the inability to be with one's family and friends. The demands of shopping, parties, family reunions and house guests also contribute to feelings of tension. People may also develop other stress responses such as headaches, excessive drinking, over-eating and difficulty sleeping.
Andrea Rogers, supervisor for the Intensive Outpatient Programs in the Department of Psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai, offers warning signs and suggestions to combat SAD this Holiday season.
"As seasons change, there is a shift in our 'biological internal clocks' or circadian rhythm due partly because of changes in sunlight patterns," says Rogers. "These changes combined with the stresses of holiday travel, sensitive family dynamics and managing expectations can build a recipe for depression during the winter months. Juggling these variables can be challenging and can make it difficult to enjoy the joys of the season," she added.
According to Rogers, melatonin, a sleep-related hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain, is produced at increased levels in the dark. Melatonin also may cause symptoms of depression. When daylight savings time ends, and it begins getting dark earlier in the day, production of the hormone increases, which may cause depressive episodes. These biological variables mixed with environmental conditions such as cold weather, emotional reactions to holidays and anxiety can create a recipe for depression that can cast a "blue" cloud over the holiday season.
Dr. David Mahoney of Charlottesville explained that "most of us now are waking up before the sun comes up and are going home after the sun goes down." Phototherapy, also known as light therapy, is the administration of doses of bright light in order to normalize the body's internal clock and relieve depression. It is prescribed primarily to treat SAD.
This procedure is generally administered at home. The most commonly used phototherapy equipment is a portable lighting device known as a light box.
There are many factors that can cause the depressed, stressed, agitated, fatigued, and those down and out, to have dreaded bad feelings that many people experience over the holidays.
These factors include stress, fatigue, unrealistic expectations, over-commercialization, financial constraints, and the inability to be with one's family and friends. The demands of shopping, parties, family reunions and house guests also contribute to feelings of tension. People may also develop other stress responses such as headaches, excessive drinking, over-eating and difficulty sleeping.
Andrea Rogers, supervisor for the Intensive Outpatient Programs in the Department of Psychiatry at Cedars-Sinai, offers warning signs and suggestions to combat SAD this Holiday season.
"As seasons change, there is a shift in our 'biological internal clocks' or circadian rhythm due partly because of changes in sunlight patterns," says Rogers. "These changes combined with the stresses of holiday travel, sensitive family dynamics and managing expectations can build a recipe for depression during the winter months. Juggling these variables can be challenging and can make it difficult to enjoy the joys of the season," she added.
According to Rogers, melatonin, a sleep-related hormone secreted by the pineal gland in the brain, is produced at increased levels in the dark. Melatonin also may cause symptoms of depression. When daylight savings time ends, and it begins getting dark earlier in the day, production of the hormone increases, which may cause depressive episodes. These biological variables mixed with environmental conditions such as cold weather, emotional reactions to holidays and anxiety can create a recipe for depression that can cast a "blue" cloud over the holiday season.
Dr. David Mahoney of Charlottesville explained that "most of us now are waking up before the sun comes up and are going home after the sun goes down." Phototherapy, also known as light therapy, is the administration of doses of bright light in order to normalize the body's internal clock and relieve depression. It is prescribed primarily to treat SAD.
This procedure is generally administered at home. The most commonly used phototherapy equipment is a portable lighting device known as a light box.