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ECZEMA – A GROWING PROBLEM
If you or your child suffers
from eczema, you’re not alone. Around one in
five* children and one in twelve adults are
afflicted by this distressing skin condition and
it is becoming more common. And while many
children do grow out of eczema by adulthood,
they may still suffer several years of this
uncomfortable complaint.
What causes eczema?
There is no single cause of
eczema. Doctors believe it arises from a mix of
hereditary and environmental factors, of which
hard water is one. One theory is that the
chlorine added to protect our drinking water and
the hardness minerals contained in the hard
water causes dryness and irritation. Because of
this, hard water households use more soap and
detergent - products we know inflame the skin of
eczema sufferers.
Could switching to softened
water help?
More than 60% of households
are located in hard water areas in England and
Wales. Research carried out at the University of
Nottingham** by dermatologists, medical
geographers and statisticians in 1998 indicated
that hard water could play a part in causing
eczema flare-ups in some children.
The study, involving more
than 7,500 school age children, found that
eczema is around 50% more common in primary
schoolchildren living in hard water areas than
those who live in soft water areas. This could
not be attributed to differences in age or
social class.
*Source: National Eczema
Society 2001.
**Source: Professor Hywel
Williams, University of Nottingham, August 1998
Kinetico UK are participating
in new research commissioned by the NIHR Health
Technology Assessment (HTA) programme to
investigate whether water softeners help reduce
the severity of eczema in children. This study,
led by Professor Hywel Williams and Dr Kim
Thomas of the Centre of Evidence Based
Dermatology at the University of Nottingham,
will run from Spring 2007 to Autumn 2009 and
will involve more than 310 children with
moderate to severe eczema from across four hard
water regions in England.
For
further information visit :
www.swet-trial.co.uk |
