Wednesday 31st 2007f January 2007
Eczema More Prevalent in Hard Water Areas
Researchers at Nottingham University, who carried out the research on 7,000 children, found that eczema was 54% more prevalent in areas with the hardest water supplies. They are now starting a clinical trial using water softeners.
The new trial involves 310 children between six months and 16 years.
The children will have ion-exchange water-softening equipment installed in their homes for between four and 12 weeks.
The units will reduce the water hardness to around zero. To soften the hard water, the minerals which cause hardness - usually calcium and magnesium –are removed. There will therefore be a separate drinking water supply installed for the duration of the trial. Hard water when drunk has a number of health advantages, and has been linked to lowered risk of heart disease.
Exactly how the water softening device could alleviate eczema is not clear, but one theory is that the salts in hard water cause dryness which leads to irritation.
Another theory is that the salts themselves irritate the skin, A third suggestion is that using hard water means larger quantities of soap are being used because they do not work as well in hard water, and that overuse can irritate the skin of eczema sufferers.
This proves that Grandma Vine`s advice is right, you should only have a bath once a week. Showering or washing each day instead, helps to prevent the skin drying and becoming itchy.
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