Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
27 June 2017 08:11
Exposure to sunlight can benefit people with eczema
Heading on holiday this summer? Researchers have suggested that sunlight could have some benefit for eczema sufferers.
The University of Edinburgh team, writing in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, says a beneficial compound is released in the skin when exposed to the sun.
Researchers say the benefits of sunlight 'stretch far beyond vitamin D'.
Itchy skin solution
The nitric oxide compound can, they say, offset the cause of itchy skin - the most common symptom of eczema. Tests found that inflammation is dampened when specialised immune cells are activated by light.
The team is now investigating whether therapies can be developed that mimic sunlight.
If you are heading on holiday, don't forget to arrange travel insurance first.
What the experts say
Lead researcher Dr Anne Astier, of the Medical Research Council Centre for Inflammation Research at the University of Edinburgh, said: "Our findings suggest that nitric oxide has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and could offer an alternative drug target for people with eczema."
Professor Richard Weller, senior lecturer in Dermatology at the University of Edinburgh, said: "It is clear that the health benefits of sunlight stretch far beyond vitamin D and we are starting to fill in these blank spaces."
18 August 2017
Relatives of older people receiving NHS care have raised concerns over some of the treatment.
[more...]
17 August 2017
Older people are being "let down" when it comes to access to dental care, experts have warned.
16 August 2017
A charity has called for women who have been treated for breast cancer to be given better support once treatment ends.
15 August 2017
More people are being arrested over drunken behaviour on board flights and at airports, according to latest statistics.
12 August 2017
Labour has criticised the way in which cancer patients and their families have been treated under the Conservative Government.
11 August 2017
The precious metal, gold, is a familiar sight in jewellery adorning the body but it could also play a role in treating cancers that grow inside the body.
10 August 2017
Nashville is the capital of country and has for years attracted music-loving holidaymakers to its vibrant bars and venues.
09 August 2017
We've all seen self-driving cars in the news in recent years but would you step on board a passenger plane that didn't have a pilot?
08 August 2017
Marine experts have disagreed over the identity of the creatures that attacked the feet of a teenager who was relaxing in the sea in Australia.
05 August 2017
Medical bills which run into six-figure territory are "not uncommon" for British holidaymakers who end up needing emergency medical treatment abroad, travel insurers say.
04 August 2017
British Airways mixed fleet cabin crew will strike for a further two weeks this month, including the August bank holiday, in a long-running pay dispute.
03 August 2017
New analysis suggests that almost all men over 60 and women over 75 are eligible for the cholesterol-lowing drugs, statins.