Air pollution could be the culprit behind eczema. Research suggests that people who live in highly polluted cities have a higher risk of developing this condition.
They are also more likely to have problems with outbreaks when air quality is considered “moderate,” which is often the case in places like London and New York, according to the same study.
It comes just days after experts discovered that the air pollution women breathe during pregnancy may be linked to an increased risk of autism in their children.
In this new research, American researchers tracked more than 286,000 adults in more than 780 areas and asked them about their general health.
The average levels of particles less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter (PM2.5) near their homes were also evaluated.
These are the smallest microscopic particles in the air that can penetrate deep into tissues and have It has been linked to health problems such as heart disease and dementia.
Factors that could distort the results, such as food allergies and smoking, were also taken into account.
Research suggests that people who live in highly polluted cities have a higher risk of developing eczema
This map shows the 10 areas with the highest levels of air pollution recorded in 2023. These areas had almost double or triple the levels of particles, recommended by the World Health Organization.
Researchers at Yale University in Connecticut found that for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter increase in PM2.5, eczema rates more than doubled.
The study’s lead author and assistant professor of dermatology at Yale University, Jeffrey Cohen, said: “In the most polluted areas of the country, there was more eczema.”
writing in the diary PLUS ONEThe researchers also added: “Showing that people in the United States who are exposed to particulate matter are more likely to have eczema deepens our understanding of the important health implications of ambient air pollution.”
However, the scientists acknowledged that the study had some limitations, including using only PM2.5 data for each location since 2015.
The World Health Organization has long demanded that countries take tougher measures to combat the scourge of pollution, which is believed to kill 7 million people each year around the world.
Eczema is a group of inflammatory skin conditions that cause itchy, dry skin, rashes, scaly patches and infections that affect up to 25 percent of the population.
The condition can intensify to such a point that it becomes debilitating, with inflamed skin all over the body.
At least one in ten children will have eczema at some point, but they will usually outgrow it as their immune system develops.
It is thought to occur in people with a common genetic mutation that causes very dry skin.
Symptom flares can also be related to allergies or triggered by certain soaps or foods.
Dermatologists often first prescribe creams and washes to treat dry skin and steroid creams to reduce swelling and redness.
If these are not effective, immunosuppressive drugs, such as cyclosporine or methotrexate, are administered.
It comes as researchers also suggested this week that air pollution may be linked to an increased risk of developing autism.
A review of the most recent scientific literature highlighted how babies with a higher genetic risk for the developmental disorder exposed to four common air pollutants were more likely to develop the condition.
It is believed that when breathed during early childhood or during development in the womb, these microscopic pollutants can reach the bloodstream.
There, they can bypass the brain’s protective layers, causing inflammation, changing the way nerves work and increasing the risk of disorders.
Autism rates have skyrocketed around the world.
Analyzes show that diagnoses of the disorder have increased nearly 800 percent in Britain over the past few decades, and rates have nearly tripled in the United States.