Eczema sufferers test water softeners

More than 300 families are being recruited to find out if water softeners can help in the treatment of childhood eczema.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham will focus on hard water areas in the Soft Water Eczema Trial (SWET) to discover whether eczema can be improved by deliberately softening all water used in the home (except one kitchen tap for drinking water).

The trial follows on from earlier research that found that eczema is more common in primary school children living in hard water areas in the UK, compared with children living in soft water areas.

Professor Hywel Williams from the Centre of Evidence-Based Dermatology said the first study did not explain why children living in hard water areas were more susceptible to eczema. However he said this could be because hard water contains high levels of calcium and magnesium, leading to increased use of soaps which can act as a skin irritant.

“If ion-exchange water softeners are found to improve the symptoms of eczema, this will be an extremely important finding for both patients and doctors. Many patients worry about the possible side effects of the usual treatments for eczema, so this would be a welcome addition to their treatment options,” Prof Williams said.

The trial will run until the end of next year and the results won’t be known until the end of 2009 when all the information has been analysed.

Source:
www.irishhealth.com