Hypnotherapy

Another big thank you, this time to Stephen Rigby, who met with me today to discuss his profession, hypnotherapy.

Stephen gave me a brilliant insight into hypnotherapy and it's use in helping those suffering from eczema, discussing in detail how it works and why it can be an effective form of treatment. I even got the chance to meet Bumble, Stephen's adorable and wonderfully inquisitive rabbit.

The interview with Stephen will be part of my online video which will be on the blog soon.

A TSW story

A big thank you to Louise Jones, the author of ‘Taming the Scratchy Monster’ and topicalsteroidwithdrawal blog, who met with me today to speak about her own experiences of steroid addiction.

Meeting at Walsall Art Gallery, we had a good chat about the eczema that led to Louise’s addiction, her experience of coming off steroid creams, her wonderful children’s book (which she wrote to help children understand TSW) and Louise’s hopes to continue raising awareness for TSW.

The interview will be part of my main radio piece, which will explore the use of steroid creams in treating TSW and will be on the blog soon. 

Allergy UK launch Stamp Out Damp campaign

When struggling to find the root to your eczema woes, or any allergy for that matter, perhaps one of the most frustrating responses a person can hear is that the cause is dust-mites. An answer that promptly leads to the question, what the heck can I do about that? And rightly so as the average bed will contain 100 000 – 10 million dust-mites so, aside from hoovering the bed before you sleep every night, there’s very little you can do to deter those pesky little critters, who are unfortunately just part of day to day life.

Well national charity, Allergy UK has now launched their campaign, Stamp Out Damp, in a bid to raise awareness for allergies that are provoked by house or mould in the home – conditions in which dust-mites thrive.

The campaign is part of Indoor Allergy Week (11^th – 17^th), during which the charity will be issuing advice on indoor allergies, as this time of year sees the highest levels of people suffering from allergies to mould.

Those already suffering from atopic eczema, asthma and rhinitis could have the most severe reactions to mould in the home and people living in damp conditions, such as those who are renting, are more at risk.

A recent Yougov survey showed 35% of renting families have a problem with damp in their homes and Allergy UK believe that the UK’s student population, living in older university housing could be at higher risk too.

Kirsty Ashman, 22, had to leave university after having 15 hospital admissions in two years due to allergic reactions.  She said, “My health has suffered so much due to indoor allergens and there is very little information out there about avoiding them. Last autumn and winter I spent 60 per cent of the time in hospital because of my allergies.”

Maureen Jenkins, Director of Clinical Services at Allergy UK, said, “The impact of mould in the home is all too often underestimated. For those suffering symptoms, it is important to visit your GP who can refer to an allergy specialist to gain an accurate diagnosis and see whether you are reacting to an indoor allergen.”

Reactions to mould spores, house dust mite excrement or pets are all indoor allergies and mould will also provide additional food for house dust mites. 

It's in our genes!

An international study led by Trinity College Dublin and the University of Dundee has shown a link between a mutated gene and atopic dermatitis – the most common form of eczema.

Funded by grants from the Wellcome Trust, Science Foundation Ireland and the National Children’s Research Centre, scientists have found a new gene mutation that leads to spontaneous atopic dermatitis in mice.

The mutation, found in the MATT/TMEM79 gene, causes the protein mattrin to malfunction.

The scientists went on to discover similar findings in the genes of humans with atopic dermatitis. In humans, mattrin is expressed in cells that maintain the skin’s function as a barrier.

Professor Irwin McLean is Scientific Director of the Centre for Dermatology and Genetic Medicine at the University of Dundee.

He said, "This study shows that disruption of the barrier function of the skin is a key driving force in the development of eczema. Without an intact skin barrier, foreign substances can enter the body and trigger inflammation and allergy."

The research involved collaboration from scientists in Ireland, the UK, USA, Singapore and Germany and it is hoped that it will help lead to further studies and cures for inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema.