Dyshidrosis, also known as acute vesiculobullous hand eczema, is an irritation of the hands or feet, … [+]
Industrialization may have stimulated economic development and technological progress in some parts of the world, but it has also left billions of people breathing polluted air. While air pollution is usually linked to respiratory problems, a new study has shown that air pollution can also wreak havoc on your skin. The research results showed that people who live in places with a lot of air pollution are more likely to develop eczema. They identified particulate matter in particular as a risk factor. Particulate matter pollution refers to a combination of soil or dust particles, acids, organic chemicals and metals floating in the lower atmosphere of any region.
“The prevalence of eczema has increased with industrialization. Industrial practices cause air pollution, including fine particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5),” the researchers wrote in the study. “The risk of eczema increased with greater PM2.5 concentration in our large, diverse, adult US cohort. Ambient air pollution is an environmental hazard that affects inflammatory skin diseases.”
The researchers analyzed data from 286,862 adults from All of Us research program launched by the US National Institutes of Health. They noted that 4.4% of them, or 12,695 adults, were diagnosed with eczema. And that the study participants who had eczema lived in areas with high levels of air pollution.
“Both skin cells exposed to PM2.5 and the skin of patients with eczema show oxidative damage. Our finding of an approximately two-fold increased risk of eczema per 10 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 is both clinically relevant and actionable, as evidenced by the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index (AQI),” they explained.
“Individuals with eczema may be at increased risk of disease worsening or acute flares when the AQI reaches the ‘moderate’ category (12.1–35.4 μg/m3) compared to the ‘good’ category (0–12 μg /m3), with the risk increasing with an even higher AQI,” the authors add. “When AQI reaches a level of ‘moderate’ or worse, patients may be advised to stay indoors, filter indoor air, or cover exposed skin outdoors.”
The research was published in PLoS One on November 13, 2024.
According to the World Health Organisationexposure to air pollution was linked to 4.2 million deaths in 2019. Previous studies have reported that high concentrations of PM2.5 and particles with a diameter of 10 micrometers or less (PM10) in the air can also lead to the development and worsening of atopic dermatitis, aging of the skinAnd skin allergies.
In a 2021 study published in the Annals of DermatologyResearchers from South Korea highlighted that elevated particulate matter concentrations can contribute to facial redness and uneven skin tone, even in healthy human skin.
“As the largest outer surface of the human body, the skin is constantly exposed to the environment. Overall, particulate matter is linked to inflammatory skin diseases via skin barrier dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammation,” a group of Chinese researchers wrote in a study. 2023 study.
“The effects of antioxidants, vitamin D and microbiota regulation strategies on inflammatory diseases caused by PM are beneficial,” she added.