An Australian research suggests that exposure to light can alleviate symptoms of asthma.
Scientists at Perth's Telethon Institute for Child Health Research conducted a series of tests on mice where the effects of ultraviolet rays on patients with symptoms and signs of asthma such as inflammed airways and lungs were studied.
Initial results show that when the mice were exposed to about half an hour of ultraviolet rays and then exposed to certain allergens that are known to cause asthma, the likelihood of developing asthma was considerably reduced.Lead researcher Professor Prue Hart opined that exposure to UV rays generate a type of cell in mice which when isolated and tranplanted into other mice showed the capability of blocking immune reactions which shows up as symptoms in the sick person.However the team of scientists have voiced a word of caution against sun bathing which should be done only stictly in adherance to Cancer Council regulations,as there is achance of developing skin cancer if the skin is over exposed to harmful rays of the sun.
The researchers claim that this study is the first of its kind which shows aco-relation between environmental and genetic factors which play a role in chronic disease. Australia itself is estimated to have about 2 million people suffering from asthma ‘One out of six Autralian children are estimated to suffer from asthma.Statistics shows an estimated loss of about 700 million dollars annually because of medical bills and loss of productivity.
Source-Medindia
MST
