Sun’s rays may alleviate eczema symptoms

● Nitric oxide, which damps down skin irritation, is present after exposure to sun

with disease improvement.

Researchers said their findings could lead to new therapies for the condition, which affects around one in five children and one in 20 adults in the UK.

People with severe forms are often prescribed tanning lamps to help manage their symptoms, but these can cause skin burning, accelerated ageing and increased risk of cancer.

Professor Richard Weller, senior lecturer in Dermatology at the University of Edinburgh, said: “It is clear that the health benefits of sunlight stretch far beyond vitamin D and we are starting to fill in these blank spaces.”

The study is published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.