everhealthy
02-16-2005, 08:49 PM
Many women feel healthier than ever when they are expecting – and research is under way to find out why, reports Christine Doyle
One of the body's best held secrets is why during pregnancy many women find that the symptoms of a wide range of diseases decline substantially, only to strike back with renewed force after their babies have been delivered.
At one end of the spectrum, pregnancy can provide a glowing "moisturiser" for dry skin or a stimulant that causes thin hair to take on glossy volume. At the other end, pregnancy results in a welcome break from psoriasis or the distressing symptoms of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. It can even bring relief from asthma, says Patrick O'Brien, consultant obstetrician at University College London Hospitals (UCLH).
Two recent studies, funded by the Arthritis Research Campaign (ARC), offer clues to a better understanding of the hormonal and immunological changes. This research, allied to immunological studies elsewhere, could lead to an era of more effective treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and, ultimately, for conditions such as multiple sclerosis, infertility, early miscarriage and perhaps skin diseases and asthma.
Read more about health benefits of pregnancy (http://health.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2005/02/15/hpreg15.xml)
One of the body's best held secrets is why during pregnancy many women find that the symptoms of a wide range of diseases decline substantially, only to strike back with renewed force after their babies have been delivered.
At one end of the spectrum, pregnancy can provide a glowing "moisturiser" for dry skin or a stimulant that causes thin hair to take on glossy volume. At the other end, pregnancy results in a welcome break from psoriasis or the distressing symptoms of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis. It can even bring relief from asthma, says Patrick O'Brien, consultant obstetrician at University College London Hospitals (UCLH).
Two recent studies, funded by the Arthritis Research Campaign (ARC), offer clues to a better understanding of the hormonal and immunological changes. This research, allied to immunological studies elsewhere, could lead to an era of more effective treatments for rheumatoid arthritis and, ultimately, for conditions such as multiple sclerosis, infertility, early miscarriage and perhaps skin diseases and asthma.
Read more about health benefits of pregnancy (http://health.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2005/02/15/hpreg15.xml)