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Rosacea
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Rosacea is a common but frequently misunderstood skin condition estimated to affect over 45 million people. It affects fair skinned people of north-western European descent primarily. It begins as a flushing and redness on the cheeks, nose, or forehead but can also affect the neck and chest. As rosacea progresses, various symptoms can evolve like semi-permanent erythema, telangiectasia (dilation of superficial blood vessels on the face), red domed papules (small bumps) and pustules, red gritty eyes, burning and stinging sensations, and in some advanced cases, a red lobulated nose. Rosacea affects both sexes, but is three times more common in women. Causes of RosaceaThe precise causes of rosacea are still unknown, but many experts believe that rosacea is a disorder where the blood vessels become damaged when repeatedly dilated. This damage causes the vessels to dilate too easily and remain dilated for longer periods or stay permanently dilated. This results in flushing and redness. Rosacea has a hereditary component and those that are fair-skinned of European or Celtic ancestry have a much higher genetic pre-disposition to developing it. Women are more often affected but, when it occurs in men it tends to be more severe. People of all ages can get rosacea but it predominantly affects people in the 30-50 age group. The first signs of rosacea are said to be persisting redness due to exercise, changes in temperature, and cleansing. Triggers that cause episodes of flushing and blushing play a part in the development of rosacea. Exposure to temperature extremes can cause the face to become flushed as well as strenuous exercise, heat from sunlight, severe sunburn, stress, cold wind, moving to a warm or hot environment from a cold one such as heated shops and offices during the winter. There are also some foods and drinks that can trigger flushing, these include alcohol, foods and beverages containing caffeine, foods high in histamine and spicy food. Certain medications and topical irritants can cause quick progressions. If redness persists after using a treatment then the medication should be stopped immediately. Some acne and wrinkle treatments that have been reported to cause rosacea including microdermabrasion, chemical peels, high dosages of isotretinoin, benzoyl peroxide and tretinoin. Steroid-induced-rosacea is the term given to rosacea caused by the use of topical steroids. These steroids are often prescribed for seborrheic dermatitis and should be decreased slowly, not at once to avoid flare ups. Studies of the rosacea-demodex mite connection have revealed that some people with rosacea have increased numbers of the mites, especially those with steroid-induced-rosacea. When large numbers are present the mites may play a causatory role with other triggers. Its been suggested that rosacea could be a neurological issue resulting from hyper-sensitization of sensory neurons, after the activation of the plasma kallikrein-kinin system from exposure to intestinal bacteria in the digestive tract. This has not been determined though. Acne Rosacea TreatmentsTrigger avoidance can help you reduce the onset but will not typically cause remission for anything except a mild case. The National-Rosacea Society recommends that you keep a diary to help you identify and reduce your triggers. Skin care tips: It is very important to have a gentle skin cleansing regimen using non-irritating cleansers. Protection from the sun is important and daily use of a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 is advised.You should try using Whistle and daylight for your cleansing and sun protection and Dremu oil for calming the skin redness.Oral tetracycline antibiotics and topical antibiotics are typically the first line of defense prescribed by doctors to relieve papules, pustules, inflammation and some redness. Oral antibiotics may also help to relieve symptoms of ocular-rosacea. If papules and pustules persist, then sometimes isotretinoin can be prescribed. Isotretinoin has many side effects and is frequently used to treat severe acne but in lower dosages is proven to be effective against papulopustular and phymatous-rosacea. Dermatological vascular lasers or Intense Pulsed Light machines offer one of the best treatments for the erythema, the redness of the skin. They use light waves to penetrate the epidermis and target capillaries in the dermis. The laser light is absorbed by oxyhemoglobin which heats and causes capillary walls to heat to 70ºC, This causes them to be absorbed by the body's natural defense mechanisms. |
