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What is Rosacea?
Rosacea (pronounced roh-ZAY-sha) is a chronic skin condition (sometimes called
Acne Rosacea) that usually effects the face and sometimes the neck
and upper shoulders or chest. Rosacea is almost always long lasting with effects
being visible for most of a patients adult life. On the bright side, Rosacea
does not leave scars and it does not always get worse over time.
Rosacea symptoms are few but very obvious. Rosacea can cause cheeks to appear rosy, produce red patches or pimples on the skin or develop small blood vessels on the face. In extreme cases, Rosacea can cause itchy, runny eyes or the skin on the nose to thicken, enlarge and redden (rhinophyma). Rosacea sufferers often complain about having a sun burnt look. The symptoms of Rosacea can be made more acute by sun, extreme heat or cold and vigorous exercise.
Significant psychological, social and occupational problems can occur due to the red face, acne like effects of Rosacea. Treatment for the symptoms of Rosacea is highly recommended to alleviate these effects and prevent the condition from worsening.
With such a large percentage of the population suffering from some level of Rosacea, there is an equally large amount of information about cures, therapy and even laser surgery. I hope that this website will bring you some level of comfort through knowledge and education about Rosacea.
In recent surveys by the National Rosacea Society, "nearly 70 percent of Rosacea patients said this condition had lowered their self-confidence and self-esteem, and 41 percent reported it had caused them to avoid public contact or cancel social engagements. Among Rosacea patients with severe symptoms, nearly 70 percent said the disorder had adversely affected their professional interactions, and nearly 30 percent said they had even missed work because of their condition."
Primary Signs of Rosacea
Rosacea Symptoms can take many forms and manifest in varying degrees of severity
so the following is just a simple guide to Rosacea symptoms.
Flushing - Generally, the earliest sign
of Rosacea is redness on the cheeks, nose, chin or forehead. This symptom
may come and go. Frequent blushing and/or flushing is another possible symptom
of Rosacea.
Persistent Redness - Persistent facial
redness is the most common individual sign of Rosacea. This Rosacea symptom
may appear to be a blush or sunburn but it does not diminish.
Bumps and Pimples - Small red solid bumps
or puss filled pimples that sting or are accompanied with a burning sensation
are quite frequent.
Visible Blood Vessels - It is quite common
for people with Rosacea to have small blood vessels noticeably visible on
the skin of the face or nose.
Watery or irritated eyes - Many Rosacea
patients complain of having excessively watery, bloodshot or itchy, irritated
eyes.
Additional Rosacea Symptoms
Eye Irritation - In many people with Rosacea,
a condition known as ocular Rosacea can occur. In these case, the eyes may
be irritated and appear watery or bloodshot. The eyelids also may become red
and swollen, and styes are common. Severe cases can result in corneal damage
and vision loss without medical help.
Burning or Stinging sensation - Burning
or stinging sensations may often occur on the face. Itching or a feeling of
tightness may also develop.
Dry Skin Appearance - The central facial
skin may be rough, and appear to be very dry.
Skin Plaques - Raised red patches, known
as plaques, may develop without changes in the surrounding skin.
Skin Thickening - The skin may thicken
and enlarge from excess tissue, most commonly on the nose. This condition,
known as rhinophyma, affects more men than women.
Facial Swelling - Facial swelling, known
as edema, may accompany other signs of Rosacea or occur independently.
Signs Beyond the Face - Rosacea signs and
symptoms may also develop beyond the face, most commonly on the neck, chest,
scalp or ears.
Subtypes of Rosacea
Medical experts worldwide identified four subtypes of Rosacea, defined as
common patterns or groupings of signs and symptoms. These include:
Subtype 1: Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea - characterized by flushing
and persistent redness, and may also include visible blood vessels.
Subtype 2: Papulopustular Rosacea - characterized by persistent redness
with transient bumps and pimples.
Subtype 3: Phymatous Rosacea - characterized by skin thickening, often
resulting in an enlargement of the nose from excess tissue.
Subtype 4: Ocular Rosacea - characterized by ocular manifestations
such as dry eye, tearing and burning, swollen eyelids, recurrent styes and
potential vision loss from corneal damage.
Many Rosacea patients experience more than one of these characteristics or
subtype at the same time. Often, subtypes may develop in succession. While
Rosacea may or may not evolve from one subtype to another, each individual
sign or symptom may progress from mild to moderate to severe. Early diagnosis
and treatment are therefore recommended.
Who Gets Rosacea?
Most people who contract Rosacea are between the ages of 30 and 60. Generally, patients with Rosacea are fair skinned. That is, they have fair eyes, fair hair and fair skin. Rosacea is more prevalent with people who easily blush or who flush or turn red when or after consuming alcohol or hot, spicy foods. Men usually demonstrate the most severe cases or Rosacea even though women are more often affected by Rosacea. Frequently, Rosacea is characteristic inherited from a parent. If you see older family members with excessive redness of the face, and perhaps pimples or thickening of the skin of the nose you might want to suggest that they seek treatment. If you are starting to develop those characteristics yourself, you might want nip the problem in the bud and seek treatment at an early stage.
What causes Rosacea?
Although the exact cause of Rosacea is unknown, research is ongoing and as
a result, there are several theories as to the possible causes of Rosacea.
One theory is that Rosacea is a blood vessel disorder. This explains the tendency
for Rosacea sufferers to experience facial redness, flushing and blushing.
A second theory suggests that common skin bacteria may under go changes or
a infection of the stomach by Helicobacter pylori may also play a role. A
variety of other theories suggest that Rosacea may be caused by microscopic
skin mites (Demodex), fungus, a malfunction of the connective tissue under
the skin or even psychological factors. Although possible and interesting,
these possible contributors to Rosacea have not been confirmed.
Is Rosacea caused by food?
No, foods are not the cause Rosacea, but they can cause the skin to flush
and therefor worsen the inflammation and discomfort of Rosacea.
Triggers for Rosacea
The following food triggers are outlined by the National
Rosacea Society
Foods & Beverages that Contribute to Rosacea
• Liver
• Yogurt
• Sour cream
• Cheese (except cottage cheese)
• Chocolate
• Vanilla
• Soy sauce
• Yeast extract (bread is ok)
• Vinegar
• Eggplant
• Avocados
• Spinach
• Broad-leaf beans and pods, including lima, navy or pea
• Citrus fruits, including tomatoes, bananas, red plums, raisins or figs
• Spicy and thermally hot foods
• Foods high in histamine
• Alcohol, especially red wine, beer, bourbon, gin, vodka or champagne
• Hot drinks, including hot cider, hot chocolate, coffee or tea
Environmental Rosacea Triggers
• Saunas
• Hot baths
• Simple overheating
• Excessively warm environments
• Weather (Sun, Strong winds, Cold, Humidity)
Drugs that aggravate Rosacea
• Vasodilators
• Topical steroids
Emotional influences for Rosacea
• Physical exertion
• Stress
• Anxiety
• Exercise
• "Lift and load" jobs
Skin care products that may aggravate Rosacea
• Some cosmetics and hair sprays, especially those containing alcohol, witch hazel or fragrances
• Hydro-alcoholic or acetone substances
• Any substance that causes redness or stinging
Traditional Cures for Rosacea Symptoms
As stated earlier, the exact cause of Rosacea is not known. While there is
no cure, there is medical help is available to control the symptoms of Rosacea.
As soon as you see one of the warning signs listed on this Web site, see a dermatologist
or a knowledgeable physician for diagnosis and appropriate treatment before
the symptoms become too severe. Under the guidance of a trained medical physician,
safe, simple and long-term treatments can keep the skin in good condition and
prevent skin damage.
The most common remedies for the symptoms of Rosacea are:
• The daily application of creams or gels Most of these contain metronidazole
(an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory medication). A common example is Rosasol®
cream which contains metronidazole and an SPF-15 sunscreen.
• Tetracycline (antibiotic and anti-inflammatory). This is reserved for
more acute cases of severe inflammatory Rosacea. This requires a several month
of treatment with Accutane® or some similar medication.
• In advanced cases of Rosacea where there is permanent redness or broken
blood vessels, a combination of just a few laser and IPL (intense pulsed light)
treatments can reduce signs of redness and enlarged blood vessels. (This can
also reduce natural signs of blushing)
• Cataloging (and then avoiding) food and environmental triggers for
Rosacea can go a very long way in reducing the day to day signs and symptoms
of the disorder.
Natural Cures for Rosacea Symptoms
Natural controls for Rosacea are available. These are not cures for Rosacea
- only symptomatic controls. Due to the long term effects involved, the patient
will probably decide over time what works best.
• Cataloging (and then avoiding) food and environmental triggers for
Rosacea can go a very long way in reducing the day to day signs and symptoms
of the disorder.
• Apply small amounts of Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary essential oils)
directly to effected area. Dryness may occur so apply moisturizing creme on
top of Rosemary essential oil. This works very quickly! In many cases, it
will work over night to reduce redness and skin blemishes.
My Rosacea Story
My name is David. I am 43 and I have been suffering with Rosacea for around
10 years.
My Rosacea symptoms are fairly minor - redness accompanied by dry, itchy skin
and the occasional small pimples. My Rosacea is usually limited to my forehead,
temples, chin and cheeks. Sometimes these pimples have a slight burning sensation.
I have tried washing regimes and cremes like Rosacure but nothing worked.
Once I was prescribed Tetracycline for something else and my face cleared
up totally in about a week. Unfortunately, you can't stay on Tetracycline
forever!
Recently, my wife suggested that I try using essential oils to fight my Rosacea.
She told me that here hair stylist has Rosacea and she swears by it. I scoffed
and rolled my eyes at a "natural cure" but I tried it anyway. Before
going to bed one night , I dabbed some Rosemary oil on my red Rosacea patches
and Rosacea pimples and hoped for the best. The Rosemary essential oil smelled
very strong. The next morning, when I woke up, I was shocked. My Rosacea pimples
had disappeared!!! Most of the Rosacea redness was gone too!!! Over night!!!
It has been around 4 months now and my face looks great! While I still have
Rosacea (and always will have Rosacea), I look and feel much better. I feel
much more confident and I don't feel like people are staring at my face anymore.
It is so nice! I have to use the Rosemary essential oil about once a week
but it works so fast and it gives me confidence that it will work every time.
If you suffer from Rosacea, I recommend that you try this. My doctor had never
heard of it before and he now recommends it to other patients.
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Rosemary Essential Oil This is the exact Rosemary essential oil that I
use to control my Rosacea out breaks. It can be used for more than
fighting Rosacea symptoms. |
Resources
http://www.rosaceaguide.ca
- Canadian guide to Rosacea. Useful for Americans too.
National Rosacea Society
- American Rosacea Society. Packed with very useful information about Rosacea.