|
HomeTopics...Skin ProblemsRosacea
Rosacea: Causes, Symptoms and TreatmentsRosacea is a skin disease marked by acne-prone skin that is red and oily in nature. Affecting women more often than men, rosacea is always confined to the face, typically affecting the cheeks, nose and forehead. Although some dermatologists and skin experts categorize rosacea as a form of adult acne, this skin disease is unrelated to the general form of acne that is characterized by pimples and zits.
In general, rosacea plagues fair-skinned adults between the ages of 20 to about 60. In the United States, rosecea affects roughly 14 million people. Although it isn’t a serious, painful or life threatening skin disease, it can be embarrassing and emotionally distressing.
Causes of RosaceaWhile researchers are still investigating the exact causes of rosacea, many dermatologists believe that this skin disease has hereditary and environmental causes. Current theories on the causes of rosacea include the following:
Although each of these theories has yet to be proven, researchers do know that alcohol consumption that can cause the skin to flush doesn’t cause rosacea.
Rosacea SymptomsThose who suffer from rosacea will experience any combination of the following symptoms:
Like many other conditions, rosacea starts off mild and slowly gets more severe if it’s left untreated. The progression of rosacea follows these steps:
The enlargement of the nose, known as rhinophyma, generally only occurs in the most severe cases of rosacea that have gone untreated for years. Rhinophyma is a symptom that affects men more than women. Similarly, in rare cases, rosacea can affect the eyes (a complication referred to as ocular rosacea). Patients with ocular rosacea experience a burning sensation in their eyes. If the patient’s inner eyelids start to swell up, he can also develop conjunctivitis, a condition marked by inflamed eye tissues. Conjunctivitis is also commonly referred to as pink eye.
Rosacea TreatmentsCurrently, no cure exists for rosacea. As a result, treatments for this skin disease focus on reducing the symptoms through surgery or the use of medication. Similarly, doctors also recommend special skin care products, such as cleansers, moisturizers and sunscreens to help normalize the facial skin.
Medications to treat rosacea can be topical creams or oral medications. Both focus on killing bacteria, reducing inflammation and decreasing facial redness. While metronidazole and azelaic acid are the common types of topical ointments prescribed for rosacea, typical oral antibiotics for rosacea include:
Because each of these has their own unique side effects, talk to your doctor when choosing between these oral medications so that you can find the right one for you. Results from taking these medications will take time. Results tend to appear within about one to two months after starting rosacea medication. Since rosacea symptoms will start to reappear when medication is stopped, doctors recommend taking these medications for an extended period of time. Consult your doctor about the course of treatment your rosacea medication will follow. If, however, medication is insufficient to combat rosacea, laser treatments and/or surgery may be necessary. In general, these more invasive types of rosacea treatments are reserved for patients who suffer from prolonged redness, rhinophyma and apparent blood vessels on the face. As you follow the course of rosacea treatment, remember that treatments take time to work. Don’t get discouraged. If you discover that the treatment you are using isn’t effective, talk to your doctor about other, stronger treatment options. Resources MayoClinic (updated October 4, 2006). Rosacea. Retrieved November 1, 2007 from the MayoClinic Web site: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/rosacea/DS00308/DSECTION
=1.
|
