Reducing Rosacea
Your face is red, particularly the cheeks, nose and chin. Your skin looks like it’s riddled with acne. It seems to get worse when you drink alcohol or eat spicy food. You could have rosacea.
Rosacea describes the condition where fine blood vessels are prominent on the face. The condition happens equally in men and women, especially those of European descent. Rosacea is very prevalent: 415 million people suffer from the condition worldwide.
Signs and symptoms can be as mild as some redness in the face or as severe as a thickened bulbous nose and pimples on the face.
Rosacea alters your appearance by making your skin red and having pimples scattered throughout your face.
Some patients even have the involvement of the eyes which is referred to as ocular rosacea.
Sometimes patients’ faces fluctuate with redness based on performing such things as exercise and exposing one’s self to the sun.
Others may suffer from a consistent acne-like eruption of red pimples on the face. A few individuals may have chronic inflammation which goes untreated for years, leaving them with a WC Fields enlarged red nose.
Unfortunately some people are labeled “alcoholics” if they exhibit signs of moderate to severe rosacea. No one knows why rosacea occurs but many people complain about the triggers to the condition like heat, spicy foods, stress, coffee and alcohol, just to name a few. Some physicians suggest keeping a food diary to reduce flare-ups. As a result of the irritating factor, blood vessels dilate and cause the flushing appearance. This is a lifelong condition without a cure.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are four types of rosacea including:
§ Erythematotelangiectatic: where rosacea is persistent and causes enlarged and visible blood vessels. This type flares with symptoms coming and going unexpectedly.
§ Papulopustular: Pus or fluid filled pimples erupt on the skin. Symptoms are similar to acne.
§ Phymatous: Your skin reacts by swelling and thickening. Nose can take on a bulbous appearance.
§ Ocular: Rosacea can affect your eyes, causing them to appear watery and bloodshot. Your eyes become sensitive to light and painful bumps form on the eyelids.
The condition has several signs even though it varies from person to person such as flushing, persistent redness, bumps and pimples, and visible blood vessels.
Some symptoms of rosacea include burning and stinging, eye irritation, dry appearance, plaques, skin thickening and swelling.
In order to diagnose rosacea, your physician will do a physical examination of your signs and symptoms and do a medical history. You will probably be referred to a dermatologist.
There are several ways to treat rosacea. One suggestion is to avoid triggers like temperature extremes where it is too hot or cold. For example, if you notice your face changes after a power walk or brisk bike ride then try something else. Applying a cool wash cloth to the face will get rid of some redness. Using a good quality sunscreen will also help the condition.
Your doctor will treat rosacea with medicines, laser treatments and, if necessary, surgery. Your doctor will suggest topical prescriptions such as Metronidazole Cream, Azelaic Acid, Ivermectin, or Brimonidine which can be effective for red bumps and redness on the face.
In more moderate to severe cases of rosacea, oral antibiotics such as doxycycline may be prescribed to use once or twice a day to help control the inflammation.
Chemical peels may be good at combatting rosacea symptoms. You should consult your dermatologist before engaging in them.
Then there’s laser treatments. It takes 2 to 3 treatments spaced one month apart and it lasts for a while.
As you can see, there are various types of solutions that you can try. Consult your dermatologist before starting any treatment and together you can develop a treatment plan that is right for you.
