Posted on March 27, 2008 in Latest News
Rosacea is a chronic skin disease that affects the middle third of the face with persistent redness over the areas of the face and nose that normally blush: mainly the forehead, the chin and the lower half of the nose. The tiny blood vessels in these areas enlarge (dilate) and become more visible through the skin, appearing like tiny red lines (called telangiectasias). Pimples can occur that look like teenage acne.
It begins as erythema (flushing and redness) on the central face and across the cheeks, nose, or forehead but can also less commonly affect the neck and chest. As rosacea progresses, other symptoms can develop such as 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 (rhinophyma).
Rosacea is basically different than acne. Unlike common acne, rosacea is not primarily a plague of teenagers, but occurs most often in adults (ages 30 to 50), especially those with fair skin. Different than acne, there are no blackheads or whiteheads in rosacea.
Causes
Exposure to temperature extremes can cause the face to become flushed as well as strenuous exercise, heat from sunlight, severe sunburn, stress, anxiety, 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 (especially, hot tea and coffee), foods high in histamines and spicy food.
Treatment
Rosacea can be treated but not cured. The National Rosacea Society recommends that a diary be kept to help identify and reduce triggers. A recent publication discusses how managing pre-trigger events such as prolonged exposure to cool environments can directly influence warm room flushing.[15]Topical antibiotics (such as metronidazole) and oral antibiotics (such as tetracycline) are often used. Short-term topical cortisone (steroid) preparations of the right strength may also be used to reduce local inflammation.
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