About Rosacea, Causes, Symptoms And Treatments
Rosacea is one of the most common skin abnormalities which is defined as a red acne-like benign skin condition. It is also called as Acne Rosacea due to its similarity to the traditional acne. This has been affecting a lot of people worldwide due to several factors. According to the statistics for the year 2010, it has been estimated that Rosacea has affected as many as 16 million people in just the United States area and up to 45 million people worldwide. Most people who have suffered from Rosacea are those who are Caucasian or have fair skin. The Rosacea has several symptoms and these include visible small broken blood vessels, pink or red patches, small red bumps, may contain pus, irritated eyes and red cysts.
Most people who have Rosacea do not know that they are actually suffering from this skin condition because most of the symptoms are commonly seen to other skin abnormalities such as acne. Most people who have this kind of skin condition usually assume they are only experiencing skin flush or blush due to their skin’s sensitivity to sun exposure. Rosacea is known to be a long-term or a chronic and non curable type of skin problem. Unlike the traditional type of acne on the skin, most of the adults who have Rosacea do not outgrow Rosacea.
The Rosacea occurs on the central part of the face and it causes transient flushing or persistent redness on the areas of the nose and face. The person who have this skin condition will just look like they are normally blushing. This mainly happens on the chin, lower half of the nose and the chin. This is commonly seen to people who have light skin complexion most especially those who have Irish, Scottish and English backgrounds. Some people who have Rosacea are the famous former president of the U.S. who is Bill Clinton and W.C Fields.
According to experts, Rosacea is not an infectious or a contagious type of skin disorder. There has been no reported evidence that Rosacea can spread through sharing towels, skin contact or even through airborne or inhalation. The occurence of redness, when having Rosacea, can often be aggravated by skin flushing and it may cause the tiny blood vessels of the face to dilate or enlarge which can become more visible. This will look like tiny red lines or also known as telangiectasias. The repeated or continual episodes of blushing and flushing can eventually lead to inflammation which causes small red bumps which look like the traditional type of acne. Most people who have Rosacea do actually think that they only have the traditional acne.
The main cause of Rosacea has remained to be unknown and it is still a mystery to all people including the experts. However, they have studied this skin condition and it seems that its basic process involves the dilation of the tiny blood vessels which are found in the face. Also, the experts suspect that Rosacea is caused by genetic factors plus the exposure to the sun, Demodex Folliculorum or the amite found in hair follicles, gastrointestinal disease and some drugs or medications which can cause the blood vessels of the face to widen. The most common cause of Rosacea until today is the hereditary factor because there are several people who have close family members that have Rosacea.
Rosacea usually affects the parts of the face that blush and it is commonly experienced by those who tend to flush easily. In addition, there are various factors that are known to trigger the flaring of Rosacea such as emotional factor which include fear, stress, embarassment and anxiety. This factor is a common cause for a person to blush thus, this will trigger the occurence of Rosacea. The flare up of Rosacea can also be caused by climate or weather changes and even strong winds. Exposing the skin for a long time under the heat of the sun may have a high chance of experiencing Rosacea. Furthermore, Rosacea can also be triggered by consumption of alchoholic beverages, exercise, eating of spicy foods and emotional upsets. The symptoms of Rosacea can aggravate during extreme climates such as in summer or winter seasons.
The common signs and symptoms of Rosacea are the flushing of the face, redness, blushing, burning sensation, small cysts and red bumps and these usually come and go or it may appear today and may not appear tomorrow and so on. The person who has Rosacea may have a clear skin for weeks or even for years but the symptoms may appear again anytime especially if they are triggered. The Rosacea can evolve in different stages and it causes inflammation to the facial skin particularly on the cheeks, chin, forehead and nose. In the first stage of Rosacea or in its initial development, it will often times appear and then disappear. However, the skin will have difficulties in returning to its normal color and will eventually fail due to the frequent enlargement of blood vessels. This will also cause for pimples to grow more frequently. Rosacea can be rarely reversed and it usually lasts for years and may worsen if not treated accordingly or not given much attention.
There is no known treatment or cure for this skin condition however, the signs of symptoms of Rosacea can be controlled with just proper and regular treatments such as controlling the inflammation of blood vessels. There are also some types of Rosacea that can be eliminated for a long period of time using the laser, photodynamic therapy, intense pulse light or the isotretinoin. These treatments may not be the exact cure for Rosacea but a lot of patients who have this skin condition do experience long lasting results and have longer disease free period of time for as much as months up to years. The important thing is, anyone who are experiencing unusual redness of the facial skin should consult their physician and ask for proper treatments to at least reduce the symptoms and not to aggravate the situation.