Understanding The Causes Of Rosacea
Rosacea is a chronic and embarrassing skin condition which causes redness and flushing of the face. If left untreated, rosacea can lead to bumps, pimples and skin thickening, which can be painful and disfiguring. Rosacea affects men and women of all ages, and the National Rosacea Society estimates that there are 16 million rosacea sufferers in the USA alone.
Many of these sufferers have not had their condition officially diagnosed. For those who have, dealing with the condition can be a challenging and complex full time job, and one that leaves them fearing many day to day activities.
What Causes Rosacea
Rosacea is a complex condition with many causes and triggers. It is hereditary, and some nationalities appear to be more genetically predisposed to developing rosacea than others. Rosacea can be an embarrassing condition, and there are many people who associate the red nose and cheeks of rosacea with alcoholism, but this is an unfair prejudice.
Many rosacea sufferers do not drink alcohol at all, and others do drink in moderation, and find that alcohol does not trigger their attacks. Alcohol can cause rosacea flare ups in some people, but moderate drinking will not make someone develop rosacea if they are not already predisposed to it.
Common rosacea triggers include sudden temperature changes, smoking, vigorous exercise, spicy food, stress, skin mites and bacteria, caffeinated beverages, inflammation caused by other conditions, and yes, in some cases alcohol.
Treating Rosacea
Rosacea sufferers are advised to keep a diary to help them figure out what causes attacks. After a few weeks or months of careful logging, it should be easy to figure out if environmental figures are causing rosacea flare-ups, and from there the sufferer can work to avoid the triggers that cause the most problems for them.
In some cases, the triggers are an infection, and the infection will need treated with an antibacterial cream. It is best to avoid steroidal creams for rosacea, because while those creams can temporarily alleviate some rosacea symptoms, they also tend to thin the skin, and this is an undesirable effect. Thinner skin will mean more obvious flare-ups in the future.
The Most Common Problem Habits
The most common problem habits that can cause flare ups are eating spicy food and drinking red wine. According to the National Rosacea Society, 76% of rosacea sufferers reported skin reactions after consuming red wine, compared to just 41% for beer and 21% for scotch. It is unclear what red wine contains that makes is more likely to cause flare-ups, but one thing is clear; if you think drinking alcohol is a trigger for you, stay away from wine.
Some doctors believe that red wine causes problems because the alcohol in the wine causes blood vessels to dilate, while the tyramines behave like histamines and cause even more dilation, causing blood to rush to the capillaries in the face. Other drinks do not contain as many tyramines, so produce a less noticeable reaction.
Stopping Flare Ups After They Start
The best way to manage rosacea is to try to prevent attacks, but if you feel a flare up starting there are some things that you can do to get it under control. Some people find that drinking lots of water helps to cool them down and soothe their flushed skin.
Others find that sucking on an ice cube works quite effectively for stopping a flare up. Other than that, trying to avoid sudden temperature changes can also be beneficial.
Curing Rosacea
Curing rosacea for good is not easy. There are some anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory creams that can manage the condition, but the only long-lasting therapy that has proven effective for a lot of people is laser treatment to temporarily damage the capillaries in the area where the flare up occurs.
This treatment will stop blood flow to the capillaries and will stop flare ups from occurring for several years. Eventually, however, new capillaries will grow to replace the ones damaged by the laser treatment, and the treatment will need repeated to prevent another flare up.
Rosacea is not a dangerous condition, and it is not contagious. It can, however, be painful and embarrassing, and that alone is a good reason to invest effort into finding a long term solution. Rosacea sufferers experience a lot of stigma, and many of them are prevented from being able to hold down customer service jobs or lead a normal life because they are judged based on the flushing and blemishes on their skin.
Do not assume that a rosacea sufferer is an alcoholic, or that they have a contagious skin condition. Most rosacea sufferers are simply people who happen to have a little too much blood flowing to their face. Give them the chance to enjoy a normal life without judgement or teasing.
There are no comments yet, add one below.