What is Rosacea - Symptoms and Treatment Options
Rosacea gives dilated blood vessels and inflammation in the
skin. The skin is often also infected by bacteria. Most often
the face is attacked and especially the convex surfaces of the
face. Sometimes also the eyes or other body parts are affected.
Rosacea may begin early, but distinct and serious symptoms
usually develop as an individual gets older.
WHAT SYMPTOMS ARE SEEN BY ROSACEA
The primary symptoms of rosacea are the following. All the
symptoms may not be present always.
- Permanent redness in the skin. This redness can get better or
worse periodically. - Flushing or redness that comes and
disappears periodically. - Telangiectasia - This is a distinct
widening of small blood vessels in an area. - Papules - Small
dome-shape spots filled with fluid, often group wise. - Skin
areas with rosasea symptoms often get infected, and the
infection worsens the symptoms. - Pustules or pimples -
Sometimes infection makes the papules develop into real pimples.
However, if the pimples appear in a hair follicle stuffed with
sebum (comedones), they are a symptom of acne, and not rosacea.
Pimples from acne and rosacea may exist together.
Rosacea also implies secondary symptoms that are caused by the
primary symptoms, or appear later than the primary ones.
- Burning or stinging - Placks - elevated red areas - Scaling,
often associated with burning or stinging - Dry skin, often
occurring before scaling - Edema coming in areas that already
has been red for some time - Symptoms from the eyes like:
Redness, itching, burning, corneal damage - Thickening of the
skin, or lumps in the skin - Distended hair follicles - Rosacea
in other places than the face
WHAT CAUSES ROSACEA
The exact causes are not known, but some people seem to inherit
the tendency of developing rosacea. People that blush very often
seem to develop rosacea more easily. Therefore rosacea may be
caused by blood vessels that dilate too easily upon stimulation,
and eventually become permanently dilated.
The following types of stimulation may cause worsening of the
rosacea symptoms: heat, hot baths, strenuous exercise, sunlight,
wind, very cold temperatures, hot or spicy foods and drinks,
alcohol consumption, menopause, emotional stress, prolonged use
of topical steroids on the skin.
HOW IS ROSACEA TREATED
Traditional medicine does not have any treatment for the basic
processes of rosacea, such as redness and the blood vessel
extention.
Laser treatment may be used to take away dilated blood vessels
or skin irregularities by rosacea. The laser light heats and
destroys the dilated blood vessels.
When infection is a part of the disease, and papules or pustules
occur, rosacea is treated with antibiotics, usually applied
directly on the skin, for example metronidazole. Oral treatment
may also be used by severe rosacea, for example with:
Tetracycline, minocycline, erythromycin, and doxycycline.
By pimple formation, you can also use rinsing skin cleansers in
the same way as by acne.
On the market you can find several alternative medicines, mostly
topical creams, to treat rosacea. These often contain natural
oils, herbal extracts, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants that
alleviate inflammation and stimulate skin healing. They may also
contain mild antiseptic agents to treat bacterial infection.