What Is Rosacea And How Do We Treat It?
What Is Rosacea?
Before researching about Rosacea I will be quite honest with you, I didn’t know what it was. Now I am fully up to speed and can explain to you exactly what it is. If you have red blotches on your face some of the time or if you are unlucky all of the time. If your skin itches, becomes swollen and irritated. Then it may be rosacea that you are suffering from. It is unfortunately a hereditary and long term condition which usually affects your nose, forehead, chin and cheekbones.
It is a condition that can affect up to 1 in 10 people, meaning that it affects over 16 million North Americans. Most commonly appearing between the ages of 30 and 60. Rosacea is more common in women than men and more prone to fairer skinned adults. It is also a condition that can affect children.
The symptoms of Rosacea are your face becoming flushed and red. Your skin feeling itchy and burning. You may also get small white and yellow pimples appearing. In some more severe cases the rash becomes permanent which leaves the skin red.
If the nose is affected by Rosacea then the skin becomes thickened, swollen and purple. This condition is called rhinophyma and is something older men can suffer from.
Rosacea is very common and at the beginning of this skin disease when the centre of your face is red, it may come and go on its own without any treatment. Unfortunately if you do leave it untreated it could develop into your skin becoming inflamed along with skin eruptions. Eventually this condition could become chronic and worse case permanent.
The Four Stages Of Rosacea
Pre-Rosacea: This is where the blood vessels dilate to more stimuli. Staying open for longer periods of time compared to normal persons. From this form of Rosacea no visible damage will normally be seen.
Mild Rosacea: When facial redness induced by flushing persists for an abnormal length of time. This will usually happen 1/2 an hour or possibly more after a trigger. Coomon triggers are allergic reactions,stress,heat and cold.
Moderate Rosacea: As a result of frequent and intense facial flushing, long term redness will appear. Vascular damage can occur in this instance.
Severe Rosacea: Is intense bouts of facial flushing, severe inflammation, facial pain, swelling and burning sensations.
How Do you treat Rosacea?
Unfortunately the first attack cannot be prevented. However if you are affected by Rosacea you can learn to avoid some of the common triggers which are spicy foods,caffeine,stress,sun or wind exposure and alcohol.
If you are affected by Rosacea you are able to treat it with topical antibiotics. For the more severe cases of Rosacea you may need to go down the path of surgery or laser treatment.
