Living With Rosacea
September 5, 2009
Rosacea is chronic skin condition that primarily affects the facial skin. Rosacea appears as redness on the face with small red pus filled bumps, which look like pimples. We often mistake rosacea for acnes, pimples or skin allergies.
Delay in treating this skin condition might worsen the disease. Sometimes the tiny blood vessels on the nose and cheeks become visible. Rosacea might also thicken the skin on the nose. Although, rosacea could not be cured completely, but with proper medication, one can keep this disease under control.
Rosacea causes
Rosacea largely affects people with light skin color. People of European origin are more likely to suffer from this skin condition. However, escalating use of skin lightening products among Asians is also increasing the incidence of rosacea among them.
Rosacea can also be a genetic condition, running among close relatives. Abnormality of the blood vessels present on the face might be responsible for the disease, although the factors causing this abnormality have not yet been traced. Overpopulation of Demodex folliculorum, a type of microscopic mite that lives on the skin, is perhaps associated with this disease.
H. pylori bacteria, a type of bacteria that live in our digestive tract, are even thought to cause Rosacea. These bacteria produce a type of protein, known as bradykinin, which dilates blood vessels of the skin. Although, food that you eat is not directly responsible for causing rosacea, but nonetheless, they can stimulate blood flow in the skin, making your rosacea worse.
Rosacea symptoms
Rosacea starts with flushing. The redness or flushing spreads from nose to the cheeks, chin, forehead, neck and even to the chest. The skin might feel hot. It becomes excessive sensitive or hyper-reactive to sunlight and touch. Small pus filled bumps appear, forming inflammatory rosacea.
As the condition worsens, the blood vessels on the facial skin will further dilate and will become visible, producing vascular rosacea. In severe cases, the skin around the nose thickens producing rhinophyma. Rhinophyma is more common among men.
Rosacea home remedies
Topical medication and oral antibiotics are prescribed by doctors to reduce the symptoms of rosacea. If you suffer from this skin condition, you should use only mild soaps and skin care products. Applying sun protection lotions with SPF above 15 is recommended. Foods that worsen rosacea, such as hot and spicy foods, caffeine, dairy products and alcohol should be avoided.
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