RosaceaBy LIAM of Adsenselover.com
Do you have redness of the face that causes other people to mistakenly think you are
an alcoholic? You may be suffering from rosacea and there are treatment options available.
Rosacea is a chronic facial skin disorder which causes redness of the skin, small visble blood
vessels (telangieactasias), swelling of the skin, redness of the eyes, and can cause like
lesions.
It is usually first seen in people age 30 to 60, more common in women, but more severe
in men. It is a progressive condition but can go through periods of remission. In severe cases,
the end result of rosacea can be abnormal growth of the glands in the nose resulting in a
disfiguring condition known as rhinophyma.
The cause of
rosacea is not well known. There are several theories including infestation with a
skin mite called Demodex follicularum and infestation with helicobacter pylori, the same
bacteria associated with stomach ulcers. Other theories point to a malfunction in the body’s
temperature control system. There appears to be a genetic predisposition as 40% of people with
rosacea have a family member with the disease.
While the cause has not been clearly identified
several factors have been identified which contribute to the condition including: sun exposure,
stress, hot and cold weather, alcohol, spicy woods, exercise, wind, hot baths, hot drinks,
certain drugs, skin care products, and topical or oral steroid treatment.
Diagnosis of
rosacea is based on finding of the characteristic signs of rosacea. There are no
other laboratory or imaging studies necessary to make the diagnosis though other conditions may
need to be excluded.
There are several options for treatment for rosacea. The first step in treatment involves
lifestyle modification. Use of sunscreens and avoidance of triggering events is an excellent
start to decrease episodes of rosacea. Cosmetics can be used to cover some of the sequelae of
rosacea.
Antibiotics, both topical and oral, can be useful for certain cases of
rosacea. In cases of
worrisome lesions on the face which are unresponsive to antibiotics, isotretinoin can be used
but the benefits must be weighed against the risks of use and discussion with a knowledgeable
physician is absolutely necessary.
In cases of flushing being the worrisome symptom, blood
pressure medication such as clonidine or beta-blockers may be effective in resolving the symptom.
For patients who desire treatment of the facial redness or telangiectasias, laser treatment may
be beneficial.
Pulsed dye lasers or intense pulse light treatment can be very helpful in
reducing redness and removing telangiectasias. There are usually minimal side effects and
treatments can often be undertaken as a ‘lunch time office’ procedure. The drawback to these
procedures though is that it can take several treatments to produce the desired results.
For patients with rhynophima, or nodules on the nose from rosacea, more invasive surgery may be
necessary to bring the nose back to its normal shape. Surgical results are often excellent but
can require a several week intense care period.
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