| |
1. What is acne rosacea?
Acne rosacea or rosacea is a skin disease that causes redness and
swelling on the face. As the disease progresses, small blood vessels
and tiny pimples begin to appear on and around the reddened area.
When it first develops, rosacea may appear, disappear, and then
reappear a short time later. The condition rarely reverses itself
and may last for years. It will become worse without treatment.
2. What does rosacea
look like?
As rosacea progresses, pimples appear on the face in the form of
small, solid red bumps and pus-filled bumps. These are usually accompanied
by telangiectasia which are enlarged blood vessels on the surface
of the skin. This condition affects mainly the forehead, the chin
and the nose. Rosacea may also be accompanied by oily skin, and
possibly dandruff. Approximately half of all rosacea patients experience
burning and grittiness of the eyes. If this condition is not treated,
it can lead to even more serious complications that may threaten
vision.
3. Who develops rosacea?
Those most likely to develop rosacea are fair-skinned adults, especially
women, between the ages of 30 and 50. For some unknown reason, women
get rosacea more often than men. Rosacea develops over a long period
of time. It may first seem like a tendency to blush easily, a ruddy
complexion, or an extreme sensitivity to cosmetics. Certain drugs
may dilate the blood vessels in the skin and make rosacea worse.
The exact cause of rosacea is still unknown, although studies have
shown that many factors can irritate the condition.
4. What should patients
with rosacea avoid?
Drinking too much alcohol of any type, spicy foods, hot drinks,
caffeine, and smoking will dilate blood vessels and cause blood
to rush to the affected areas.
- Limiting exposure to sunlight, or extreme hot and
cold temperatures will help relieve the symptoms of rosacea. Use
a nonalcohol based sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.
- Rubbing or massaging the face should also be avoided
because it will tend to irritate the reddened skin.
- Avoiding irritating cosmetics and using hair sprays
properly will help prevent redness and swelling.
5. What treatments
are available for rosacea?
Topical antibiotic gels or creams such as metronitrozole will probably
provide a slight improvement in the first three to four weeks of
use. When applying these creams, the chances of irritation will
be reduced if the face is freshly washed and dried. A great deal
of improvement will be noticeable in two months. Oral antibacterial
capsules or tablets tend to produce faster results than topical
medications and are used in more severe cases. Steroid (cortisone)
creams will often reduce the redness and help heal the bumps. Strong
steroid creams used over a long period of time may aggravate or
cause rosacea. Telangiectasias may be treated with a small electric
needle or laser surgery to close off the dilated blood vessels.
|
