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Monday, November 21, 2011

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition involving inflammation of the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, or eyelids.

We recommend: Fact sheet: Rosacea

Rosacea - PubMed Health

A.D.A.M. Medical Encyclopedia.

Rosacea

Acne rosacea

Last reviewed: November 1, 2009.

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition involving inflammation of the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, or eyelids. It may appear as redness, prominent spider-like blood vessels, swelling, or skin eruptions similar to acne.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Although the cause of rosacea is unknown, you are more likely to develop this harmless skin condition if:

You are fair-skinned
You blush easily
You are a woman (however, men with the condition are usually more severely affected)
You are between the ages of 30 and 50

Rosacea involves swelling of the blood vessels just under the skin. It may be associated with other skin disorders (acne vulgaris, seborrhea) or eye disorders (blepharitis, keratitis).

Symptoms

Redness of the face in discrete areas or covering the entire face
A tendency to flush or blush easily
Increased number of spider-like blood vessels (telangiectasia) of the face
A red, bulbous nose
Acne-like skin eruptions (may ooze or crust)
A burning or stinging sensation of the face
Irritated, bloodshot, watery eyes

Signs and tests

Your physician can usually diagnose rosacea with a thorough medical history and physical exam.

Treatment

There is no known cure for rosacea. The goal is to identify and avoid possible triggers, and thus reduce flare-ups. By keeping a symptom diary to identify the specific triggers you may have, you may be able to see a pattern of what makes your rosacea worse. Use this information to avoid future flare-ups.

Here are some steps that may help:

Avoid sun exposure. Use sunscreen every day.
Avoid prolonged exertion in hot weather.
Try to reduce stress. Try deep breathing, yoga, or other relaxation techniques.
Limit spicy foods, alcohol, and hot beverages.

Triggers vary from person to person. Other triggers may include wind, hot baths, cold weather, specific skin products, exercise, or other factors.

Antibiotics taken by mouth (such as tetracycline, minocycline, or doxycycline) or applied to the skin (such as metronidazole) may control skin eruptions. Other medications (isoretinol or Accutane), which are similar to vitamin A, are stronger alternatives that your doctor or dermatologist might consider. Rosacea is not acne and will not improve with over-the-counter acne treatment.

In severe cases, laser surgery may help reduce the redness. Surgical reduction of enlarged nose tissue may also improve your appearance, if you so choose.

Expectations (prognosis)

Rosacea is not medically dangerous. It is not curable, but can usually be controlled with treatment. It may be persistent and chronic.

Complications

Permanent changes in appearance (for example, a bulbous nose)
Psychological damage, loss of self esteem

References

Habif TP. Acne, rosacea, and related disorders. In: Habif TP, ed. Clinical Dermatology. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2009:chap 7.
Goldgar C, Keahey DJ, Houchins J. Treatment Options for Acne Rosacea. Am Fam Phys. 2009 Sep;80(5).
van Zuuren EJ, et al. Systematic review of rosacea treatments. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2007:56(1):107-115. [PubMed]

Review Date: 11/1/2009.

Reviewed by: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc

Go there...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001882/

Mom, You were right. Looks like I must have remembered it from something like this info here...

Don

German Measles – What is Rosacea? Do I have it?

Posted on August 9th, 2011 in Articles

One of the most difficult issues with Rosacea is determining if the patient in fact is afflicted with the disease. Redness of the face, the distinct symptom with Rosacea, can be brought on by many serious ailments and illnesses. Scarlet Fever, German Measles, Cushing’ Syndrome and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus can all cause a red face. These are all very critical conditions which are often terminal. It would be devastating if a diagnosis of Rosacea was incorrectly made, but it was really a far more severe disease. Even things as elementary as exposure to the sun, eating too much spicy food, and consuming excessive alcohol can cause the facial skin to turn red. Redness brought on by these common actions is short lived and will fade as time passes.

A distinguishing factor of Rosacea is that it usually starts around the nose, and then progresses to other areas of the face, like the forehead and chin. In addition, it may proceed to the ears, many times the scalp, neck, and even the chest. Some other signs and symptoms include watery eyes, itchy dry eyes, and thickened skin around your face. As you can see, there is simply no one symptom you can point at and say with certainty, “Yes, I have Rosacea.”

When you first notice the preliminary symptoms of Rosacea, prolonged flushing and/or inflammation of your face, which you cannot associate with an apparent trigger, you need to see a healthcare professional. It is a good idea not to wait too long, for as with most health conditions, when you can catch Rosacea early on, it is much less challenging to treat and prevent it from progressing to the later, more uncomfortable stages.

Many signs and symptoms in the early stages of Rosacea will become even worse when subjected to the sun’s rays or heat, or after eating fatty or hot and spicy meals. If the inflammation is persistent, even without these types of stressing factors, it is very likely some form of Rosacea, and you should seek out medical assistance immediately. Untreated Rosacea can impact the eyes, plus in some cases cause blindness. Eventually, significantly serious health consequences can occur if Rosacea is left untreated.

One of the most serious emotional factors of Rosacea is that it is on your face for the entire everyone to see. Most people have no clue about Rosacea and may even look at you with pity and wonder. You may want to hide away and never come out in public.

Contemporary medical science has not been able to pin down a single root cause for Rosacea. There seems to be several causes, with variations for each of them. Physicians have a number of methods of treating Rosacea, including laser and electrosurgery to remove growths, antibiotics, creams, and ointments. Some physicians realize that diet plays a role in Rosacea. All these treatments, maybe with the exception of diet, treat the signs or symptoms and none of them is actually a solution or cure. Many are unpleasant and uncomfortable, and whatever health benefits you may realize from them usually are short-lived given that the disease is still present and progressing. In the end, your doctor will probably tell you that you will have to learn to live with Rosacea.

There are various natural beneficial solutions for Rosacea that appear to work nicely. This is something you should look into on your own, as most medical practitioners have no a clue about them.

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Learn more about this serious and painfully embarrassing condition by visiting http://www.slideshare.net/janpiel/What-Is-Rosacea?Author: Janette Westoria writes articles about health, relationships, marriage, and dating topics.