Rosacea

As if pimples are not enough to ruin one’s face, rosacea has to occur to take the limelight away from acne.

Although rosacea is a fairly common skin disease, affecting more than 45 million individuals all over the world, it remains to be a highly misunderstood one. This skin disorder is characterized by tiny, pus-filled, red bumps, so much like the ones seen with acne. The similarities between the two skin conditions are so obvious that rosacea is often referred to as acne rosacea or adult acne. However, it does not have a lot to do with blackheads, whiteheads, and the pimples which typically affect teenagers.

Rosacea usually occurs among adults who are 30-60 years old. It is also more prevalent among fair-skinned people, affecting around 14 million people in the United States. While more women are known to have this condition, men have been found out to have more obvious symptoms of the skin disease. And although it’s not fatal, the impact of the condition on the patient’s appearance can reduce his self-esteem.

Rosacea may gradually progress if left untreated. But in most cases, the condition tends to be cyclic. That is, the symptoms may stay for sometime, and then disappear afterwards, only to reappear again. Aside from acne, rosacea is often mistaken for eczema or allergy.

The different symptoms of rosacea include: rhinophyma or red, swollen nose; burning sensation in the eyes or ocular rosacea; red patches on the face; tendency to blush easily; tiny, red bumps on the face; and visibility of blood vessels on the cheeks and nose.

There are several phases of this particular skin disorder. Pre-rosacea starts as a mere tendency to blush easily. It then progresses to become a persistent red patch on the facial skin, especially on the nose. The redness is a result of the dilation of the blood vessels.

Vascular rosacea develop when the various initial symptoms have worsened. In this phase, the blood vessels become apparent and swollen, particularly on the cheeks and nose. Skin may now be overly sensitive.

Inflammatory rosacea is characterized by the appearance of tiny, red pustules, which may likely persist and spread across the forehead, cheeks, chin, and nose.

Although rare, severe cases of rosacea lead to the enlargement of the cheeks and nose involving the onset of a condition known as rhinophyma – or tissue build up around the nose. Moreover, over half the patients suffering from rosacea develop ocular rosacea – a condition characterized by a burning feeling in the eyes.

The exact cause of this skin condition remains unknown. However, experts believe that the onset is most probably due to certain combinations of environmental and hereditary elements. They pointed out one thing though – alcohol does not have anything to do with the occurrence of rosacea. While alcohol intake may cause the symptoms to worsen, people who do not drink alcohol are still likely to develop the disease.

Since the specific causes of the condition have not been established, people can prevent the progress of its symptoms by staying away from the following factors known to aggravate it: spicy foods, sunlight, hot beverages and food, alcohol, sauna or hot baths, extreme temperatures, drugs which can dilate the blood vessels, anger or stress, strenuous physical activities, and corticosteroids.

Even if rosacea is not known to be life-threatening, it still has the tendency to become worse when left untreated. Thus, patients who experience persistent and worsening symptoms should consult their doctors or dermatologists at once.

No matter how minor skin disorders may be at the start, they will eventually grow “horns’ over time, unless they are given due attention.