Symptoms and Treatments For Rosacea
Rosacea (pronounced row-ZAY-sha) is a disorder of the facial skin.
Approximately 14 million Americans suffer from rosacea.
There is no known cause.
Medical professionals are limited to treating the symptoms as there is no known cure.
If you suffer from rosacea, it is important to understand the symptoms, as well as the potential treatments, in order to fight your disorder.
Rosacea is very much a disorder in which you must take control of your treatment.
The more you know, the more you can be in control.
Medical professionals differentiate rosacea into four subtypes, primarily defined by the severity of the disorder.
Keep in mind that rosacea can get worse (flare-up) depending on the presence of triggers.
In the absence of these triggers, rosacea usually goes into remission (gets better).
The severity of these flare-ups is how rosacea is categorized.
The first category defines mild cases of rosacea.
This is visible by a redness of the facial skin in the areas of the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead.
This category could be easily misunderstood as sunburn.
The second category is defined as bumps and pimples.
This is a more severe stage than the first.
The pimples are often confused with acne, however, rosacea pimples do not have whiteheads or blackheads.
Also, rosacea usually only occurs in adults between the ages of 30 - 70.
The third category involves thickening or enlarging of the skin.
This typically affects the nose and surrounding area.
W.
C.
Fields and Bill Clinton are famous examples of this category of rosacea.
The fourth category is called ocular rosacea.
This category is characterized by burning or stinging eyes.
The eyes may be watery or bloodshot in appearance.
Left untreated, there is a real danger of rosacea causing permanent damage to the eyes.
There are many treatments that are used for rosacea.
The following list highlights some of the more common ways the medical community treats rosacea:
Approximately 14 million Americans suffer from rosacea.
There is no known cause.
Medical professionals are limited to treating the symptoms as there is no known cure.
If you suffer from rosacea, it is important to understand the symptoms, as well as the potential treatments, in order to fight your disorder.
Rosacea is very much a disorder in which you must take control of your treatment.
The more you know, the more you can be in control.
Medical professionals differentiate rosacea into four subtypes, primarily defined by the severity of the disorder.
Keep in mind that rosacea can get worse (flare-up) depending on the presence of triggers.
In the absence of these triggers, rosacea usually goes into remission (gets better).
The severity of these flare-ups is how rosacea is categorized.
The first category defines mild cases of rosacea.
This is visible by a redness of the facial skin in the areas of the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead.
This category could be easily misunderstood as sunburn.
The second category is defined as bumps and pimples.
This is a more severe stage than the first.
The pimples are often confused with acne, however, rosacea pimples do not have whiteheads or blackheads.
Also, rosacea usually only occurs in adults between the ages of 30 - 70.
The third category involves thickening or enlarging of the skin.
This typically affects the nose and surrounding area.
W.
C.
Fields and Bill Clinton are famous examples of this category of rosacea.
The fourth category is called ocular rosacea.
This category is characterized by burning or stinging eyes.
The eyes may be watery or bloodshot in appearance.
Left untreated, there is a real danger of rosacea causing permanent damage to the eyes.
There are many treatments that are used for rosacea.
The following list highlights some of the more common ways the medical community treats rosacea:
- Topical creams - Used to treat rosacea symptoms by applying creams or gels to the affected areas once or twice a day.
- Oral antibiotics - Used primarily to reduce inflammation.
They are not used to fight infection.
Used usually in more severe cases. - Cleansers - Provide some relief from symptoms.
Gentle in nature, these are better for rosacea-sensitive skin than commercial face cleansers. - Laser (light) treatments - Under the skin heat that is produced by exposure to light causes the small blood vessels to disintegrate, causing the redness to disappear.
- Chemical peels - These have been found to be effective in some patients.
- Sun protection - Most rosacea sufferers are sensitive to sun exposure.
An important treatment is to protect the affected areas of the face from sun exposure.
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