Rosacea:
It is a chronic skin condition that usually causes redness on the cheeks and nose. It can also cause eye problems.
Causes:
Although the cause is still not known yet, but scientists are still working to determine the causes, as the following have been observed:
- Inflammation contributes to some of the main symptoms (e.g.: skin redness and rash), but they don't fully understand why inflammation occurs.
- Rosacea runs in families.
- Increased skin sensitivity in people with rosacea.
- Environmental irritants (such as: ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and microbes that inhabit the skin).
Symptoms:
Rosacea is a long-term condition the symptoms of which are flare-ups, including:
- Redness of the face accompanied by tingling or burning, and the redness may turn into roughness and peeling.
- Areas of facial redness can develop into red or pus-filled bumps and acne-like pimples.
- Visible blood vessels. These usually appear as thin red lines on the cheeks and nose.
- Thickening of the skin, especially on the nose, which gives the nose an enlarged and swollen appearance. This is one of the most severe symptoms and mostly affects men.
- Eye irritation (pink eye), where there is pain, redness and itching of the eye.
- Swelling and redness of the eyelids, especially at the base of the eyelashes.
- Feeling of sand in the eye
The condition usually affects the center of the face, but in rare cases it can extend to other parts of the body (e.g.: sides of the face, ears, neck, scalp, and chest).
Risk factors:
Anyone can get rosacea, but it's most common among these groups:
- Advance age as it affects middle-aged and elderly adults.
- Sexually, it affects women, but when it does affect men it tends to be more severe.
- People with a family history of rosacea may be more susceptible.
- People with fair skin, but it may not be diagnosed in people with darker skin because dark skin can mask facial redness.
Treatment:
Rosacea cannot be completely cured, but treatment aims to control symptoms, prevent worsening of the condition and complications, and improve quality of life with self-care and some treatments. Most people respond well to treatment, but improvement is usually gradual and can take 3 months or longer to see results.
While treatment is usually long-term, there may be times when symptoms improve and medications can be temporarily discontinued.
Various treatment methods include skin creams or antibiotic pills prescribed by a doctor, as well as laser treatment or surgery.
Instructions for those with rosacea:
- Avoid exposure to the sun by wearing wide-brimmed hats and using a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 30 or more.
- Avoid irritants (e.g. extreme temperatures, wind, spicy foods, stress and strenuous exercise).
- Use a skin care routine with unscented cleansers and moisturizers.
- Avoid cleaners that contain abrasive or peeling agents, that contain alcohol, acetone, and perfumes.
- Avoid any skincare products that sting, burn, or cause redness.
- Clean the skin when you wake up and before going to bed helps remove oils and dirt that can irritate the skin.
- Moisturize the skin on a daily basis.
- Dry the skin with a thick cotton towel, while avoiding rubbing or pulling the skin during drying or using a rough towel.
- Take good care of your eyes when there are symptoms. The doctor may recommend gently cleaning your eyelids with an eyelid cleanser and applying a warm compress several times a day.