What is rosacea and can it be treated?

Rosacea is a condition most which affects the skin; symptoms of the condition are most common on the face and neck.

How can you spot rosacea?

In the early stages of rosacea sufferers tend to notice a tendency to blush more easily, can suffer a burning sensation and persistent redness. The redness that people sufferers of this condition experience is because of dilation of blood vessels, rosacea is can occur all over the body but it is generally suffered on the face, many rosacea sufferers can become withdrawn and suffer social anxiety due the blushing. The anxiety caused by this condition can make its symptoms worse.

As the symptoms advance small blood vessels under the skin can become visible, most common on the nose, the chin and the cheeks this is known as erythematotelangiectatic or vascular rosacea. Statistics show that around 50% of sufferers can develop eye problems and ocular rosacea, the ocular condition causes eyelids to become swollen, scaly, sore and inflamed.

Who gets rosacea?

The condition is most commonly suffered by females aged between 30 to 40 years of age with pale skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. This doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry if you are a man, your eyes are brown or you’re over 45 though. Rosacea is not as common in people below 30, Men or people with darker complexions but it can still affect them, men can actually suffer worse symptoms than women.

Can the condition be cured?

There is currently no cure for rosacea, doctors aren’t even 100% sure of its cause but it can be controlled. If you think you might be a sufferer it is advisable that you seek treatment because it will get worse if not treated.

How can rosacea be treated?

If you go to your doctor and get diagnosed with the condition they will probably prescribe antibiotics, a cream or maybe both. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, the problem with long-term antibiotics is that the bacteria become more resistant to them, this can lead to impaired immunity and they don’t just kill bad bacteria but good bacteria too. Killing these good bacteria can lead to problems with digestion. You can also book a visit to see a dermatologist if you’re concerned about your condition or want to try different methods of rosacea treatment.

It is believed “flare-ups” can caused by certain foods, many sufferers notice symptoms after consuming spicy food, alcohol and coffee. Different foods can affect different people differently though, what causes one person to suffer a flare up may not cause the same effects in another.

A healthy diet, high in antioxidants can generally help keep rosacea under control some sufferers find that green tea, evening primrose oil and chamomile can help their symptoms. Do not buy creams or other treatments off the internet though; these can sometimes make the condition much worse.

There are many forums and support groups on the internet where you can find fellow rosacea sufferers they will been keen to share advice about the condition with you and tell you what works for them there is a useful list of rosacea links here. Do not rely on this kind of information alone though, if you think you may be a sufferer of rosacea or any other illness make sure you seek professional medical advice.