So what has sufferers seeing red? Continue reading to find out.
What Causes It?
The exact cause of rosacea is unknown, although, according to NRS, there are a number of theories about the root of the disease, which include:
● Facial blood vessels that dilate too easily, causing increased blood flow near the skin, which causes flushing
● Cathelicidins, or anti-microbial proteins that help the body fight off illness, may cause the inflammatory bumps and acne-like pimples, as well as the flushing associated with rosacea
● Triggers, which can range from UV light exposure to alcohol and spicy food, may trigger the sensory nervous system, causing redness and swelling.
● There may be a genetic component that causes rosacea. According to a study of twins conducted by Case Western University, researchers found that rosacea may occur more often in both identical twins than in sets of fraternal twins.
● Microscopic skin mites may play a role in triggering the acne-like bumps experienced by some rosacea patients
● Another theory suggests that there is a link between the flushing caused by niacin, or vitamin B3, and that patients with certain types abnormal fatty acid composition are more at risk for developing a specific type of rosacea, called papulopustular rosacea.
What Are The Symptoms?
For those who aren’t sure if their flushed faces may be the result of rosacea, Mayo Clinic offers up a list of classic signs and symptoms of the condition, which include:
● Persistent facial redness, especially in the central portion of the face around the nose and on the cheeks
● Visible blood vessels, especially in the flushed areas mentioned above
● Swollen, red bumps that resemble acne
● Hot, tender skin
● Eye problems: About half of rosacea patients experience eye dryness, irritation, and/or swollen, red eyelids.
● Some rosacea patients experience a thickening of the skin on the nose, causing a bulbous appearance. This is more common in men than in women.
● Triggers: Rosacea patients will often find that their symptoms and flare-ups are tied to a range of triggers, which can include exposure to UV light, exposure to extreme cold or heat, stress, spicy foods and alcohol, especially red wine and beer.
How Can I Manage It?
While rosacea cannot be cured, it can be managed. Studies have shown that this chronic condition can last 10 years or more - although the condition is marked by periods of flare-ups and cycles of remissions. Patients who managed their conditions and followed long-term treatment plans were less likely to experience recurrences. Here are three easy ways to keep your condition under control:
Know Your Triggers
If you haven’t identified your specific triggers, keep a diary that will help you narrow them down. You may find that your face flares up after wearing certain cosmetics or eating specific foods. Perhaps your face becomes flushed after spending a day at the beach or after a good workout at the gym, or when you’re stressed or embarrassed. If you find your skin getting irritated when it’s particularly cold or during the dog days of summer, temperature may be a trigger for you.
Once you’ve identified your triggers, you’ll have to adapt your lifestyle to minimize or eliminate your exposure to them. Some are easier than others: cutting out alcohol and eliminating spicy foods from your diet are easy changes to make.
Avoiding temperature extremes may be difficult in wintertime, just as avoiding the heat may be difficult if you live in a warm climate. The good news is you can try to minimize your time outdoors during these particularly hot or cold days.
If you have identified workouts as a trigger, Everyday Health suggests bringing a frozen water bottle with you to the gym that you can apply to your neck during your workouts. As an added bonus, as it melts, you get a refreshing dose of hydration, which is good for every skin type.
Check your cosmetics and skincare products carefully, and work to weed out products that contain alcohol, witch hazel, and fragrances, which can irritate the skin. You should also minimize your use of toners, astringents, and strong scrubs that can irritate the skin, causing flare-ups.
Talk Treatment Options
Once you’ve been diagnosed with rosacea, talk to your dermatologist about what medical treatment options may be available to you. Some doctors prescribe beta blocker drugs and/or alpha antagonists that can help minimize severe flushing in severe cases, although they are not approved for this purpose by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In menopausal women with rosacea, estrogen can be used to treat flushing if hot flashes are a trigger, although these hormone treatments carry a risk for breast cancer, heart disease, and stroke. This treatment option shouldn’t be taken lightly.
For people with moderate rosacea, and those who suffer from papulopustular rosacea, topical treatments and oral drugs to control flushing and clear up breakouts area available. These can range from anti-inflammatory topical gels to topical antibiotics, retinoids, and sulfur lotions, and many are available as over the counter (OTC) medications. OTC acne medications may also be helpful in controlling flare-ups.
In some cases, oral antibiotics like tetracycline and doxycycline are prescribed to control inflammation on a short-term basis. Oracea, a low dose antibiotic, has been approved to treat rosacea flare-ups. It helps the body fight inflammation from the condition, but is at a low enough dose where it does not kill bacteria. This means there isn’t a risk for antibiotic resistance, and the drug can be taken as a long-term solution.
In patients who experience skin thickening, laser treatments or surgical procedures to remove excess skin may be called for - especially because, when left untreated, thickening of the nose skin can interfere with breathing or cause nostril collapse.
Try Natural Remedies
Even if you’re reviewing or using traditional medical therapies, or if you’re cutting triggers out of your life, there are still a range of natural or home remedies you can try to keep your symptoms in check. Among them:
Vinegar Facial Soaks: A weekly vinegar facial soak, made from one part white vinegar and 6 parts water, applied to the skin, can help minimize facial yeast and bacteria. Note: vinegar has been identified as a trigger for some rosacea patients, so you should try this out on a small patch of skin several times before a full facial regimen. Another option is to use apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar in your facial mask.
Green Tea Facial Soaks: Applying room temperature green tea to the face may help reduce the redness and swelling associated with rosacea because of its anti-inflammatory properties.
Cucumber Facial Masks: Blending cucumber into a paste and applying it on the face for 30 minutes can help ease the irritation and swelling associated with rosacea. Fresh apple facial masks may have the same effect.
Aloe: Applying aloe to the face twice a day can help ease the symptoms of rosacea, and its healing qualities can also help heal skin damage that results from the pus-filled pimples and/or acne breakouts associated with rosacea.
Oatmeal Masks: Like cucumber masks, an instant oatmeal packet combined with water, applied to the face for 15 minutes, can help soothe irritated skin.
Check out these home remedies for finding relief from this uncomfortable condition.