medical rosacea

Rosacea

Rosacea often begins with a tendency to blush or flush more easily than other people. The redness can slowly spread beyond the nose and cheeks to the forehead and chin. Even the ears, chest, and back can become red. Most people who develop rosacea are usually females between 30 and 50 years of age, fair-skinned, and often have blonde hair and blue eyes. When men develop rosacea, it tends to be more severe. We are not sure what causes rosacea, but theories of bacteria, normal mites that live in our pores, and yeast exist; but their true roles are unclear.

Rosacea types:
Erythematotelangioectatic rosacea: Facial redness, flushing, and visible blood vessels; most common in middle-aged women. The skin may be sensitive, may sting and burn, and the skin will tend to get red and flushed with the common triggers.
Acneiform rosacea: Inflamed red acne-like breakouts with surrounding skin redness, visible broken blood vessels, and oily skin especially on the nose. The skin may be sensitive, may sting and burn, and the skin / pimples tend to flare with the common triggers.
Rhinophyma: Bumpy texture of the skin, and thickening of the skin, especially on the nose. The skin looks oily, the pores look large, and visible broken blood vessels are apparent. This subtype is the least common, but when it does occur, the person often has had signs and symptoms of the above forms of rosacea for years.
Ocular rosacea: Rosacea can affect the eye and cause a gritty feeling in the eyes, stinging, burning, dryness, itching, redness of the eyes, swollen eyelids and cysts on the eyelid. This may or may not occur in conjunction with skin rosacea.

Treatment:
◦ A dermatologist with evaluate your skin and make the diagnosis of rosacea.
◦ Treatment options include: topical creams, sunscreen/sunblock, moisturizing, oral medications such as antibiotics or vitamins, laser treatments.
◦ Dermatologists can remove the thickening skin that appears on the nose and other parts of the face with: lasers, dermabrasion, or electrocautery.
◦ When rosacea affects the eyes, a dermatologist may give you instructions for washing the eyelids several times a day and a prescription for eye medicine or an oral antibiotic.