What is rosacea?
Rosacea is an inflammatory condition mainly affecting the face. It is commonest in middle age although it can affect young adults and the elderly.
What causes rosacea?
The exact cause is not known although it can be triggered by a number of factors: hot temperature (food and drink), alcohol, caffeine, spicy food, sun, stress, embarrassment and topical steroids.
What are the symptoms and sign of rosacea?
The earliest symptom is episodic flushing. After a period of time, the facial skin becomes red with tiny broken veins (telangiectasia) and multiple spots. Long term side effects of untreated rosacea include: enlargement of the nose (rhinophyma), persistent swelling of the face (oedema) and eye problems.
What is the treatment for rosacea?
Treatment should start with eliminating possible trigger factors. In mild rosacea , topical antibiotics are commonly used. In people with more severe disease, systemic antibiotics can be used. These treatments tend to have their major effect on the spots with little effect on redness. Many people are often embarrassed by their facial redness which can be toned down by camouflage and anti-redness creams .
For more sources of information/help click on the links below: