Rosacea: Causes, Symptoms And Treatment
Rosacea is a disease that primarily affects the skin. Diagnosis is not difficult to make and the disease is usually detected at an early stage because its symptoms go unnoticed. Below we explain the causes of rosacea and the symptoms of the disease.
Experts estimate that rosacea is diagnosed in about two in a thousand people each year. However, this calculation is not quite accurate and the figures vary greatly between different geographical areas. The truth is that there is really no reliable data on rose pimples. Some countries report a prevalence of less than 1%, while others have estimated a prevalence of more than 10%.
The diagnosis of rosacea is easy in itself, as the disease occurs specifically on the skin, causing red areas as well as visible, swollen blood vessels. Sometimes small bumps of inflammation and wet heads also appear on the skin.
This disease is more common in women than men, and more common in light-skinned than dark-skinned people. It rarely occurs in children, but begins in adulthood and is most commonly diagnosed in 30-50 year olds.
Criteria for diagnosing rosacea
Many other diseases closely resemble rosacea. Because of the similarity of symptoms, medical professionals can sometimes diagnose another disease in a patient. For this reason, strict criteria were set in 2002 for doctors to diagnose this disease.
N hese diagnostic criteria specified primary and secondary. The most common primary symptoms of rosacea are:
- Facial erythema, or reddening of the skin.
- Telangiectasia, or dilated blood vessels or “spider vessels”.
- Finally, pimples and wet ends, i.e. bumps on the skin, which can either be full of rot or they can be dry.
The most common secondary symptoms are:
- Itchy skin.
- Dry skin.
- Rhinophyma, or lump (mainly in men).
- Eye symptoms such as dry eyes or blepharitis.
Causes of rosacea
As mentioned above, the root causes of rosacea are still not fully known. It is possible that genetic factors combined with some environmental triggers lead to a skin reaction.
Some scientific studies have linked rosacea to allergies, especially airborne and foodborne particles. This does not mean that rosacea is one form of allergy, but that they could have something in common in the onset of symptoms.
It is also worth mentioning that people with rosacea are also more likely to suffer from high blood pressure and metabolic disorders. In women, the risk of hormonal imbalance increases.
Some of the triggers for rosacea are:
- Exposure to sunlight
- Dry, windy weather
- Consumption of hot foods and alcoholic beverages
- Stress
- Medicines with vasodilatory effects
- Cosmetics
Progression of rosacea
Rosacea does not occur in the same way in all patients. Symptoms vary from individual to individual, under the influence of both genetic and environmental factors. Age can also affect the course of symptoms. In addition, it is important to know that this disease has different stages:
- Rosacea diathesis. This phase is intermittent and intermittent. The red spots do not remain on the face, but appear and disappear from time to time.
- First phase. When the symptoms are persistent, the disease has reached its first stage. During this stage, telangiectasia, or dilated blood vessels or “spider veins”, begins to appear.
- Second stage. In addition to the symptoms mentioned above, the patient suffers from bumps on the skin and sometimes also from wet ends.
- The third stage. This is the most difficult stage of the disease. In addition to all of the above, nodules appear on the skin, possibly also in the nose (lump).
Care
No treatment has been found for rosacea that would completely cure it. However, there are different ways to alleviate the symptoms and their visibility.
First, the patient should try different home care options. If he notices that his skin is irritated and red, for example after eating hot foods or drinking alcohol, you should stop or at least limit their use. Efforts should be made to protect as well as possible from external factors, ie wind, sun and frost.
If home treatment alone is not enough, your doctor may prescribe an externally applied ointment containing metronidazole. This is usually the first choice for patients who are in the early stages of the disease. If the ointment containing metronidazole does not work, your doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics (tetracyclines) or isotretinoin.
A patient with rhinopharyngitis may seek the help of a carbon dioxide laser that has shown promising results in reducing nasal inflammation. Laser and pulsed light can also help narrow dilated blood vessels.
Rosacea is a skin condition that is not dangerous to the patient, but that bothers it aesthetically, sometimes very severely. Studies are ongoing into the causes and treatment of rosacea. If you have symptoms that suggest this skin condition, contact your doctor for help with your situation.
