One of the most common questions we are asked is, what is rosacea? Rosacea is clinically defined as a chronic skin disease that causes redness and swelling, primarily on the face.
It’s location on the human body is usually the face and chest. It also appears on the scalp, neck, ears, and back. Sometimes, rosacea affects the eyes. Rosacea usually varies in severity, and manifests in episodes of flushing and inflammation of the affected areas.
The skin lesions, which can accompany rosacea (acne rosacea), differ from acne in that spots of inflammation do not swell with fluid and come to a “head” like acne vulgaris pustules do.
If the condition is left untreated visible blood vessels may appear and the skin will become redder. Eventually, bumps and pimples often develop, and in severe cases the nose may grow swollen and bumpy from excess tissue. This condition is called rhinophyma. Rhinophyma gave the late comedian W.C. Fields his trademark bulbous nose. The eyes are also affected in many rosacea patients. The eyes feel irritated and appear watery or bloodshot.
Now that you know what is rosacea, let’s discuss who gets it.
To learn about an effective rosacea treatment, just follow the link provided. Otherwise, continue reading below for more information on this condition.
Who Gets Rosacea ?
It is estimated that about 14 million Americans have rosacea, and many of them do not even know it. A recent survey showed that 78% of Americans had no knowledge of this condition, including how to recognize it and what to do about it.
Anyone can get rosacea, but individuals with fair skin who tend to flush or blush easily are believed to be at greatest risk. Rosacea is most common in adults between the ages of 30 and 60, and women are affected almost twice as often as men according to some studies. Men though tend to have more severe symptoms. The possibly reason for this is that men wait to get treatment until the condition worsens.
Now that we have discussed what is rosacea, and who gets it, lets discuss the rosacea symptoms and signs.
What Are The Rosacea Symptoms And Signs ?
The following are the common rosacea symptoms:
Flushing – frequent blushing or flushing is sometimes the first sign of this disease. This facial redness may come and go. This is a common rosacea symptom.
Persistent Redness – this is the most common rosacea symptom. It is like having a blush or sunburn that will not go away. This may be more noticeable when smiling, frowning, or squinting. Application of cleansers, cosmetics, or moisturizers may increase the irritation.
Bumps and Pimples – Bumps or pimples on the skin, either small and solid (papules) or pus-filled (pustules). This may resemble acne though blackheads are absent. Burning or stinging may occur. This is commonly referred to as acne rosacea.
Visible Blood Vessels – Red lines (telangiectasia) in the face caused by enlarged blood vessels. This is also a common rosacea symptom.
Other potential rosacea symptoms include:
Eye Irritation – Many people suffer from whats called ocular rosacea. In ocular rosacea, the eyes are irritated and appear watery and bloodshot. The eyelids typically get red and swollen. Styes are a common rosacea symptom.
Dry Appearance – The facial skin is rough and looks dry.
Plaques – Raised red patches may develop in the affected skin.
Stinging or Burning – This usually happens on the face. Tightness may also develop.
Swelling – Edema is the term used to describe swelling of the face. For many people, this is a common rosacea symptom.
Thickening of the Skin – The skin can thicken and enlarge. This condition on the nose is called rhinophyma.
Signs Beyond the Face – Rosacea can occur on the ears, scalp, neck, back or chest.
Types Of Rosacea
Now that you know what is rosacea, it is important to know the types of rosacea.
Ocular rosacea – The typical features of ocular rosacea are dry eye, tearing and burning, swollen eyelids, recurrent styes and potential vision loss from corneal damage.
Phymatous rosacea – Typically this causes skin thickening, often resulting in an enlargement of the nose (rhinopyma) from excess tissue.
Papulopustular rosacea – Often called acne rosacea, is characterized by persistent redness with transient bumps and pimples.
Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea – Is the most common type. It is characterized by flushing and persistent redness, and may also include visible blood vessels. When people ask what is rosacea, this is what they typically think of. It is important to realize that the condition can worsen without proper treatment.
Cause Of Rosacea
After what is rosacea, the most common question we are asked is what is rosacea’s cause. Unfortunately, the exact cause of rosacea is unknown and unproven. There is little doubt however that certain foods seem to trigger rosacea in some people. Many in the medical community believe that the following may cause or worsen rosacea: stress, alcohol, spicy food, lamb, chocolate and greasy foods. Several studies are currently looking into this further.
Now that we have discussed what is rosacea, the symptoms, causes, types and who gets it, lets discuss treatment.
Rosacea Treatment – Conventional
According to conventional medicine there is no cure. There is however medical help that can control the signs and symptoms of this potentially life-disruptive disorder. The longer you wait the worse your condition becomes. It is important to get treatment as soon as possible.
Rosacea Treatment – Alternative Treatments
Conventional medicines (such as Azelaic acid, Erythromycin, Metronidazole, Doxycycline, Tetracycline, Isotretinoin, Minocycline, etc) only treat the symptoms of rosacea. They do not address the fundamental cause. This only provides temporary relief.
There are many in the health care field that believe rosacea is curable by using the right natural treatments. They believe that treating rosacea from the inside and from the outside can reduce or cure it. Topical treatments from the outside will relieve symptoms and provide temporary relief. Treatment from the inside will help detoxify and rebuild the body, and prevent the problems from coming back in the future. This is the key to long-term rosacea relief.
For the topical treatment of rosacea, we have found an extremely effective product. It contains only safe and natural ingredients, and we believe it is the best rosacea product on the market. That product is the Rosacea Skin Support System. We highly recommend you follow this link to learn more about it, and see how it can help you.
We have been recommending a product for several years now to help detoxify and rebuild the body, and strengthen your immune system. It also contains only safe and natural ingredients, and the results have been remarkable. For treating rosacea, we believe it is absolutely essential. That product is the ZENMED Skin Support Supplement. Follow this link to learn more about it, and see if it’s right for you.
We believe natural treatments are your best options. They work better, and have none of the serious side effects of common rosacea medicines. They also provide other health benefits to your skin and body. For many people, using the right natural treatments will provide long-term relief from rosacea.
If you have any questions about what is rosacea, any rosacea symptom, or acne rosacea, please contact us.
Additional Reading:
Foods to eat for rosacea – Learn the best foods to eat for rosacea. How to develop a diet for rosacea.
Best treatment for rosacea – Learn the best treatments for rosacea. See how you may be able to cure your rosacea. Acne rosacea treatment.
Causes of rosacea – Learn the causes of rosacea. See what foods and activities can trigger outbreaks. Information on what is rosacea causes and triggers.
Symptoms of rosacea – Find out the symptoms of rosacea. It is important to get treatment early before rosacea worsens.
Tips for preventing rosacea – Common sense tips for reducing rosacea outbreaks. What is rosacea’s best prevention tips.
If you are still not sure what is rosacea, we have some additional pages that might help. For information on the symptoms treatments for rosacea, or details on treatments for rosacea, please follow these links. If you have a rosacea symptom in your eyes, take a look at our page on ocular rosacea symptoms to learn how can rosacea be in the eyes. If you have questions about rosacea and autonomic nervous system or rosacea a symptom of lupus, be sure to take a look at those pages. For information on the relationship between rosacea and progesterone or rosacea helicobacter pylori, be sure to follow the links. We have a great collection of photos of rosacea, as well as rosacea message boards. Finally, in response to several requests, we have added a page on sinusitis rosacea. If you have any additional questons on rosecea, or acne rosacea, please write to us.
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