Rosacea is one of those diseases that is hard to deal with perhaps because nothing much is known about it. In fact, even with more than 46 million Americans affected by the skin problem, only few know just what exactly rosacea is. Some do not even know that they have rosacea.
One reason is the fact that symptoms are not regular. It is not like a disease that you will have symptoms for and it will not go away until it is cured. With rosacea, flares are usually caused by triggers from the environment. The most common trigger is sunlight and hot weather. Humidity is also a factor. So is stress. Some patients also suffer from break outs when they eat certain kinds of food or when they use some skin products. Spicy food is a common trigger. Because rosacea only occurs when these triggers are present, some people do not even realize that they have rosacea. They think that it is just ordinary sunburn or flushing when their skin develops red patches or it is just an allergy when they get pimples.
Despite these, there are a lot of medications available for rosacea patients precisely because not all people react to the problem the same way. The most effective line of defense is of course avoid the triggers altogether. Those who are triggered by heat and sun exposure make sure that they have umbrellas and hats when they leave the house. Others try to pick their food carefully to make sure that they will not eat trigger foods. These are of course trial and error. You first need to find out what exactly is causing the break outs. This can be a problem especially if the incidents are not really regular.
Still, those who do have confirmed cases of Rosacea have a wide array of treatments to choose from. From the simplest home remedies to the extreme measures of laser therapies for those with extreme cases, Rosacea patients are sure to find one that suits their condition and needs. But remember though that rosacea cannot be cured. People can only manage the disease and control the symptoms. There is actually nothing more they can do. It's a good thing that rosacea cases are often mild.
In extreme cases, doctors often prescribe topical and oral medicines. Some medicines used to treat acne are also used for rosacea like erythromycin and clindamycin. Topical steroids are also used but care should be given because prolonged use can have side effects like skin irritation like perioral dermatitis which is seen on the areas surrounding the mouth.
There are also prescription cleansers that rosacea patients are prescribed with. Isotretinoin is one example, which is used daily for about four to six months. This is also used to treat acne problems. But like steroids, monitoring is essential here because of its side effects. For women who are using it, regular blood tests are done because the medicine can harm the pregnancy should the woman get pregnant while using the drug.
