Women put blush on make up on their faces to have that natural flush. So when women get red-cheeked when they are exposed to the sun for a long time, they don't think it's a problem. Well, it is. Redness in some areas of the face can be a sign that you have rosacea. Rosacea is a common skin problem that usually affects Caucasians. Thus it has been called "the curse of the celts." It has, in fact, affected about 16 million Americans and almost 46 million people all over the world.
It is three times more common in women than in men. Besides redness that is often mistaken for sunburn, rosacea is also characterized by watery eyes an appearance of blood vessels on the skin. Rosacea cannot be cured. The most that people afflicted with it can do is to control it's symptoms. This is fortunately easy because rosacea's symptoms are not regular. Usually they only have flare ups when there are triggers. Examples of common triggers are sun exposure, spicy food, skin products, some food and dairy products. For those who have only mild symptoms, treatment is as simple as avoiding contact with various triggers.
Those who have more extreme symptoms need continuous medication and treatment. And this is life long treatment. People who stop medications often go in remission and experience the same symptoms. But having rosacea isn't such a bad thing. Unlike other diseases, it is not actually dangerous and it does not affect any organs in the body. However, it can be a problem if the redness reach the area of the eyes which can hamper vision. People whose eyelids are affected exercise hygienic routines to deal with the problem. Below are some of the simple ways that they can deal with rosacea flare up.
1. Don't drink and smoke
Believe it or not, rosacea can be triggered by smoking and alcoholic drinks. So to those who cannot stop these vices, here is another reason why you should.
2. Avoid sun exposure
Most people afflicted with rosacea suffer from flare ups when they stay under the sun for too long. And it's not just about the direct heat of the sun, even humidity and indoor heat can be triggers. It seems that when the temperature of the body rises, break outs occur. This is perhaps also the reason why spicy foods are also known to cause rosacea flare ups. Spiciness can increase the body's temperature.
3. Go to the doctor
For extreme cases that cannot anymore be managed by simply avoiding the triggers, go immediately to the doctor. Rosacea can get worse with age especially when it is not treated soon. Doctors will often prescribe medicines that can help you manage the problem. There will be no cure but at least you will have fewer break outs.
4. Record your meals
There are food products that can cause rosacea break outs. There are a lot from meat and dairy products to even vegetables. The trick is to find out soon which foods trigger the problem. Recording which food you ate before you had a break out will certainly help.
