Despite being one of the most common skin problems in the world, rosacea is still largely misunderstood. To date, more than 16 million Americans are affected by the skin problem. In the world, more than 45 million are suffering from the problem. There are however still no straight answer from dermatologists and scientists as to what causes the problem.
Rosacea is characterized by redness in the areas near the nose, forehead, cheeks and chin. The redness are sometimes patches of redness; other times they become pustules and pimples on the skin. But unlike acne, where you can find whiteheads and blackheads, when you press or try to remove rosacea pimples, it releases a clear liquid. Rosacea can also cause small blood vessels to be visible from the skin as well as lead to watery eyes. In fact, rosacea is basically harmless until it affects the eyes and our vision.
No one knows where rosacea comes from, just that it is very common among Caucasians, especially Europeans. It is actually nicknamed "the curse of the Celts." It is however more common in women than in men. Unlike acne, it affects people who are between the ages of 30 and 60.
Although there is no confirmed cause, Rosacea has some common triggers. When these triggers are ingested or come into contact with afflicted people, they experience rosacea symptoms. The number one among these common triggers is sun exposure. The sun seems to exacerbate rosacea problem. So does stress. Other known triggers for resacea are spicy foods, heavy exercising, cold weather and humidity, alcohol consumption, skin care products and cosmetics, drugs and medications, and dairy products.
Because no one knows why it happens, there is also no known cure for it. People who have it can however manage and control the problem and its symptoms. One of the ways to do this is to avoid sun exposure. People in the Europe put on a lot of sunscreen and cover up with hats and long sleeves when they are out in the sun. Others make it a point to avoid the common triggers. Doctors advise that people try to determine what triggers affect their break out and endeavor to avoid them. This approach works in mild cases of rosacea. But with extreme cases when there are a lot of flare-ups, oral and topical antibiotics.
Usually, management of rosacea is a long term one. People who are afflicted with the problem spend their whole lives controlling the disease. Some cope with this while others curse the problem. Although it is not particularly dangerous, rosacea can affect people psychologically. There are a lot of people with rosacea who refuse to go out because of how they look. They are ashamed of their skin. The problem can severely affect self-esteem and social skills.
Those who develop problems in the eyelid area need to constantly make sure that their eyes are clean and hygienic. This can be a hassle for people. Recently, laser has been used to treat rosacea by removing the redness.
