Rosacea: Types, Causes, and Remedies
Is there a sudden redness on your cheeks, forehead or nose? If yes, there are chances that you might have either a sunburn or Rosacea. But, how to figure out whether you are suffering from Rosacea or whether it is just a normal sunburn or even acne?
The initial symptoms of Rosacea are often misunderstood as that of a sunburn. However, if you see the redness slowly spreading over to your ears, back or at the chest and is changing its form into small bumps, there is a great possibility that you are affected with Rosacea. There can be many reasons ranging from heat, stress, to caffeine, behind the trigger, which can lead to Rosacea.
There are four main subtypes of this disease, and one can suffer and show symptoms of more than one type.
Types of Rosacea
Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea
This particular type is commonly referred to as ETR and often results in flushing, redness of the face and visible blood vessels.
Papulopustular Rosacea
Also known as Acne Rosacea, it leads to pimple-like structures and normally affects middle-aged women.
Rhinophyma Rosacea
This subtype of Rosacea generally affects men and leads to the thickening of the nose skin. Quite often, this subtype is co-occurred by another subtype of Rosacea.
Ocular Rosacea
The symptoms of this subtype are generally focused on the eye and its nearby areas, and this is where Rosacea originated.
Causes of Rosacea
There is no proven cause of Rosacea yet, but it might be caused due to a blend of environmental and hereditary factors. At present, the health researchers believe that Rosacea generally affects those people who have a lower capability genetically to deal with facial inflammation.
Facial inflammation can be caused due to a number of environmental factors such as sunburn, flushing, and sometimes due to certain medications' side effects. But there are a number of things or factors which might worsen the symptoms of Rosacea.
Some of those are:
Drinking too much hot tea or coffee
Excessive alcohol consumption
Smoking habits
Exercise
Change in weather conditions
Emotional factors like stress, anxiety and fear
Eating spicy dishes
Consuming items that contain cinnamaldehyde in it such as chocolate, tomatoes, citrus and cinnamon
Having cathelicidin, a protein that is known for offering protection to the skin from infections.
Presence of intestinal bacteria Helicobacter pylori
Having the skin mite called Demodex
The major risk factors of Rosacea include
Fair skin
English, Irish, Scottish heredity
Having family members who suffer from Rosacea
Remedies for Rosacea
There is no proper cure for Rosacea yet. However, you can definitely consult with a dermatologist and work towards controlling the symptoms so that it does not become more severe. To control Rosacea, it is a must to take proper care of your skin. You need to keep the affected area clean by using soft and firm cleansers that are oil-free and water-based.
You need to be extra careful, irrespective of your skin-type while dealing with your face as it needs special care and attention. Make sure to choose the skin-care products wisely and avoid the ones which contain exfoliating agents, menthol, alcohol or witch hazel as it might irritate the skin.
Other than that, with the help of a medical expert, you can definitely manage to reduce your suffering. You will most probably be prescribed a range of oral antibiotics and antibiotic creams. Other treatment processes include laser treatment options for healing serious cases of Rosacea. You can also consume eye medicines and antibiotics for Ocular Rosacea and microdermabrasion treatments for lessening the thickened skin.
Here are some of the tips which you can follow to help with Rosacea:
Keep track of the foods which you are consuming as it will become easier for you to track the ones which are triggering the symptoms in you
Maintain a journal of all the skin-care products and cosmetics you are using to help you spot the one that suits you the most
Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption
Avoid having spicy foods and dishes
Cover the maximum portion of the affected areas while going outdoors and try not to expose it to direct sunlight
Make sure you apply sunscreen evenly on the affected area and other places before going out
Following the tips as mentioned earlier and precautions can help you prevent symptoms of Rosacea from deteriorating. Other than that, taking precautions and following your doctor's advice is the only way to stop Rosacea from deteriorating severely.