What is Rosacea?
Rosacea is quite a common skin disorder which has a stark resemblance to another skin condition called Acne due to the similarity in the symptoms of both the conditions. The primary presenting feature of this condition is the presence redness of the face and prominence of blood vessels in the facial area.
As the condition progresses there is also development of pimple like skin blisters which are filled with pus. These blisters fade away on their own along with the other associated symptoms of Rosacea only to appear again after some time. It takes normally a couple of months for symptoms of Rosacea to completely disappear.
There is no known cause for Rosacea but the genetic makeup of an individual along with certain environmental factors is believed to be responsible for causing this condition. Rosacea is normally observed in females above the age of 30 who have a fair complexion like Native Americans although this condition may affect anyone.
There are certain factors that may predispose an individual to a condition like Rosacea apart from being a female and above the age of 30. These factors are eating hot and spicy food consistently, abusing alcohol and nicotine, being exposed for prolonged periods in direct sunlight, and being exposed to extreme hot or cold conditions. The article showcases some of the ways to get rid of Rosacea.
How to Get Rid of Rosacea?
As of now, there is no cure for Rosacea. The treatment is aimed at controlling the symptoms caused by it. The treatment focuses on adequate care of skin and medication administration which can be topical or oral. How long will an individual will need medication depends on the severity of the condition and the duration of the flares.
The prescription medications given for Rosacea will include medicines to reduce the facial redness. The medication of choice for this purpose is brimonidine which has shown to be quite efficacious. It is a topical agent and works by narrowing the blood vessels so that excess blood does not flow through the facial area.
Application of brimonidine starts giving results within a few hours of application. However, this medication is only affective for a few hours and should be applied on a regular basis until the time there is complete eradication of the redness.
Metronidazole is yet another medication that has shown to reduce the redness and take care of the pimple like blisters on the face. However, it takes at least a month to show its effectiveness. Additionally, oral antibiotics are also given to the patient to fight off the inflammation caused due to Rosacea.
In moderate to severe cases, doxycycline is the drug of choice given for patients with Rosacea. If the above measures are not effective the patient may be given stronger medications generally used to treat Acne for treatment of Rosacea. The drug of choice is Isotretinoin but it comes with a warning that pregnant females cannot be given this medication for chances of birth defects in the baby.
Apart from medications, laser therapy is also used nowadays to get rid of the bumps. It is also quite helpful in getting rid of the redness of the face caused by this condition. In addition to the medication administration, there are also certain lifestyle measures that the patient has to make for complete control of symptoms of Rosacea.
These measures include avoiding any triggers like eating spicy food, binge drinking, being out in extreme weather conditions. If the patient needs to go out in hot weather then it is recommended to apply sunscreen to the face to protect it from direct rays of the sun.
Similarly in extreme cold weather it is recommended to cover the face with a mask or a scarf to prevent the facial area to get affected. Take care of the skin and apply moisturizer daily in hot and dry weather to keep the skin moist and smooth.