Rosacea Frequently Asked Questions v1.5
David Pascoe
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 1999/11/07
Version: 1.5
URL: http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pascoedj/rosacea/faq.txt
Maintainer: David Pascoe <pasc...@ozemail.com.au>
CVS Version: $Id: faq.txt,v 1.5 1999/11/29 10:35:11 davidp Exp $
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Disclaimer: the following information is a guide only. Self diagnosis is a
dangerous pastime without all of the information. This Frequently Asked
Questions is a simple guide to rosacea, and a pointer to more information.
It should not be used in the place of professional advice from registered
practitioners.
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1. What is Rosacea ?
Rosacea (said rose-ay-shah) is an inflammtory skin disorder.
The most common symptoms include facial redness across the nose, cheeks,
chin and forehead, visibly damaged blood vessels and small red
inflammatory papules and pustules.
Rosacea develops gradually as mild episodes of facial blushing or flushing
which, over time, may lead to a permanent red face.
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1.1 How is Rosacea different to Acne Vulgaris ?
Is can be common that Rosacea does not present with blackheads that are
seen with Acne Vulgaris. Also the age of onset, and the location of
redness is a clue. Rosacea is mostly an adult disease, and is generally
restricted to the nose, cheeks, chin and forehead. Rosacea will probably
have an underlying redness that is related to flushing and thus looks
different to Acne Vulgaris.
The treatment for rosacea and acne vulgaris can be somewhat similar, but
some of the acne vulgaris regimes are too harsh for rosacea and can
aggravate the condition.
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1.2 What is the difference between Rosacea and Seborrheic Dermatitis ?
Seborrheic Dermatitis and Rosacea are closely related, they both involve
inflammation of the oil glands. Rosacea also involves a vascular component
causing flushing and broken blood vessels.
Seborrheic Dermatitis may involve flaking, burning and occasionally
itching, and may also be found on the scalp, ears and torso. It does not
usually involve red bumps as in Rosacea.
Just to confuse things further, The two conditions are often seen
together.
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1.3 What causes Rosacea ?
No one really knows. There are a few developing theories, but none that
yet stand up to scientific analysis.
One theory from a dermatologist is that it is to do with hyperactive
sebaceous glands, see the message at
http://www.egroups.com/group/rosacea-support/641.html
Another theory is that Rosacea is somehow linked to how often and how
strongly people flush or blush, or how the skin develops an inability to
handle what would be otherwise normal flushing. This theory simply stated
is that rosacea is a disorder of the facial blood vessels.
Some other unproven theories (in fact proved incorrect by scientific
analysis) suggest that Rosacea is caused by demodex folliculorum mites
living on the skin or a gastro-intestinal bacteria called Helicobacter
pylori.
A Quote from "Rosacea: A study of clinical patterns, blood flow, and the
role of Demodex folliculorum".
"The rarity of rosacea in the young, its occurrence in sun-exposed areas,
and the frequency in the fair-skinned person suggest that solar-induced
degeneration of connective tissue is important in its origin. The
flushing, association with migraine, histologic vasodilation, and
increased skin blood flow indicate vascular reactivity. The presence of
Demonex and granlulomatous histologic characteristics point to an
immunologic phenomenon, possibly as a secondary event."
See also the section titled `Folklore' and `Theories' at the Rosacea Support
Highlights page at http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pascoedj/rosacea/toc.html
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2. How can Rosacea be treated ?
The best answer is "by your registered health professional". There are some
medications available that control the redness and reduce the number of
papules and pustules.
Current run of the mill treatment might include oral antibiotics and
topical metronidazole. One study showed that the use of topical
metronidazole alone can help to reduce rosacea flare-ups once the rosacea
is brought under control (see more on rosacea research on the web at
http://dmoz.org/Health/Conditions_and_Diseases/R/Rosacea/Research )
There are quite a few treatments often discussed on the rosacea-support
email group. Some of their posts can be found under the `Treatments' node
on the list highlights page ;
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pascoedj/rosacea/toc.html
Experts agree that a gentle cleansing regime is very important. Avoiding
chemicals that aggravate the rosacea, but will clean and moisturise the
skin is a step in the right direction.
The vitamin A derivate isotretinoin (known as Accutane or Roaccutane),
has been shown to be effective against sever papopustular rosacea. It
works by inhibiting sebaceous gland function and physically shrinking the
glands. It also has potent anti-inflammatory properties, making it ideal
to treat resistent rosacea.
The mixed light pulse laser - Photoderm is showing promise as a treatment
for the vascular component of rosacea. It works by targetting facial
microvessels that are damaged.
From a subjective view of the rosacea-support list members it would appear
that one person's treatment does not necessarily suit another, so your
mileage may vary with any recommended treatment. Experiment a little and
find what helps you. Depending on the stage of your rosacea, some
treatments may be aggravating, while for others the same treatment may not
cause problems. Every rosacea patient is unique and needs individual
treatment.
Whatever path you choose, the support of a doctor or dermatologist that is
willing to work with you will be very important, so shop around until you
are happy with your health professional.
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2.1 Can you be cured of Rosacea ?
Perhaps not cured in the sense of cured of a cold, but you can reduced
your symptoms to a manageable level. There are plenty of treatment options
out there, you may just need to experiment with a few.
If you want to feel encouraged that Rosacea really can be practically
cured, check out Dr. Geoffrey Nase's before and after photographs at
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pascoedj/rosacea/gnase
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3. What information is available on the Internet about Rosacea ?
There are some pages that are worth visiting. You can find a list of
reviewed Internet resources relating to Rosacea as part of the Open
Directory at http://dmoz.org/Health/Conditions_and_Diseases/R/Rosacea
There you will find sections on companies offering treatment products,
research results as well as medical texts on rosacea.
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3.1 Are there any newsgroups relating to Rosacea ?
Not exclusively for Rosacea. Perhaps the best 2 to try are
alt.skincare.acne and alt.support.skin-diseases. You can read and post to
these forums from the DejaNews service at http://www.dejanews.com and
also Remarq at http://www.remarq.com
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3.2 Are there any email mailing lists relating to Rosacea ?
Yes, see http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pascoedj/rosacea/mailing_list.html or
go straight to the email archive page at
http://www.egroups.com/group/rosacea-support/info.html
This mailing list is for people who suffer from, or are interested in
Rosacea.
Many interesting and useful discussions have taken place on the mailing
list since it was created in October 1998. There are 2 Doctors on the list
who have hugely contributed to the group and posted great articles. You
can see the list highlights categorised by treatment, symptoms and more at
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pascoedj/rosacea/toc.html
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3.3 Is this Frequently Asked Question list on the Internet ?
Yes, you may find a more up to date listing if you check
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pascoedj/rosacea/faq.txt
You can also find the official html'ised archived version of the FAQ at
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/medicine/rosacea
Also you can get this FAQ via email. The address of the faq server is
mail-...@rtfm.mit.edu
First, get the directory listing with the `index' command, and then fetch
the latest version of the FAQ with the `send' command. You should include
the commands in the _body_ of the message, the subject will be ignored.
For example, to get version 1.5 of the FAQ you would send the following
texts in the body of 2 emails.
index usenet-by-group/alt.support.skin-diseases
send
usenet-by-group/alt.support.skin-diseases/Rosacea_Frequently_Asked_Questions_v1.5
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4. Are there any support groups related to Rosacea ?
You may want to check out The National Rosacea Society and the
rosacea-support email list.
The National Rosacea Society is a non profit organisation set up to
provide information about Rosacea. You can find them at
http://www.rosacea.org/home.html They publish newsletters online as well
as conduct surveys about rosacea sufferers. Also they make published
information available to sufferers via regular mail.
There is an email support group that you can subscribe to. This email
group is free and unmoderated. Currently there are about 570 users and
about 30 messages per day. Digest versions are available. To find out more
information about the list, visit
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~pascoedj/rosacea/mailing_list.html or go
straight to the email archive page at
http://www.egroups.com/group/rosacea-support/info.html
An alternative list archive on the web is also located at
http://www.escribe.com/health/rosacea-support this site has a slightly
more traditional feel to it, you may prefer to read from this archive.
Rosacea Reading Glossary
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As you read more about Rosacea, you might come across lots of terms that
are new to you. Below is a short list of some of the terms you might come
across.
accutane: a powerful vitman A derivate that was originally prescribed for
severe acne vulgaris. Has been used effectively for rosacea as well.
blepharitis: inflamation of the eyelids.
demodex folliculorum: a microscopic mite that lives in the skin. Some have
suggested that this is the cause of rosacea, but no proof that increases
in the presence of this mite is the cause of rosacea rather than just them
enjoying the inflamed environment.
doxycycline: an antibiotic often prescribed for rosacea.
edema: swelling
erythema: inflammatory redness of the skin.
helicobacter pylori: a stomach bacteria proven to cause stomach ulcers,
cured with oral antibiotics. Thought by some to cause rosacea, although no
link has been proved.
hypertrophy: abnormal growth.
hyperemia: abnormally increased blood flow
ketconozole: the active ingredient in nizoral, helpful for seborrheic
dermatitis and dandruff.
metronidazole: a topical treatment for rosacea. Has been proved as effective
against rosacea. Is the active ingredient in metrogel, metrocream and
noritate.
ocular: of the eye.
papule: a small, solid, elevated skin lesion, less than 0.5cm in diameter.
peri-oral dermatitis:
photoderm: an intense light source, fired at the facial skin to reduce
flushing associated with rosacea. a new treatment for rosacea that
is producing some exciting results.
pustule: a vesicle filled with cloudy fluid, such as pus, often associated
with a hair follicle but can exist independently.
rhinophyma: abnormal growth of the soft tissue of nose, caused by sebaceous
gland hypertrophy.
retin-A: a vitamin A derivative prescribed for acne vulgaris, has been
suggested as bad for rosacea.
rosacea-ltd: a non-prescription topical treatment for rosacea, see
http://www.rosacea-ltd.com
seborrheic dermatitis: an inflamatory skin condition, associated with
itchy flaking skin.
sebaceous gland:
telangiectasis: damaged micro blood vessels, often visible on the surface
of the skin.
tetracycline: an antibiotic often prescribed for rosacea.
vascular: of the blood vessels.
" vim:tw=74:et
--
David J. Pascoe, pasc...@ozemail.com.au, South Perth, Western Australia