Rosacea is an ailment which affects the skin. It is a common ailment which can be cured by proper medication. This is not a life threatening ailment. There are many people who are suffering from this ailment.

Causes:

Medical Science does not have any worthwhile information on what causes Rosacea. Some scientists believe that it could be caused by sun burn, ethnicity and surfacing of the blood vessel that are close to the skin. Some feel it is a type of bacterial infection. It normally affects those who are above 30 years of age. It can affect both sexes.

However, research has shown that people who are from English or Irish descent are more prone to Rosacea. Researchers also say that people affected by Rosacea have emotional factor as the side effect. The emotional factor is because of the ailment affecting visible portion of the body; the face. In fact, in many cases the emotional factor even lowers the self confidence of the patient.

Symptoms:

It normally affects the skin on the face, but it may affect any other part of the body also. The affected area appears reddish. In case of advanced stage of the disease, the affected part starts to glow. The redness may appear near the ears and even chest. In the initial stages, the blood vessels would become visible on the face. In later stages, the affected part turns to be a pimple. In some cases, it may even cause the skin to become thick in the nose region. This situation is called Rhinophyma, but it does not mean that if left untreated, Rosacea would develop to ‘Rhinophyma’.

Cure:

Doctors are of the opinion that there are no known medicines to cure Rosacea completely, but there are many topical antibiotic medicines which are helpful in controlling the disease. Some of the effective topical antibiotics include MetroGel and Rosac. Apart from this, there are many oral antibiotics. The other form of cure is by lasers.

In this method, the blood vessels are broken open, which reduces the redness. Although many new laser technologies have been developed to cure the disease, doctors advise laser treatment only in extreme cases. A dermatologist suggests use of sunscreen lotions or gels to avoid further damage to the affected part.

There are some herbal gels or creams, which are also found to be effective in controlling the disease. It is advisable that medicines should be used only in consultation with the dermatologist.