Rosacea is a facial skin disorder characterized by red skin and spots that resemble pimples. This condition can also cause thickened facial skin and blood vessels look and swell.
Rosacea can happen to anyone, but it generally affects light-skinned middle-aged women. Symptoms can come and go and generally last for a few weeks or months.
Causes of Rosacea
The exact cause of rosacea is not known, but it is suspected that this disease is related to genetic and environmental factors.
Some of the factors that are thought to trigger the occurrence of rosacea are:
- Exposure to sunlight, wind, and cold or hot air temperatures
- Suffering from a bacterial infection Helicobacter plylori
- Consuming spicy food, hot drinks, alcoholic or caffeinated drinks
- Eating foods that contain cinnamaldehyde, such as tomato, chocolate, cinnamon, or citrus
- Taking drugs that can dilate blood vessels, such as high blood pressure drugs
- Having a mite bite Demodex and infection from bacteria Bacillus oleronius that he brought
- Have an abnormal body response to protein cathelicidin (a protein that protects the skin from infection)
- Experiencing side effects of facial care products
- Doing sports that are too strenuous
- Experiencing stress
Risk factors for rosacea
Rosacea can happen to anyone, but this condition is more at risk for people with the following conditions:
- 30–50 years old
- Female gender
- Have a light skin tone
- Have a smoking habit
- Have a family history of rosacea
Symptoms of Rosacea
Symptoms of rosacea depend on the type experienced by the sufferer. Here is the explanation:
1. Subtype 1 or erythematotelangiectatic rosacea (ETR)
Signs and symptoms of ETR include:
- Reddish skin, especially in the center of the face
- The blood vessels on the face swell, making it visible
- Facial skin swells, feels sore and feels like burning
- Facial skin feels dry, rough, scaly and sensitive
2. Subtype 2 or papulopustular rosacea
Subtype 2 is more common in middle-aged women. This condition is characterized by:
- Pimple-like spots that sometimes contain pus
- The blood vessels on the face are clearly visible
- Oily and sensitive facial skin
3. Subtype 3 or rhinophyma
Subtype 3 tends to occur in male patients and is accompanied by other rosacea subtypes. Signs of subtype 3 include:
- Enlarged facial pores
- The blood vessels on the face are clearly visible
- Uneven skin texture
- Thickening of the nose skin, so the nose looks enlarged
- Thickened skin on the forehead, chin, cheeks and ears
4. Subtype 4 or ocular rosacea
Subtype 4 is characterized by symptoms that appear around the eyes, such as:
- Red and irritated eyes
- Watery or dry eyes
- Itchy eyes and feel like burning
- Eyes sensitive to light
- Decreased vision
- A cyst appears in the eye
- The blood vessels in the eyelids are clearly visible.
Symptoms of rosacea can last several weeks, then go away and come back.
When to go to the doctor
Check with a dermatologist if the symptoms and symptoms of rosacea mentioned above appear, especially if the nose is red and swollen. If left untreated, the nose can become permanently large and red
Consult a doctor if you experience symptoms of rosacea in the eyes or ocular rosacea. If left untreated, eye rosacea can cause serious eye damage.
Diagnosis of Rosacea
The doctor will ask about the symptoms experienced by the patient, then perform a physical examination of the patient's skin. In general, doctors can recognize rosacea by the signs that appear on the patient's skin.
However, sometimes the signs on the patient's skin can mimic other diseases, such as lupus, eczema, or psoriasis. Therefore, the doctor may recommend that the patient undergo further tests, such as blood tests and skin biopsies.
Rosacea Treatment
Treatment for rosacea aims to relieve symptoms. The best thing that can be done is to know and avoid the factors that can trigger the onset of symptoms.
There are several independent steps that patients can take to relieve symptoms while preventing rosacea from recurring after symptoms subside, namely:
- Avoid foods and drinks that can trigger symptoms
- Using care products that are suitable for sensitive skin
- Wearing closed clothes and scarves in cold weather
- Avoid direct sunlight, especially in hot weather
- Wear closed clothes and wide hats, and apply sunscreen with SPF 30 or more if you have to go out during the day
- Manage stress well, for example with breathing techniques or yoga
If the above steps are still not able to relieve symptoms, there are several treatment methods that can be done by doctors, including:
Drugs
The drugs given by the doctor can be a single drug or a combination drug, depending on the symptoms experienced by the patient. These types of drugs are:
- Oral antibiotics, such as doxycycline, to treat acne-like spots
- Eye drops and antibiotics, to treat ocular rosacea
- Ointment or face cream containing oxymetazoline, metronidazole, azelaic acid, or ivermectin, to relieve redness and acne-like skin spots
Therapy
Therapy that can be done in rosacea patients is laser therapy. This therapy aims to reduce redness due to enlarged blood vessels. In order for maximum results obtained, laser therapy must be repeated several times.
Rosacea Complications
Rosacea is not a dangerous disease. However, this condition can cause several complications, namely:
- Permanent swelling and redness of facial skin
- Psychological problems, such as shame or low self-esteem
- Swollen nose (rhinophyma) permanently
- Serious damage to eyes
Rosacea Prevention
As already explained, rosacea is triggered by a number of factors. Therefore, the way to prevent it is to avoid the triggering factors mentioned above, such as:
- Avoid consumption of spicy foods, hot drinks, alcoholic or caffeinated drinks
- Consult a doctor before taking drugs that dilate blood vessels, such as high blood pressure drugs
- Doing exercise gradually, starting with light ones first before doing strenuous exercise