Accessing Rosacea Information

Rosacea is a hereditary, chronic skin disorder which most often affects the face. Groups of tiny blood vessels under the skin of the face dilate, causing flushing (general facial redness), spidery veins, and/or blotchy red areas with small papules (inflammatory bumps).
Ocular rosacea can cause inflammation, redness, and irritation of the eyes.
Rosacea can be aggravated by sunlight, stress, allergies, alcohol, spicy foods and extreme temperatures.
Topical steroids (e.g., DesOwen, Westcort) at first calm rosacea symptoms but over time may destroy the skin and cause severe disfigurement: "a flaming red, scaling, papule-covered face".
Pregnant women must be extremely cautious about any use of medication.
Stress aggravates rosacea and acne.
Cigarette smoking aggravates rosacea and acne.
Alcohol dehydrates the body and provokes rosacea-related facial flushing (redness).
Lifestyle changes and healthy habits can greatly reduce the redness, papules, and other symptoms of rosacea. Recommended lifestyle changes:
Reduce stress.
Drink at least 8 eight-ounce glasses of water (2 liters) per day. Ten to twelve glasses (3 liters) per day is recommended. Water should be icy cold. The hypothalamus, the body's "thermostat", cannot properly regulate temperature (and prevent facial flushing) unless kept cool and supplied with adequate water. Water also hydrates the skin, preventing clogged pores.
Avoid stimulants such as coffee, tea, tobacco products and excessive sugar.
Avoid alcohol.
Avoid vigorous scrubbing, exfoliants, and other abrasives.
Use the right soap. Most soaps are too harsh for rosacea-afflicted skin.
Recognize and avoid foods and beverages which provoke a rosacea-related allergic reaction.
Avoid large meals; eat three small meals instead.
Exercise.
Avoid astringents and astringent soaps.
Change wash-cloths and body towels after each use.
Avoid the sun as much as possible. Sun exposure aggravates rosacea.
Rosacea-Ltd is simple and easy to use.
Rosacea-Ltd is more effective than antibiotics because bacteria cannot develop a resistance to its ingredients.
Unlike most rosacea products, Rosacea-Ltd has no known side effects.
You can be confident that you run no risk in buying Rosacea-Ltd.
Rosacea-Ltd effectively improves the appearance of skin affected by rosacea-related papules, pustules, facial redness and dilated facial vessels.
Scientific articles on rosacea, rosacea treatment, and rosacea-related lifestyle changes.Also The International Rosacea Foundation has very scientific rosacea treatment information that is very clear and helpful at The International Rosacea Foundation.Org.
Some rosacea sufferers also have lupus. The symptoms of lupus are listed

Treating Ocular Rosacea

Tetracycline derivatives are the mainstay of therapy for ocular rosacea. Our standard regimen is to start with 100 milligrams of doxycycline orally twice a day for one month, after which it is used once daily for at least two more months.Therapeutic response. Patients are advised that there will be a delayed therapeutic response of several weeks. At three months, the medication is adjusted according to the therapeutic response: For marked improvement, the medication can be tapered to 100 mg every other day for the next three months. For mild to moderate improvement, 100 mg is continued on a daily basis. After six months, patients may go on “doxycycline vacations” for two to three months. Eventually symptoms will recur in most cases, and periodic reinstitution of low maintenance doses is necessary.Systemic vs. topical. For patients who can’t tolerate systemic tetracycline therapy, topical metronidazole gel (NetroGel) 0.75 percent twice daily or 1 percent daily, applied to the eyelids, has been shown to be safe and effective.Side effects. The major side effect that compromises the ability to use doxycycline is gastrointestinal disturbance. This is probably dose-related; it is ameliorated by taking the medication with food and is better tolerated with time. Photosensitivity may be a problem in some patients. All patients are advised to avoid excessive sun exposure and to use appropriate skin screening agents until their response to doxycycline is known.Contraindications. Doxycycline is contraindicated in pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under the age of 8.

Three-Step Approach
Tetracycline derivatives are most effective when used in conjunction with the following three-step approach:

1. Normalize tear film disturbance.
Warm compresses. These help further minimize meibomian gland obstruction and improve lipid flow into the tear film.
Punctal occlusion. Temporary or permanent occlusion is useful if aqueous tear production is deficient.
Artificial tear substitutes. These are useful until ocular surface wetting, punctate epitheliopathy and variable vision during prolonged visual tasks have improved.
2. Control bacterial overgrowth.
Lid hygiene. This is part of a long-term maintenance program to minimize meibomian gland obstruction, improve lipid flow into the tear film and control bacterial overgrowth.
Topical antibiotics. These are useful in the first month of treatment to reduce bacterial flora. Generally, they should be used when acute mucopurulent blepharoconjunctivitis, marginal corneal infiltrates or peripheral ulcerative keratitis are present.
3. Control inflammatory and hypersensitivity reactions.
Topical corticosteroids. These are useful in the first month of treatment to reduce ocular surface inflammation. Generally, they should be used if marginal corneal infiltrates, peripheral ulcerative keratitis without progressive thinning and/or vascularization are present.
Topical progestational steroids. Compounded medroxyprogesterone 1 percent may be used if peripheral ulcerative keratitis with progressive thinning is present.
In addition, topical progestational steroids are useful in conjunction with corticosteroids for treating progressive vascularization.

Dr. Kaldawy is assistant professor of ophthalmology at Boston University; Drs. Sutphin and Wagoner are both professors of clinical ophthalmology at the University of Iowa, Iowa City.

Rosacea And The Nitric Oxide Connection

Dr. Ethan A. Lerner, associate professor of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School.In research funded by the National Rosacea Society, Dr. Lerner examined the potential contribution of nitric oxide to the redness and inflammation of rosacea.

Nitric oxide is a gas produced naturally in nearly all of the body's cells and is used by the nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems. Because nitric oxide is known to make blood vessels dilate, it was hypothesized that it may play a role in rosacea.
The study aimed to test for the presence of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), a nitric oxide-producing enzyme, and the gene that creates NOS in the skin of rosacea patients through in situ hybridization and immunoperoxidase.
The in situ hybridization test was inconclusive; the researchers had difficulty obtaining clean results from the probes, and high background levels made it difficult to isolate NOS readings.
In the immunoperoxidase test, stains of biopsies taken from the skin of rosacea patients showed a normal amount of NOS. This could be interpreted as indicating that nitric oxide is not a significant factor in rosacea. However, Dr. Lerner believes that different types and severities of rosacea should be tested before the molecule can be completely ruled out.
The researchers also determined how much of a known nitric oxide inhibitor is absorbed through the skin, so that the effects of suppressing nitric oxide might be tested.
In other research, Dr. Lerner is developing a mouse model of what happens in human skin when too much nitric oxide is present. He is attempting to produce transgenic mice in which the gene for NOS is expressed in the skin under the control of a promoter, so that application of a topical compound will cause production of nitric oxide. Among the potential outcomes to be observed is whether too much nitric oxide produces any signs of rosacea.

Tips To Combat Rosacea

Substances like alcohol and caffeine are factors causing roughly 16 million Americans to live with facial redness, also known as Rosacea.
Rosacea is a condition where the flushing of small blood vessels on the face causes your cheeks, nose or chin to redden and can even result in small bumps or acne on the skin.
Dermatologists offer treatment options, but you can also look to your local drugstore for "redness relief" formulas. Experts say a product that has green neutralizers will help conceal redness and even out complexion.
Doctors say to avoid future flare-ups, you should keep a diary of red episodes with notes on food, medicines and products so you can help pinpoint triggers.