What Causes Rosacea?
Rosacea is a skin condition that affects the face. In particular, it causes redness to appear on the chin, nose, cheeks and forehead. For some, the redness can develop into little pimples and bumps on the red parts of their face. If the condition advances, it can cause soreness and redness in the eyes as well. Rosacea is often mistaken for acne or an allergic reaction. It can flare up for a period of time and appear to go away for a while afterwards.
While anyone can develop rosacea, it is more common after the age of 30 and in individuals with fair skin. Doctors and scientists are still trying to pinpoint exactly what causes the condition, but there are some facts available that seem to point to contributing factors.
Scientists have discovered that many people who have the condition react to a certain bacterium that causes the immune system to overreact. In this respect, the immune system plays a role in the development of rosacea.
It seems highly likely that the tendency to get the condition runs in families and is, therefore, inherited. This leads scientists to believe that a person’s genes may play a role in making them susceptible to the condition.
Studies have been undertaken that seem to point to a mite that lives on the skin playing a role in some people contracting the condition. This particular mite likes to stay on the face in the areas where rosacea commonly appears. Some studies have found that many people with the condition also have large numbers of the mite on their faces. However, there are many other people with large numbers of the mite that do not develop rosacea.
There is also some question over whether a bug that causes infections in the intestines may play a role in causing people to get the condition. However, as with mites, many people have gotten the infection without the appearance of rosacea.
While evidence seems to point to the causes of rosacea being a combination of factors, such as environmental conditions and heredity, it is commonly known that the condition is not caused by poor hygiene.
There is some evidence that the development of rosacea may be connected to the way the body handles a protein that is present to protect the skin from infection. Instead, the protein may be causing redness and swelling that is consistent with the condition.
For people who have rosacea, there are certain conditions that seem to aggravate it or make it flare up. These conditions are those that increase the blood flow to the face and include things like alcohol, hot drinks, spicy foods, temperature extremes and emotions. Drugs that dilate the blood vessels can do it too, as can exercise.
If you have this condition and are struggling with the appearance issues caused by it or are beginning to experience discomfort and other symptoms, you should seek help from our team at Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks. Fortunately, there are medications and other treatment options available to help you. These treatments can be administered in the comfort of our office with little to no downtime involved.
