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Our Mission, Projection & Overview can be seen at the bottom of the page.What is Rosacea?Definition: Rosacea is a long term skin and eye inflammation with visible characteristics presented on the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, and eyes and eye lids. The erythema (redness) of rosacea is caused by inflammation of the skin by various known 'triggers' such as aggressive soaps, rosacea treatments that are 'too aggressive' for the skin, sun exposure, and many acidic foods and drinks. These skin areas have increased prominence of the blood vessels or vascularity and swelling of the skin tissue known as hyperplasia. Also co-occurring skin diseases are acne which 82 % of rosacea patients have and with 35 % of rosacea patients also having seborrheic dermatitis. Rosacea KnowledgeThere is very little 'correct knowledge' of the cause of this disease nor what to do about it. The Research Team at Rosacea-Ltd has made the gained the most insightful knowledge in research over the last 12 years as to the cause (etiology) and what the rosacea patient can do to improve their rosacea and the accompanying skin diseases of acne and seborrheic dermatitis. Their research indicates that rosacea results from an overly acidic body and skin with the condition being called, "metabolic acidosis". The pH scale (potential of hydrogen, ranges from 0 to 14, with 7 being neutral. As you think of your past rosacea history, you will see that all the rosacea triggers have come from acidic triggers regardless of whether they are foods, drinks, stress, or lack of breath due to not enough oxygen (oxygen is an alkaline)and inability to exhaust enough carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide is acidic), or lactic acid given off when we exercise or work. We all know that if we hold our breath for 30 seconds or 60 seconds, our face turns pink or red. And when you look at the color of your tongue when your race is red, you will more easily realize that "Rosacea is more than a red face" as it affects all internal organs regardless of whether we can see them or not. We all know, but hardly think that the cause is a build up of carbon dioxide which is an 'acid gas' and we have a shortage of alkaline oxygen. Very similarly, when we exercise too long and become aerobic, we have a build up of Lactic Acid which is a body waste of muscle and fat tissue (and obviously acidic). Likewise, those with rosacea need to be very concerned about the build up of acids in the blood stream due to the foods and beverages that we consume. Our triggers such as alcohol, coffee, pizza, candy/cookies, various medications, etc. which all have a pH below 7.0 are termed acidic. Our objective therefore should be to balance, buffer or neutralize the acids with alkaline. Rosacea affects the entire body from the brain to the intestines, and from your muscles and skin to your tongue. Rosacea is not just "skin rosacea and ocular rosacea". Rosacea is 'not' a hereditary condition as many medical doctors believe as hereditary denotes a genetic condition that is inherited. Yes, rosacea is a chronic (long term) skin disorder that most often affects the nose, cheeks, and forehead, but you will hopefully have noticed that these areas have the largest supply of blood arteries and veins. Thus, they have the largest accumulations of acids over the years. If it were an inherited skin disorder, rosacea would start from a very early age of 2 weeks or several years after birth. Rosacea sufferers accumulate rosacea symptoms from the triggers of foods, drinks, sun exposure, poor skin products and very poor medical treatment that causes the condition to be long term and thus a migration from one dermatologist to another and from one or two rosacea medications to several other rosacea medications. "While the incidence of rosacea appears to be rising sharply as more people enter the most susceptible age, many mistakenly think it's just a complexion problem that will go away by itself -- but in fact it usually keeps growing worse if left unchecked," said Dr. Joseph Bikowski, assistant clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh. "Of greatest concern is that only a small percentage of rosacea sufferers realize that medical help is available from dermatologists to halt its progression and reverse its symptoms." The desire exists today to find new and innovative ways to treat rosacea and other skin conditions naturally without the use of drugs, lasers and sometimes harmful chemicals. This is not an unrealistic rosacea treatment goal. It is possible to live with, control and manage rosacea safely and effectively. Rosacea is 'triggered' by sunlight, physical exercise, mental stress, sinus & allergy conditions, hot liquids, spicy foods, extremes in temperature, and alcohol that is either topically applied or orally consumed (Drs. McKoewn, Wilkin, Wilkin, Wilkin). A point of interest is that all of these triggers are 'acidic on the pH scale' thus causing irritation as the body should be alkaline. It is important to note that what aggravates one person's rosacea may have no effect on another person's rosacea (Dr. Wilkin). Weather extremes such as dryness and sunlight affect rosacea by causing more skin irritation. Groups of tiny microvessels (arterioles, capillaries, and venules) close to the surface of the skin become dilated, resulting in blotchy red areas with small papules (a small, red solid elevated inflammatory skin lesion without pus, that is minor when the size is of a small measles lesion, moderate when about the size of a pencil eraser, and severe when the papule is the size of a small currency coin or the tip of the little finger) and pustules (pus-filled inflammatory bumps). While the redness of rosacea temporarily improves, eventually it may become permanent as most rosacea sufferers do not make enough improvements to repair the skin before it becomes too sensitive for treatment or to touch after the skin tissue swells and thickens due to the inflammation caused by acid food and drink ingestion, sunlight, overly aggressive rosacea treatment, etc. Most rosacea suffers have gained much knowledge in their battle with the disease, but unfortunately, most of the gained knowledge has not been helpful in solving the problem. Sadly most information available is about rosacea treatments that do not work, which results in years of frustration for the rosacea sufferer as usually they continue seeking information and migrate from dermatologist to dermatologist for years in their search for the best rosacea treatment answer. Knowledge of the symptoms does not solve the 'cause or etiology' of rosacea. After understanding the 'cause' very well, then the rosacea treatment can be used. The classic rosacea symptoms are patchy flushing (redness) and inflammation, particularly on the cheeks, nose, forehead, and around the mouth. Rosacea typically appears between the ages of 30 and 50 and affects more women than men. As the rosacea sufferer becomes older, acid accumulates within the body organs, bones, in the face and in the brain. We all have known for years that the largest blood supply is to the head with the brain and the face always having a larger blood supply. As symptoms emerge slowly, rosacea may initially be mistaken for sunburn, leading to a delay in proper rosacea treatment. Rosacea treatment delayed is 'rosacea treatment denied'. Rosacea can affect the eyes also in a condition known as Ocular RosaceaOcular Rosacea can also cause a persistent burning and feeling of grittiness in the eyes or inflamed and swollen eyelids with small inflamed bumps. The eyes may become bloodshot and eye lashes sometimes fall out (Dr. Thiboutot). The rosacea ophthalmic signs are exceedingly variable, including blepharitis, conjunctivitis, iritis, iridocyclitis, hypopyoniritis, and even keratitis. The rosacea ophthalmic complications are independent of the severity of facial rosacea. Rosacea keratitis has an unfavorable prognosis, and in extreme cases can lead to corneal opacity with blindness. The most frequent signs of ocular rosacea, which may never progress, are chronically inflamed margins of the eyelids with scales and crusts, quite similar to seborrheic dermatitis, with which it is often confused. A rosacea sufferer needs to consider how their eyes react to bright sunlight as the eyes are very sensitive to sunlight. Ocular rosacea combined with Keratitis could lead to blindness. Medical doctors and researchers have found Rosacea-Ltd to be the best solution with 100% accuracy as you will learn below. What is Rosacea of the skin?It is easy to understand the cause or etiology of rosacea. Many rosacea sufferers and researchers easily summarized the triggers and then have learned the cause in the development and can now more easily understand the cure. Rosacea is a disorder of the blood vessels that causes them to swell, leading to flushing. It is most often caused by the acidic foods and drinks consumed by the rosacea sufferer as most have known the 'triggers' that cause the flushing and redness such as alcohol, coffee, exercise, stress, etc. that are all acidic in nature. The intake of foods and drinks needs to be more alkaline to 'offset' or neutralize or buffer the acids to return the body to a more alkaline condition. A secondary cause is not enough facial exercise to help the flow of arterial blood through the facial area. Rosacea seems to affect fair-skinned people more often, though it can affect any skin type. Often several people in a family have the condition, thus it is believed to be at least partly genetic. The disorder may be somewhat more common in women, but is often more severe in men. In some cases, it may be associated with migraine headache, other skin disorders, and certain eye disorders, including blepharitis and keretitis. Any one of the following warning signs can be a signal to seek help before the signs and symptoms become increasingly severe:
Dermatologists continue to be baffled by this misunderstood disorder as the components are often multi-factorial. Acne, seborrheic dermatitis, dilated vessels (telangectasia) and ocular rosacea often accompany the skin rosacea. One prominent rosacea expert stated, "We know less about rosacea than any other skin disorder." Dermatologists are frustrated with this misunderstood disorder due to a lack of personal patient history of past rosacea medications and lifestyles as patients often migrated from one dermatologist to another in there desire to find a remedy for their rosacea papules, redness and seborrheic dermatitis. Therefore, the treatment of rosacea must require those totally involved with knowledge of rosacea, the total history of the patient, and for the patient to gain the proper basic knowledge. The most outstanding treatment for rosacea is Rosacea-Ltd III. During clinical trials 15 years ago, many rosacea sufferers had stated, "you can't lose anything by using this product, except your rosacea", therefore the naming of the product was "Rosacea-Ltd" meaning "to limit rosacea" or Rosacea-Limited. After 11 years of sales worldwide and the arrival of the third generation of the product, the name was changed to Rosacea-Ltd III. Rosacea is aggravated by many factors, including sunlight, physical and mental stress, sinus and allergy conditions, hot liquids, spicy foods, extremes in temperature, alcohol (either topically applied or orally consumed) and stress (Drs. McKoewn, Wilkin, Wilkin, Wilkin). But it is important to note that what aggravates one person's rosacea may have no effect on another person's condition (Dr. Wilkin) The following other conditions can have symptoms similar to rosacea: Acne, psoriasis, eczema, and atopic dermatitis. This has caused some confusion to both dermatologists and patients. Article of the Week Causes of Eye IrritationIrritation of the eyes has various causes such as various allergies and contact substances with red teary eye reactions as follows: The skin condition rosacea can also affect the eyes. Ocular rosacea is defined as an inflammatory eye condition often associated with acne rosacea. Ocular rosacea can cause a persistent burning or gritty feeling in the eyes. For others, ocular rosacea manifests itself as inflamed and swollen eyelids with small inflamed bumps, eye lashes that may fall out, compounded by bloodshot eyes (Dr. Thiboutot). The ophthalmic signs of ocular rosacea can vary widely, including blepharitis, conjunctivitis, iritis, iridocyclitis, hypopyoniritis, and even keratitis. The term ophthalmic or ocular rosacea covers all these signs. The most frequent signs, which may never progress to a more severe condition, are chronically inflamed margins of the eyelids with scales and crusts; quite similar to seborrheic dermatitis, with which ocular rosacea is often confused. Pain and photophobia (abnormal sensitivity to light) may be present. The ocular complications are independent of the severity of facial rosacea. It is reported that 50 to 60% of all rosacea sufferers also have ocular rosacea. In one study it was found that ocular rosacea symptoms occurred in 58% of patients. Ocular rosacea patients generally have chronically "bloodshot" eyes, dry eyes, and blepharitis (inflammation and debris of the eyelid margins). In severe ocular rosacea, there may be corneal ulceration (infection) which, if untreated, may even lead to perforation of the eye. This can be a potentially blinding complication. Blepharitis is a common inflammatory ocular condition that affects the eyelids. It usually causes burning, itching and irritation of the lids. Other common symptoms include sandy, itchy eyes, red and/or swollen eyelids, crusty, flaky skin on the eyelids, and dandruff. In severe cases, this ocular condition may also cause sties, irritation and inflammation of the cornea (keratitis) and conjunctiva (conjunctivitis). Blepharitis, usually a chronic problem, can be controlled with extra attention to lid hygiene. However, it may also be caused by an infection, which would require treatment with a prescription medication. The key to controlling blepharitis is to keep the eyelids and eyelashes clean. Home treatment should begin by soaking a clean washcloth in hot tap water. Place the compress on closed eyelids for five minutes, and then repeat. Next, gently scrub the eyelids with a washcloth or cotton swab soaked in a mixture of equal parts of baby shampoo and water. Afterward, rinse the lids thoroughly with warm water. This treatment may need to be repeated two to three times daily for two weeks, and then reduced to once daily. Like dandruff, there is no cure for blepharitis; but with treatment, it can be controlled. Anti-inflammatory and antibiotic treatment drops or ointments may be necessary for flare-ups or more severe cases. Remember to remove all mascara before going to bed. Dry eye syndrome can be treated with non-preserved artificial tears, as often as 4 times a day or more. Another ocular treatment is a home humidifier, which may also add valuable moisture to the air. If these treatments for the symptoms of eye irritation are not sufficient, more drastic treatments may be needed. One such ocular treatment involves closure of the tear drainage ducts, which is accomplished with silicone plugs, which are reversible, or punctal cautery (a burning of the tear duct openings), which is a relatively permanent ocular treatment. Keratitis is among the more serious conditions of the eye. Keratitis covers a range of ocular conditions where there is infection or inflammation of the cornea. This condition may result in severe eye pain, blurry vision and sensitivity to light. Medical evaluation and treatment of keratitis is absolutely essential. Minor corneal infections are commonly treated with anti-bacterial or anti-fungal eye drops. If the problem is more severe, a person may receive more intensive antibiotic treatment to eliminate the infection and may even require steroid eye drops to reduce inflammation. Iritis is defined as an inflammation of the iris, a part of the eye. Symptoms include eye pain, sensitivity to light, and/or blurry vision. The symptoms of this may resemble conjunctivitis (also known as "pink eye"). Sties can also occur in the eyes. The best method of treatment for a stye is a warm compress. Apply a warm, moist washcloth to your lids for 5 minutes, four times a day. Following this treatment, within a few days the infection will either die down or come to a head and drain. Chalazia, or bumps on eyelids can also occur. Hot packs are the best treatment for these infections. However, if the bump fails to go away in a month it may be necessary to drain it. This treatment is done in your Ophthalmologist's office. Our Mission The International Rosacea Foundation is a non-profit organization whose primary mission is to make available easy readable rosacea symptom and the best rosacea treatment information on one web site. This information has been chosen from medical books, medical journal articles, and on the web and with available credits to those rosacea writers. Information provided by the International Rosacea Foundation about products and the best rosacea treatments, medical conditions, and symptoms, has been obtained from the manufacturer's prescription product information inserts and from their web sites sponsoring these products. Rosacea conditions and treatments may vary from one patient to another, and treatment must be tailored for each individual case. Therefore, we do not answer individual questions about your skin condition. The secondary mission is to provide research for the best rosacea treatments for rosacea sufferers. International Rosacea Foundation Projection & Overview The International Rosacea Foundation provides the most informed and accurate rosacea
treatment information that is easy to read and concise with the rosacea treatment information from
manufacturer's prescription medication labels, the latest rosacea research studies and
from the newest Rosacea Teratology textbooks. Some feel that the the many skin conditions with
similar symptoms such as acne, seborrheic dermatitis, eczema, or lupus can make the diagnosis difficult.
The primary problem is that medications used in the treatment of acne can be too harsh or
aggressive leading to the onset of rosacea or acne rosacea. Aggressive acne
treatments to reduce oiliness of the skin can result in the flaking associated
with seborrheic dermatitis. The butterfly rash of lupus can lead to a mis-diagnosis
of rosacea. Within this site you will learn the difference between rosacea, eczema,
acne, lupus and psoriasis. Very often these skin conditions co-exist making
successful rosacea treatment a very difficult endeavor.
Jojoba Oil and Rosacea Treatment Prior to beginning any new rosacea treatment, one needs to prepare the rosacea sensitive skin, and allow the skin to heal from the effects of previous aggressive rosacea treatments, which may have left the skin damaged or overly sensitive. Many rosacea treatments leave the rosacea sufferer’s skin so sensitive that “even water hurts their rosacea [...] (read more) Recent articles: We continually update this site to keep you informed of the latest scientific
findings about rosacea. Click below to access another
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