Rosacea is a chronic, noncontageous, and potentially life-disruptive skin disorder which is estimated to affect over 16 million Americans and 45 million people all over the world. This skin disease often found to occur in north-western European people who have got white complexion. It is also nicknamed as "curse of Celts" in Ireland. This skin disease often appears as flare-ups on the facial area and often misunderstood as acne breakouts. This is a hereditary and chronic skin disorder which frequently appears any time after the age of 30 on different facial parts including nose, forehead, chin, and cheekbones. In some cases this might also appear at neck, scalp, chest, or ears.



At the initial stages this skin disease causes subtle redness which might disappear on its own. However, some cases of redness, especially if left untreated, tend to become more aggravated by developing inflammation and skin eruptions, and blood vessels might become visible on the skin surface. Furthermore the tissues on the skin surface tend to become thick and swelled which would be too sensitive to touch. In severe cases the nose might become extremely swollen due to accumulation of fluid in the tissues. Also almost 50% of rosacea sufferers are found to be affected by eye irritation with the appearance of watery eyes along with bloodshot in them.

Unfortunately the actual reason behind the formation of this skin disease is still unknown. Although it has been reported that all segments of world's population might be affected by this disease, nevertheless, people with fair complexion who have a tendency to get flushing or blushing more frequently are always at a greater risk. Many experts believe that rosacea could be somehow related to some mysterious disorder of the blood vessels underneath cutaneous layer. Some doctors also suspect that the Helicobacter pylori infections of the gastric mucosa could be responsible for this disease. This bacterium is a natural inhabitant of our gastrointestinal tract which encourages the skin resulting in this skin disorder. Even though a short-term improvement has been reported after the eradication therapy of H. pylori, any firm evidence for this association could not be obtained so far.

If you are suspecting rosacea the first thing you need to do is consult your dermatologist. After examining your condition the doctor might prescribe you the proper medication or medicated cream and would help you to construct an appropriate regimen to fight back this skin disease. A number of antibiotics could be prescribed to deal with this disease. These might be used either in topical or oral form. The most frequently used topical antibiotic cream is metronidazole. Some oral antibiotics like erythromycin, minocycline, doxycycline, tetracycline, etc. are often prescribed.