Rosacea Causes

Which rosacea causes are at the root of your rosacea symptoms? Learn what the latest research findings suggest about what causes rosacea, and about the cause of acne rosacea.

Rosacea is a really difficult condition to have that creates a lot of social embarrassment. Sometimes the flushing gets so bad that you just want to throw a towel over your head and hide! In fact some people stay home from work or cancel social engagements due to their rosacea flare ups.

Rosacea is a chronic skin condition that created redness and flushing of the face, bumps that resemble acne, and sometimes thickened skin or inflammation and redness of the eyes. It generally affects people between the ages of 30 and 60, but can appear at any age.

Although medical science does not yet know the specific rosacea causes that create this painful condition, there is a growing body of research and evidence that suggests that rosacea symptoms can be controlled.

In 2007 a team of researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System Dermatology department discovered that rosacea is the result of the overproduction of two interactive inflammatory proteins. These result in heightened amounts of a third protein which is causes rosacea symptoms.

New research presented in March at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology suggests that rosacea may be hereditary. They discovered that rosacea patients are three times more likely to have someone in their family with rosacea.

They also discovered that people with rosacea are nearly nine times more likely to have suffered from blistering sunburns. Does that mean that the sunburns cause rosacea? Or than sun sensitivity causes rosacea? Only more research will tell.

Some research suggests that rosacea may be linked to excessive levels of the bacteria Helicobacter pylori which is associated with stomach ulcers.

Other research has found that rosacea patients have greater levels of bacterial overgrowth in the small intestines. They also discovered that nearly all rosacea symptoms could be eliminated by using antibiotics that cannot be absorbed from the digestive tract, to reduce the bacterial overgrowth.

From a natural health perspective, it may be that normalizing the friendly bacteria levels in your intestines with probiotics such as acidophilus may be helpful. For help with this, consult a qualified naturopathic physician or other healthcare practitioner who is familiar with the use of probiotics.

Some medications such as high blood pressure medications and those that dilate the blood vessels, have been known to cause side effects such as rosacea.

Caffeine withdrawal can also trigger rosacea, so if you regularly drink coffee or caffeinated beverages, you may need to taper off of them slowly to avoid an outbreak.

Steroids are often prescribed for seborrheic dermatitis, and one of the unfortunate side effects is Steroid induced rosacea. Either nasal or topical steroids can cause this, and steroids can also cause thinning of the skin. One of our visitors shares her experience with steroid induced skin damage.

If you are taking steroids and you want to stop, you will need to taper off of them slowly to avoid a flare up. Please contact your doctor for advice about this.

People with rosacea have discovered that some anti-aging or acne skin care treatments can cause rosacea. For this reason you want to be very careful when trying anything new that is a more intense treatment such as:

• Microdermabrasion
• Chemical peels
• Benzoyl peroxide
• Iisotretinoin in high doses
• Tretinoin

For more information on how to avoid irritating ingredients in your skin care and personal care products, please visit our Safe Cosmetics Guide.

Many people with rosacea will experience a flare up if they are exposed to the sun. Sun sensitivity is one of the most reported rosacea triggers .

The other most highly reported trigger for rosacea symptoms is something we are all familiar with in these challenging times:

Stress!

Anything you can do to try to reduce stress in your life will help your rosacea symptoms. Get enough sleep, make time to relax and enjoy yourself, and try to set some healthy boundaries so that you can take care of yourself.

Sometimes an acute medical issue can bring out rosacea symptoms. Since rosacea is an inflammatory condition, if your body has other sickness that it is dealing with, the skin can also become inflamed.

Some research has shown that people with rosacea have an increased amount of demodex mites on their skin. It is not yet clear whether this is actually a cause of rosacea or simply a symptom of it.

Some research suggests that rosacea may the result of hypersensitized sensory neurons in the nervous system.

Chronic coughing can create a rosacea outbreak.

Some people notice their rosacea gets worse during the changing of the seasons. For about four to six weeks as the seasons are changing, their symptoms get more intense until the body can adapt to the new climate.

Menopause and hormonal fluctuations can also trigger rosacea.

Some men find that shaving will trigger their rosacea, and that they can reduce facial irritation by using an electric razor and hypoallergenic skin care products.

Most skin care products, EVEN hypoallergenic skin care products, contain chemical ingredients that can be irritating or allergy producing to sensitive skin.

Many natural or organic skin care products can also stimulate a rosacea outbreak because the natural herbs, botanicals or essential oils can produce allergic reactions.

I know of only one line of hypoallergenic skin care products that is BOTH free of chemical irritants AND free of botanical allergens.

Some people find certain foods, even certain healthy foods can cause rosacea symptoms. Here are just a few.

• Chocolate
• Vanilla
• Soy sauce
• Vinegar
• Yeast extract
• Cheese, except for cottage cheese
• Sour cream
• Yogurt
• Spinach
• Avocado
• Eggplant
• Citrus fruits
• Tomatoes
• Bananas
• Red plums
• Figs
• Raisins
• Lima, pea and navy beans
• Spicy foods
• Hot foods

Rosacea is sometimes called Acne Rosacea because it produces small red bumps on the skin that resemble acne. The difference is that you cannot squeeze the rosacea bumps as they do not have fluid in the bumps. The cause of acne rosacea is likely the same as that of rosacea.

The GOOD news about rosacea is that it IS possible to control symptoms. Like any inflammatory skin condition, there are so many natural ways you can reduce inflammation so that your skin becomes smooth, clear and radiant.

I have over thirty years experience in dealing with sensitive skin issues. I learned in my teens how to control acne outbreaks naturally, and how to activate the body's natural, self healing abilities to clear up skin inflammation.

I have gathered together this information into an eBook called Clear ANY Skin Problem Naturally, WITHOUT Expensive Creams or Endless Doctor Visits.

This ebook will help you discover you rosacea causes, and will help you find a solution that will works for your sensitive skin.

Right now this eBook is available absolutely free! It won't be free for long, and so I encourage you to pick up your copy now. Request Ebook

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