Rosacea Review - Newsletter of the National Rosacea SocietyRosacea Review - Newsletter of the National Rosacea Society

treatment

Many Specialists Provide Care

While rosacea is usually treated by a dermatologist, a new survey by the National Rosacea Society suggests that other health specialists are often the first to notice a patient might have the disorder.

In the survey of 1,584 rosacea patients, 38 percent said a non-dermatologist first noticed their condition and 26 percent were referred to a specialist. Nearly 73 percent of the latter were referred to a dermatologist, and 12 percent were referred to an eye doctor for treatment of ocular rosacea.

Women May Need Added Therapy

Rosacea can be a trying condition under the best of circumstances, but it can be particularly vexing to women during menopause and even their monthly cycle.

Many women report more flushing episodes and increased numbers of bumps and pimples during these times, according to Dr. Wilma Bergfeld, head of the clinical research section of the dermatology department at Cleveland Clinic and former president of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Psychologist Advises Managing Disease Can Break Cycle of Stress

Conspicuous disorders like rosacea can involve so many other areas of life that even a mild case can be severely distressing, said Richard G. Fried, M.D., clinical psychologist and director of Yardley Dermatology Associates, at the recent meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology. But giving patients control over their disease can break the self-destructive cycle and help keep flare-ups at bay.

Treatment Options Used to Correct Nose Enlargement

Rhinophyma, in which the enlargement of tissue results in a bulbous and bumpy appearance of the nose in some rosacea sufferers, may usually be effectively addressed with laser surgery, according to Dr. Jeffrey Dover, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University.

"Although rhinophyma may be generally unresponsive to oral or topical therapy, it is usually very amenable to surgical approaches," he said. "Besides manual surgery, electrosurgery and lasers are often very effective in reducing the excess tissue and returning the nose to a more normal appearance."

Patients Should Not Spot Treat Rosacea

At a symposium during a recent meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, Dr. Mark V. Dahl, chairman of Dermatology, University of Minnesota, noted that to ensure the effectiveness of topical antibiotic therapy for rosacea, patients must spread the medication over the entire face.

"Some patients may apply topical therapy to individual papules and pustules, much as they may have treated acne when they were younger," said Dr. Dahl. "It is important to use this medication over the entire face as a preventive measure for it to be useful."

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