Rosacea sufferers who follow their doctor's orders regarding medical therapy and also make appropriate lifestyle modifications achieve a high rate of success in controlling their condition, according to a recent survey of Rosacea Review readers.

In the survey of 520 rosacea patients, 51 percent were under treatment with topical therapy alone and 34 percent were using a combination of both oral and topical antibiotics. Only 11 percent had been prescribed oral antibiotic tablets alone.

Seventy-one percent of the respondents said they used their medication as directed and 22 percent said they usually complied. Of those who followed their doctor's orders, 92 percent said the medical therapy had reduced their rosacea symptoms.

In addition to using medications, 69 percent of the respondents said they had made lifestyle changes to avoid factors that trigger rosacea flare-ups. Of these patients, 84 percent reported that their lifestyle modifications had reduced their rosacea flare-ups.

According to the survey respondents, the most common reasons for not complying with medical therapy were forgetfulness and side effects.