Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin disease that currently cannot be cured. People suffering from rosacea have to keep their skin condition under control by the daily application of topical skin treatments. However, rosacea symptoms fluctuate on a daily basis due to so-called trigger factors. Rosacea skin can be improved significantly by paying close attention to these rosacea triggers. Here are three factors that can have a major impact on the appearance of rosacea skin.
Ocular Rosacea
It is estimated that 60% of all rosacea patients suffer from some degree of ocular rosacea. Symptoms of ocular rosacea include burning and itchy eyes, red or bloodshot eyes or the sensation of a foreign object in the eyes. These symptoms are not always obvious for everyone and ocular rosacea is therefore frequently under-diagnosed. However, if ocular rosacea is not caught in the early stages and is allowed to develop, patient’s vision may be negatively affected. Rosacea patients who wear contact lenses on a daily basis are particularly at risk for the negative effects of ocular rosacea. The reduced oxygen availability caused by contact lenses could speed up the development of ocular rosacea.
Stress
Stress can have a major (negative) impact on our skin. It’s often hard to avoid stress and most people have a fair amount of stress in their lives. However, when stress levels get out of control and are chronically elevated, physiological changes occur in our bodies that have a negative effect on our health. It has been shown in mice that in response to sustained stress, the increased levels of stress hormones (glucocorticoids) in the blood were able to cause a deterioration of the protective (barrier) function of the skin. The skin’s function is to regulate our water retention, temperature and to protect us from external microorganisms. When the barrier function of the skin gets compromised, skin conditions such as psoriasis, rosacea, eczema and atopic dermatitis may develop. When stress levels are elevated chronically, a further degradation of the skin can result.
Food
Many different food types can trigger a rosacea flare-up. Aged foods such as cheeses and wine have the highest potential of making rosacea symptoms worse. Aged foods contain large amounts of histamine, which can increase inflammatory reactions in the body. Certain foods, such as bananas and strawberries stimulate the body to produce more histamine, so these foods have an indirect effect on rosacea. In addition, certain food ingredients boost the body’s production of nitric oxide (NO), which dilates blood vessels. Foods that increase NO are foods that are high in the amino acid arginine (such as chocolate, soy and nuts) and foods preserved with nitrates (sausage and cured meats). Each rosacea patient has to understand their diet well in order to figure out what food ingredients are triggering their rosacea flare-ups.
Keeping an eye on rosacea trigger factors in your diet and environment plays a major role in the appearance of your skin. Knowing what these trigger factors are in combination with the right rosacea treatment, will help in managing rosacea symptoms for years to come.
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