Worried about Rosacea?

Rosacea - a chronic and persistent condition in which a person’s cheeks, nose, chin, eyelids or forehead become inflamed and red – tends to be more common in women, people between the ages of 30 and 50 and those with fair skin who blush easily. While there is no cure, rosacea can be controlled by avoiding triggers and, occasionally, with medication.

Common triggers that worsen rosacea include:

• Alcohol
• Spicy foods
• Coffee and caffeinated beverages
• Hot foods and beverages
• Strenuous exercise
• Extreme temperatures
• Chronic stress
• Sunlight or a history of sunburns
• Certain drugs, such as corticosteroids and some blood pressure medications

To minimize flares of rosacea, avoid the above triggers, protect your face from harsh elements, use sunscreen, manage stress levels and use products that are hypo-allergenic. Dr. Weil also recommends following an anti-inflammatory diet; supplementing with gamma-linolenic acid, which may improve the health of the skin (consider evening primrose oil or black currant oil - take 500 mg twice a day of either, and expect to wait at least six to eight weeks to notice results); and using topical preparations that utilize natural anti-inflammatory constituents, such as medicinal mushrooms.

To learn more about rosacea and other health conditions, visit the DrWeil.com Condition Care Guide.