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Recent Questions
- I have been treated for rosacea for one year. Recently my scalp has started to itch, and I was wondering if this could be related to my rosacea?
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- Is there a connection between rosacea and perimenopause? At about the same time I was diagnosed with ocular rosacea I noticed that I started to feel hot often. I am 47 and assume the hot flashes are due to perimenopause.
- I have bronze skin, and where I live is always hot. Even though I always use sunscreen (SPF 50) on my face, redness still appears on my cheeks. What advice can you give me?
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Have a question about rosacea?
Leading dermatologists, ophthalmologists, researchers and others will answer questions about this chronic but treatable condition. New questions are answered every month, so be sure to check back regularly.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Q I'm a rosacea sufferer and recently read a medical article on a drug for treating rosacea that claims it might heal the condition. Do you have any information that might validate such a claim?
AResponse from Dr. Jonathan Wilkin, former director of dermatology products at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, pioneer researcher on flushing and leading expert on rosacea:
While medical treatments are available that can control its various signs and symptoms, there is currently no cure for rosacea. However, news reports of new therapies are often so glowing as to seem to suggest to readers that a cure may be possible. Although there are products that can be very effective in achieving control and even remission, there are no therapies that are proven to permanently eradicate the signs and symptoms of rosacea.
The most reliable source of accurate information about any drug approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may be the product information sheets included with the drug itself, and this information is also typically available for viewing online. It is important to read the package insert carefully. Per U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations, information about prescription drugs must be carefully worded in order to precisely describe the therapy's action, risks and benefits.
Product information will include the therapy's indications -- that is, what condition or signs and symptoms it is useful for; its dosage and how it is administered; possible adverse reactions it may cause; contraindications -- the specific circumstances when it should not be used; as well as a wealth of further information on clinical testing in which the drug's effectiveness and possible effects, and other data, were assessed. Importantly, product information may not make claims about its effects that have not been established in testing.
Although no currently approved therapies can claim to permanently cure rosacea, a treatment regimen that might include avoidance of specific triggers along with medications may lead to very long-lasting remissions in many patients.
About Ask the Doctors
To submit a question, use the "Ask a Question" box above. Due to the volume of submissions, we cannot guarantee that all questions will be answered. In some cases, similar questions may receive a combined answer.
All medical information in “Ask the Doctors” has been provided by experts. However, the information posted here by Ask the Doctors contributors should not be considered medical advice, nor is it intended to replace consultation with a physician. Rosacea may vary substantially from one patient to another, and diagnosis and treatment must be tailored by a physician for each individual case.
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