Rosacea Review

Rosacea Review

Summer 1997


New Booklet Helps Cope with Rosacea Lifestyle Factors

 

Rosacea sufferers have achieved considerable success controlling their rosacea when they combine medical therapy with control of lifestyle factors that aggravate their individual conditions. Now a new booklet has been published by the National Rosacea Society to help simplify this process.

Called "Coping with Rosacea: Tips on Lifestyle Management for Rosacea Sufferers," the booklet is a handy guide for overcoming the most common tripwires that may affect rosacea sufferers.

Rosacea tripwires are factors that may cause a rosacea sufferer to experience a flare-up -- a more intense outbreak of redness, bumps or pimples. As a rule, anything that causes a sufferer to flush can trigger a flare-up.

The new booklet focuses on the most common trigger factors identified in surveys of rosacea patients conducted by the society. These include sun exposure, emotional stress, hot weather, alcohol, spicy foods, exercise, hot baths, cold weather, hot drinks and skin-care products.

However, what affects one rosacea sufferer may not necessarily cause a flare-up in another. Patients are therefore advised to use the society's Rosacea Diary Checklist to identify which factors affect their individual cases.

Some strategies listed in the new booklet for combatting weather-related tripwires include: always protect your face from the sun; stay in a cool, air-conditioned environment on hot, humid days; combat cold and wind by covering your cheeks and nose with a scarf; and use a moisturizer daily during cold weather.

Some tips for selecting rosacea-friendly meals are: use suggested flavor substitutes to avoid "hot" spices; reduce the heat in beverages; and reduce or avoid alcohol if it aggravates your condition.

For a free printed copy of "Coping with Rosacea," write the National Rosacea Society, 800 S. Northwest Highway, Suite 200, Barrington, Illinois 60010, or send your name and postal address via fax at 847/382-5567 or e-mail at rosaceas@aol.com.