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New Treatment For Rosacea
A new, safe, and promising therapy option may be more effective in treating the 14 million Americans who suffer from rosacea, a chronic skin disease that causes persistent redness on the nose and cheeks. Researchers applied a new formulation of azelaic acid gel to the faces of rosacea sufferers. The new product contains 15 percent azelaic acid and is specifically made for rosacea. Typically it has a different formula and is used to treat acne. Many rosacea patients are generally treated with metronidazole gel, an antibiotic commonly used to treat infections of the small intestines and colon.In a study, researchers compared the safety and efficacy of azelaic gel versus metronidazole gel in rosacea patients. They found the azelaic gel was better at reducing the number of lesions associated with rosacea and better at reducing the redness in patient's faces than the metronidazole gel. Also, the metronidazole gel's effectiveness plateaued after eight weeks, but the azelaic gel showed progressive effectiveness through the 15-week study.
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Rosacea causes tiny blood vessels in the face to enlarge and become more visible through the skin. The vessels appear as tiny red lines, called telangiectasias. Rosacea can also cause pimples to occur, even though rosacea usually affects adults between ages 30 and 60. Study authors say the disease usually responds well to topical antimicrobials -- creams or gels that kill microorganisms like bacteria even though doctors have not been able to identify a microbiologic cause of rosacea. There is no cure for rosacea and if left untreated, it worsens.Researchers say their study shows azelaic acid gel is consistently superior to metronidazole gel in improving the principal signs of rosacea, such as redness and inflammation. In the azelaic acid gel group, 78 percent of the patients rated their improvement as excellent or good, compared to 64 percent in the metronidazole gel group.
New Laser Eye Treatment For Supersight!
by CHARLOTTE DOVEY, Daily Mail
Kate Lonnen had been plagued by poor eyesight since childhood. But then she heard about a remarkable new laser technique that can give hawk-like vision.
Called Wavefront Guided LASIK, the new surgery does more than simply correct short sight - it actually maps out and corrects every slight flaw in the eye to give supersight - eyesight twice as powerful as perfect vision. This means you
would be able to read 3/8in letters at 40ft, which you would normally be able to read only at 20ft.
For Kate, the operation has opened up a whole new world. Wavefront is more accurate than conventional corrective techniques, which are used to alter the thickness of the cornea but do not enjoy the benefits of the new mapping technology.
The key to this is the Wavefront Analyser. Light beams are projected into the eye through the pupil, and are reflected back from the retina at the back of the eye.
Doctors are then able to identify the tiniest of aberrations by monitoring the shape of the returning beam at each point over the pupil.
The technology enables surgeons to build up an accurate map of the eye. It also allows the subsequent laser treatment - where the surgeon creates a micro-thin flap on the surface of the cornea, exposes the bed of the cornea and reshapes this surface with the laser to re-focus the eye - to be carried out with unprecedented accuracy.
Eye surgeon Mr Julian Stevens, of Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, says: 'What makes this treatment different is that we can map out the tiny defects that occur naturally in all eyes and which we could not pinpoint before. We can then smooth out the defects using the laser.'
Not everyone is suitable. You must be over 21, have had a stable prescription for at least 12 months and be in general good health.
Most patients are able to return to work the next day. However, a recent study by Health Which? Warned that clinics are making 'wildly misleading' claims about the safety of laser eye surgery. And an increasing number of patients are suing after suffering longterm complications.
But still, some 30,000 people in the UK have laser eye surgery every year. Kate Lonnen, 24, is one of the first people in the country to have the new Wavefront operation, having suffered short sight all her life.
At 19, Kate got contact lenses. 'They improved my vision,' she says, 'but I felt almost detached from what I saw. They also gave me very bad headaches.
'Any lectures I attended at university were a total joke. I couldn't see the heads of people sitting two rows down - let alone anything on a screen on stage. I spent my life copying my friends' notes.'
Kate had heard of laser surgery but didn't think her eyesight was bad enough. But last year her brothers, Bradley and Alex, heard about Wavefront Guided LASIK and had the surgery at Moorfields.
'They both had perfect eyesight immediately afterwards,' says Kate. 'So I went for a consultation and the surgeon said I was also eligible for Wavefront. It cost £3,000, but I was prepared to pay.
'I wasn't nervous about it at all. After having my eyes measured, I sat in a chair which could be lowered backwards. After securing my eye open with a clamp, the anaesthetic drops were administered. It sounds very unpleasant, but it really wasn't that bad.
'The smell, which wasn't dissimilar to burning flesh, was a little disconcerting - but I didn't feel any pain. All I could see was black, and a flashing red light when the laser was on me. Both eyes were done in about eight minutes.
'What did scare me was the blur I saw after the laser had finished. Both my brothers had been able to see immediately so, rather embarrassingly, I burst into tears.
'The surgeon told me that the operation had gone very well and that some people simply take a while to get over it. My mother took me back to the hotel in a taxi and I put on sunglasses, recommended to protect the eyes. After a couple of hours' sleep, I opened my eyes, and immediately I could see perfectly.
'I remember looking down the hotel corridor and being able to see the room numbers on every single door - before the laser treatment, I could barely see beyond my own door.
For four days I had to put drops in my eyes, because they were a little dry, and at night I had to wear goggles to stop me inadvertently rubbing my eyes. Initially I did see a few halos around lights, but this cleared up within weeks. And since then it's just got clearer and clearer.
'Apparently you keep improving for up to a year, but my vision, two months down the line, seems perfect.
'The most bizarre thing was that when I went home, I discovered my flat was filthy. My eyesight had been so bad, I just couldn't see the dust and grime. I was mortified - why hadn't anyone ever told me before?
'I am thrilled with the results - and my bathroom's one of the cleanest in Bournemouth.'
For further information on Wavefront Guided Treatment, call Moorfields Eye Hospital on 020 7566 2628 or visit www. Moorfields.Co.Uk
Types Of Rosacea Explained
Rosacea is a chronic inflammatory skin condition. There are different types of rosacea, which vary by cause, level of severity, and treatment.
The physical symptoms that characterize rosacea include blushing or flushing of the face and sometimes the neck and chest, skin sensitivity, dryness, and pimples.
Read on to learn all about the different types of rosacea, including their symptoms, causes, and how to treat and prevent rosacea.
Rosacea has four subtypes. These are:
What is rosacea?Rosacea is the result of inflammation and irritation of the blood vessels and the pilosebaceous units of the face. It has several triggers ranging from sensitivity to topical skin applications, alcohol and food consumption, emotional responses, and more.
Rosacea is common, affecting around 1–20% of the population.
Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea is the most common subtype of rosacea. It involves persistent redness of the center of the face. The small blood vessels beneath the skin's surface become enlarged and visible.
People with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea may also experience a burning sensation and skin sensitivity. It commonly occurs in conjunction with papulopustular rosacea.
SymptomsSymptoms of erythematotelangiectatic rosacea include:
Erythematotelangiectatic rosacea can respond poorly to treatment. However, recent research into new treatments, such as tranexamic acid, shows promising advancements.
Health professionals may also recommend that people avoid triggers, such as alcohol, stress, or high sun exposure, and develop a skin care routine using a gentle cleanser.
Other topical and physical modality treatments for erythematotelangiectatic rosacea include:
Papulopustular rosacea, which often occurs alongside erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, is associated with pus-filled pimples and swollen red bumps on the face. It may also affect the scalp, neck, and chest. People commonly mistake it for acne. These blemishes can take a long time to go away.
SymptomsSymptoms of papulopustular rosacea include:
As with erythematotelangiectatic rosacea, doctors will usually encourage people with papulopustular rosacea to use photoprotection with sunscreen, regularly cleanse, avoid food and alcohol triggers, and avoid stress and temperature changes.
Other papulopustular rosacea treatments include:
Phymatous rosacea most commonly occurs on the nose. It may also affect the forehead, chin, ears, and eyelids.
Previously, scientists associated this type of rosacea with heavy alcohol use, but recent research has since debunked this theory. Phymatous rosacea occurs more commonly in males than in females.
SymptomsPhymatous rosacea symptoms include:
The treatment for phymatous rosacea depends on whether the individual's condition is inflamed or noninflamed.
For inflamed phymatous rosacea, experts recommend oral doxycycline, oral isotretinoin, or both.
For noninflamed phyma or fibrotic phyma, experts recommend physical modalities, including laser therapy and intense pulsed light (IPL) devices.
With this type of rosacea, inflammation and irritation center on the eye area. It can range from mild irritation to severe disruption of the surface of the eye and inflammation of the cornea, or inflammatory keratitis.
People with ocular rosacea may also experience bouts of conjunctivitis and blepharitis. Many people with ocular rosacea describe the eyes as feeling "gritty." It can also affect the general area around the eye, with eyelid inflammation and scaly or thick eyelids, as well as corneal ulcers or scars.
While ocular rosacea can become a serious condition in some extreme cases, it is rarely sight threatening. However, it can threaten a person's sight in serious cases of inflammatory keratitis. Anyone who experiences inflammation of their cornea should seek urgent medical treatment.
SymptomsOcular rosacea symptoms include:
Aside from the typical lifestyle alterations that can help control rosacea flare-ups, ocular rosacea treatments include:
Additionally, experts recommend avoiding the use of eye makeup during flares.
The exact cause of rosacea is unknown and will vary from person to person. Both genetic and environmental factors contribute to rosacea. Some of the factors that influence rosacea include:
Rosacea is three times more likely to affect females than males. However, males tend to experience rosacea more severely, though this may be because they do not seek help until the condition is more advanced.
If someone suspects that they are experiencing one or more of these rosacea subtypes, they should seek treatment from a medical professional.
While it is a common condition and can have very mild symptoms in some cases, rosacea can worsen over time without treatment. In some cases, redness or thickening of the skin can become permanent.
To help prevent rosacea flare-ups, experts generally recommend practicing good skin hygiene, using nonallergenic skin products, and regularly applying sun protection.
People with rosacea can also try to avoid their personal known triggers. For some, this might be limiting or abstaining from alcohol, reducing stress, or avoiding spicy foods. To better understand their triggers, people can also opt to receive an allergy test from a healthcare professional.
Rosacea is a common chronic inflammatory skin condition with four subtypes: erythematotelangiectatic, papulopustular, phymatous, and ocular.
Although there is no cure for rosacea, there are many available treatments and methods of prevention that can alleviate symptoms. These will vary depending on the type of rosacea that someone is experiencing.
A person can speak to a healthcare professional for any concerns regarding rosacea.
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