It’s Rosacea Awareness Month and experts are paying attention

rosacea awareness months - symptoms JulieBC

This month is now being recognized by medical experts and patients around the world.

Rosacea Awareness Month is well underway and is being supported by some of the leading experts on this skin condition in the world with an estimated minimum of 16 million people who are believed to have some form of rosacea in the United States.

Worldwide, it is believed that 40 million people who are affected by rosacea without knowing it.

The American figure was presented by the National Rosacea Society (NRS). That organization is one of many that are taking part in Rosacea Awareness Month in order to spread the word about this surprisingly common skin disorder. According to NRS medical advisory board chairman, Dr. Jonathan Wilkin, “Although medical therapy and proper care have helped millions of Americans control the signs and symptoms of this disorder, the steady growth and aging of the population have raised the incidence of this chronic condition over the past decade.” Still, many people have never heard of it.

Though Rosacea Awareness Month has existed before, April 2016 has represented the first time it has gone Global.

rosacea awareness months - symptoms JulieBCThis effort has spread worldwide by way of the Global Rosacea Coalition that is supported by the NRS. The goal is to help to promote improved access to accurate information that can be used to assist the millions upon millions of patients with this chronic skin condition as they attempt to discover treatments and solutions for the symptoms they’re experiencing.

It is unclear as to whether or not health insurance coverage has made a difference in the number of people who have received rosacea diagnoses. One thing that is known is that it is not necessarily a condition that is easy to diagnose. Often, it is mistaken for acne, which presents in a similar way – redness, pimple-like bumps, inflamed skin (according to the American Academy of Dermatology) – but the treatment required is very different.

The treatments for this condition include prescription drugs in the forms of topical creams and pills – many of which are covered by health insurance – as well as alternative and natural treatments such as laser, low level light therapy (LLLT), LED light therapy for rosacea, and certain home remedies such as tea tree oil or witch hazel. Trigger avoidance, lifestyle, skin care and sun protection are also important to preventing flare-ups of symptoms. No single treatment works for all patients.

No cure exists for this condition and one of the goals of Rosacea Awareness Month is to help to encourage proper diagnosis and more research into causes and effective treatments.

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