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April is Rosacea Awareness Month
April has been designated Rosacea Awareness Month in the United States and Canada to educate the public about the widespread facial disorder.
An estimated 16 million Americans are affected by the disease, according to the National Rosacea Socity.
The goal of Rosacea Awareness Month is to spread awareness about the disease that is estimated to affect more than 16 million Americans, so that more people who may have rosacea seek medical help before it gets worse, and to find greater public acceptance for those people whose lives are affected by the disease, according to an announcement on the National Rosacea Society’s website.
“The earliest signs of rosacea are often overlooked because people assume they are temporary and will go way,” John Wolf, MD, chairman of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine, stated on the website. “Unfortunately, without medical treatment the effects of rosacea often persist and become increasing severe.
More than 3 million Canadians also have the skin disorder, according to a release from the Acne and Rosacea Society of Canada.
“Many Canadians are not aware of rosacea and think a red face is due to heavy drinking, sunburn or other undesirable reasons,” Shannon Humphrey, MD, a Vancouver, British Columbia, dermatologist and spokesperson for the Acne and Rosacea Society of Canada, stated in the release.
A survey by the Canadian society showed that seven in 10 Canadians are unable to recognize rosacea, according to the release.
The Canadian organization shared “four most embarrassing myths about rosacea,” which includes the red face is caused by drinking too much alcohol or due to a sunburn, the person with rosacea has adult acne, and a person with rosacea is easily flustered.
The redness is due to more prominent facial blood vessels and increased blood flow, with the causes of rosacea not fully known. Rosacea is an inflammatory and immunologic condition that has genetic roots for many but can be triggered by alcohol use, according to the Canadian society release.
Reference: www.rosaceahelp.ca; www.rosacea.org