Painting A Picture of Rosacea

On a daily basis, someone walks through Dr. William Applegarth's doors and asks him if there's anything he can do with the red, sometimes painful patches on their face, the little blood vessels popping to the surface, or all the bumps and pimples.

What he tells all these rosacea sufferers is that it's highly treatable, both by avoiding what triggers the condition and through the use of a variety of medications.

"Everybody's triggers are different," he said, rattling off a list of common culprits, like heat, sun, wind, caffeine, alcohol and spicy foods.

And, because some people have dry skin, oily skin or sensitive skin -- and because rosacea manifests itself differently in people -- he doesn't use the same treatment for everybody.

If left untreated, sufferers can develop increasing effects, including the enlarged "W.C. Fields" nose, said Valparaiso dermatologist Applegarth.

"That can be the end result for untreated people," he said.

"The vast majority of people can have good results with treatment."

He said those with mild symptoms are usually treated with topical treatments, while those with moderate or severe symptoms might be given topical treatments and oral antibiotics. Patients usually are clear or have significant improvement within six weeks.

Rosacea can affect not only the skin, but also the eyes. Sufferers complain of irritation, dryness or a gritty feeling. Applegarth often refers patients to an eye doctor.

**This story ran on nwitimes.com on Monday, December 6, 2004 12:55 AM CST