If your skin is fair then chances are you might develop rosacea as you grow older. A common skin condition that causes redness and visible blood vessels on the face, Rosacea is characterized by the presence of its small, red-colored bumps filled with pus. An estimated 15 million people in the United States are affected by rosacea. It is commonly mistaken for acne – an entirely different skin condition caused by an allergic reaction. The small pus-filled red colored bumps can last for a few weeks or even several months.

Although rosacea can affect anyone, middle-aged women are at high risk. The best one can do is work toward keeping the signs and symptoms in check as there is no clear and proven research on what exactly causes rosacea. It is linked to family history and it is often seen as a reaction to certain problems in the blood vessel. Problems are worsened by the impact caused by sun exposure, causing these bumps to become wider and making them more prominent.

Doctors also believe that secretion of the digestive hormone gastrin, released by a specific type of bacteria called H.Pylori can increase the risk of rosacea. When the level of gastrin increases, it results in the appearance of skin to appear flushed. The bacillus oleronius bacteria react to people who have acne-like rosacea. When this happens, their natural immune system tends to overreact. Further, mites – bugs that normally live on the skin and usually harmless, can cause skin irritation when their numbers increase.

Rosacea is more prevalent among women in the age group between 30 and 50 and those with blue eyes, light skin, and blonde hair, though it can develop at any age and in many ways. According to research, it is more common among people who have a North European ancestry. Smoking can aggravate rosacea. If women do not take up prompt medication, it can worsen over a period of time. The redness of the skin becomes more intense with the appearance of visible blood vessels around the affected area. Even though exact causes are not known, rosacea is curable.

Redness of the skin, accompanied by swelling can also be caused by cathelicidin, a form of protein that usually protects skin from infections. The abnormally high amount of cathelicidin is also believed to be an important cause for rosacea and serum cathelicidin especially has been found to cause an increase in infectious diseases. The possibility of a person with an excessive amount of cathelicidin to develop rosacea depends on how his or her body processes this protein.

Although rosacea is hereditary, it is not infectious. There has been no established evidence to prove that it is contagious. While rosacea is normally associated with women, it affects men more severely. In the case of men, rosacea, when left untreated, can cause pimples and inflammatory bumps and can also cause swelling of the nose due to excess growth of the skin tissue there. In addition to the medical condition and its physical impact, people with rosacea suffer from low self-esteem and prefer to stay from public places and their engagement with friends and relatives is lower than people with normal skin.