There is growing evidence that the major cause of MRSA is the inappropriate over prescribing of antibiotics by general practitioners. This is not news and it is common knowledge that most infections are viral and do not require antibiotics.

Also it is well known that antibiotics upset gut bacteria and lead to overgrowth of the intestinal tract with fungi such as Candida which is present in everyone’s guts, but normally kept in check by the probiotic bacteria surrounding it and which also produce chemicals to keep it in check. Antibiotic use can reduce the probiotic bacteria and allow the fungus to grow which over time can lead to inflammation and misdiagnosis of IBS later in life and open another chapter in prescribing. A downward spiral we don’t want to promote. Candida overgrowth and dysbiotic guts probably affect millions of ’20 something’s’ who have just had years of antibiotics for acne, or million of 40 something’s who have been put on antibiotics for rosacea. We have clever ways of restoring the normal bacterial balance and reducing Candida without harsh antifungals.

However the use of antibiotics for skin infections such as acne and rosacea often at low doses and often for 3 to 6 months at a time is probably the biggest cause of MRSA (multi resistant Staphylococcus aureus) in hospitals. Let me explain.

It doesn’t matter whether oral or cream antibiotics are used they cause the same problem. In acne if you have many blocked ‘pores’ (pilo sebaceous ducts) then the anaerobic bacteria propiobacterium acnes (p.acnes) can start to colonise the area under the plug and cause inflammation and damage. This bacterium only survives in normal skin at very low levels as it likes to live in an environment where there is little or no oxygen. When you create a blockage as with acne, you create the environment for p.acnes. So antibiotics can help to reduce p.acnes, but they also hit other friendly skin bacteria and herein lies the problem.

Staphylococcus epidermidis (s.epidermidis) lives on our skin and helps keep other nasty bacteria away. It likes an oxygen rich environment. The same antibiotics that reduce p.acnes often hit the s.epidermidis as well. This attack puts selective pressure on the bacteria to survive and within three or four weeks you can isolate resistant strains s.epidermidis on skin being treated with antibiotics.

Now Staphylococcus epidermidis is related to Staphylococcus aureus (s.aureus) (cousins if you like). S. aureus lives inside the body and s.epidermidis lives on the skin. They meet at places such as the nose and other entrances into the body. They can pass information to each other through the use of things called plasmids and it is highly likely information for developing resistance is transferred.

Hey presto we have started the super bug development. The acne sufferer ends up in hospital for an operation. They get a wound infection either from their own bacteria but also through other bugs already there. S.aureus is a typical bacterium that infects wounds. The antibiotics used for wound infections are often the same or similar to the one that has been used for the patient’s acne, and it is not surprising they find the antibiotics don’t work as the bugs are already resistant. This resistant strain becomes the dominant resident s.aureus in the hospital and is extremely difficult to remove and can go on to infect many other patients.

Using a product such as Aknicare which has 4 antibacterial agents which control p.acnes by changing conditions in the area under the plug rather than directly destroying it means you can prevent damage and inflammation without breeding resistant bugs. Aknicare can reduce p.acnes and all the other key causes of an acneic skin (inflammation, oil production, cell turnover) all without breeding resistant bugs.

As a final thought the main treatment for rosacea recommended on PRODIGY, the GP prescribing database recommends ROSEX creams and gels. Rosex contains the antibiotic metronidazole. Rosacea patients often use it for months and years. It works in a few. Metronidazole is also a powerful antioxidant and it is these properties that help with rosacea symptoms, not the antibiotic properties. Rosacea is not caused by bacteria. It is a sobering thought that the antibiotic most used in theatre to prevent infections during and shortly after surgery is metronidazole. Imagine if you had been using it for months or years before that operation.

It is concerning to think the antibiotic you are using today could end up leading to someone dying in hospital in the near future. Change prescribing habits for acne and rosacea now and have an impact on MRSA in hospitals.

Use Aknicare, a new medical device with a CE mark . Once in the drug tariff this should be prescribed by GPs. PCTs should act now

Some people suffer from Acne Rosacea, a condition where the pimples are accompanied by broken blood vessels and flushing cheeks. Although called Acne Rosacea, skin care treatments used to treat acne will not help this condition.

You need to see a dermatologist to confirm that you have Rosacea. This condition tends to run in families and develops over time i.e. it rarely suddenly appears. Although there is currently no cure, you can help to alleviate you r symptoms by avoiding anything that causes your blood vessels to open and close repeatedly. So you need to take extra care in the sun, avoid cheap red wine, coffee and cola drinks, spicy foods and over gruelling exercise.

Increase the amount of vitamin C in your diet by eating parsley and citrus fruits such as lemons, orange and grapefruits. These also contain bioflavonoids which will help to promote healthy capillaries. Weak capillary walls causes the blood vessels to dilate giving you that rosy glow you have grown to hate! Cherries, grapes, blueberries and strawberries are good foods to add to your diet to help combat this skin problem.

If you suffer from acne Rosacea, you need to avoid irritating your skin as much as possible. So throw out any skin care products you are currently using;if you find they irritate your skin.

When considering what is aggravating your skin, keep in mind the conditioners and shampoos you use on your hair. When you sweat or sleep, these pass onto your face and may be the source of the irritation.

Look closely at your diet – does your skin react to a certain food? Some people swear that dairy foods make their Rosacea worse. While there is no scientific evidence available to support this theory, it may be true for some people. The only way to test if it is leading to a worsening skin problem is to eliminate dairy produce from your diet for about 8 weeks.

Do proceed with caution though as we need the vitamins provided by dairy products to prevent brittle bone disease in later life. If you think dairy food is a factor in your skin problem then please speak to your doctor or dietitian to ensure you are getting these vitamins elsewhere.

Don’t go for steam treatments or worse plunge your face into hot water. You are trying to avoid temperature extremes so never spray your skin with alternate doses of hot and cold water.

Don’t use abrasive skin scrubs to cleanse your face. You need to avoid any harsh cleansing routines, instead using a vegetable soap or cleaning milk to clean your face.

Use calming herbs like camomile and thyme to soothe your skin during a flare up.

Chose an acne Rosacea skin care product such as Eucerin Redness relief or La Roche Rosay Roaslic anti redness moisturizer. A good moisturiser will provide a protective barrier between your skin and the elements. Finally, always use a sunscreen even when it appears to be a cloudy day.

When my friend Sid was small he used to get pimples. His brothers used to get acne pimples as well but they were lucky because their acne used to disappear quickly. He was the unlucky one because he used to get a new one almost every other day. Everyone told him that once he will reach the age of 25 they will go away, and they did but unfortunately he contracted with rosacea, i.e. adult acne.

He used to get patchy-redness and sudden flushing all the time, sometimes he had a pimple or two but his skin used to remain oily all the time. He used to wash his face every couple of hours with medicated soap but his face used to get oily very quickly.

The problem was that he didn’t even realize that he had rosacea for the first few years until his skin specialist diagnosed him with rosacea. He became self-conscious and used to avoid gatherings. He tried many different treatments and medicines antibiotics, Retin-A you name it he tried it including herbal treatments. Even used gram flour and orange peel, which his grandma prepared and forced him to used but nothing worked for him.

First I had Acne and now adult acne, what is the problem with me? The question he used to ask himself and to everyone else almost everyday for which the answer we still don’t know.

He tried different creams and changed his skin specialist again and
again to find the right one. But unfortunately nothing and no one could help him. This is because what causes rosacea is still unknown. It is still a mystery even for some doctors that which rosacea treatment is actually right for someone who has rosacea. It’s not that treatments do not work with rosacea, some treatments work well, but which one is the right one is a million dollar question.

Until one day when his mum’s ever increasing criticism became unbearable he stopped using soap, drinking more water and he started washing his face only with warm water. In his own words the first 3 weeks were terrible for him. He could not go out, he could not face anyone. I think it was just his imagination that he looked awful but after that his face accepted water and the oiliness of his face started to decline. It took about 2 months before his face started to remain dry and he got rid of oiliness.

The flushing was still the big problem for him. Even though he promised himself that he will not used any new treatment but a sudden flare-up still made him look around for treatments. Then he discovered Jojoba Oil, which was a turning point and a true-life saver for him, that’s what he says about the oil. It took about a week before his face actually accepted the oil. The best thing was the application of Jojoba oil was simple, just warm water a drop of pure jojoba oil every morning and evening and his face redness started to decline. Nowadays he doesn’t get sudden flare-ups.

I hope that some people who are suffering from acne rosacea, if increase the use of water and use jojoba oil instead of experimenting on new medicated soaps and creams then they might help them with their rosacea problem.

Everybody knows what acne is, but what about acne rosacea? It is a condition that affects many around the world, including such recent world leaders as former president Bill Clinton and Russian prime minister Boris Yeltsin. Acne rosacea is a chronic inflammation of the blood vessels in the skin and particularly facial area. It causes the face to have a rough complexion with multiple small acne patches on the forehead, nose, and cheeks. It is more commonly found in men where it causes the skin on the nose to swell and thicken. Untreated, this swelling of the nose could eventually lead to a condition called rhinophyma. There are many factors that pertain to rosacea outbreaks. Two of the most common causes are consuming alcoholic beverages and consuming rich, spicy foods. If someone thinks they may be suffering from acne rosacea, they should consult a physician, as its symptoms are similar to a more serious condition known as Lupus.

Acne rosacea makes the face and skin more sensitive than healthy, uninjured skin. It attacks the skin through the stratum corneum, the outermost layer of skin. It is made up of dead skin cells that are held in place by keratin, a protein found in the body. The stratum corneum keeps molecules from passing in and out of the outer-most layer and protects the under layers of the skin, making them less susceptible to skin sensitivity. Healthy, unaffected skin has a lower chance of being irritated by skin care products. With acne rosacea, the skin tissue becomes more susceptible to irritations from damaged nerve endings or an excess of neurotransmitters. As the condition worsens, the skin can no longer protect the nerve endings adequately. Even though a healthy immune system and repeated moisturizing will help to minimize these effects, some additional steps may still need to be taken.

People who suffer from acne rosacea should avoid using products that will dry out the skin, such as alcohol. Instead they should try a solution such as Proactive or other similar alcohol-free cleansers. Other products such as Clearasil or Oxy-5 contain the ingredients benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, which are known to be agents that fight off acne. If in combination with any other products, such as retinoid, users should discontinue the topical application of products, as it may further dry out and irritate the skin.

It is also important to remember to be gentler when washing your face. Acne rosacea patients should not think that scrubbing harder is going to be any better. It is also important not to wash and clean the face an excessive amount of times. It is basically about using a gently exfoliating product, such as Proactive or Nuetrogena, and taking the care to do it right. Acne rosacea patients should use gentle cleansing products and also protect their sensitive skin with a dye-free moisturizer containing petrolatum, glycerin, or aloe vera. All of these ingredients have anti-inflammatory properties, which will help keep the skin moisturized and protected. Applying a light coat of this to the affected area before going outdoors, particularly in the sun, will help minimize acne outbreaks.

Acne rosacea can stay with a person, especially men, for their entire lives. But it doesn’t necessarily have to. It does go away naturally in many cases, so in the meantime; take a little care to keep it at a minimum.

If you’ve ever suffered from rosacea, then you already know what a debilitating affliction it is. I have had to deal with bad skin ever since I was a teenager, so I am very familiar with the shame and embarrassment that comes from having a face covered in a red rash. One unique characteristic about this skin problem is the fact that sometimes it doesn’t clear up completely, and in extreme cases, can even lead to scarring. This happened to me, which meant that I was faced with the possibility of carrying around reminders of my skin troubles for my entire life. Fortunately, however, I discovered several rosacea laser treatments that have worked wonders.

Of course, my dermatologist had been mentioning the possibility of rosacea laser treatment to me for years, but financial difficulties prevented me from following through. Because my insurance company considered rosacea laser treatments elective cosmetic procedures, I would have had to pay for everything out of pocket and the expense was simply too great at the time.

But, as is usually the case, things have changed with time. Now rosacea laser treatment are more common and more affordable than ever before. From what I was able to see, they are more effective as well. So I finally decided to take the plunge and get the rosacea laser treatment that I’d been putting off for so long.

The first thing I had to do was decide which treatment method would be best for me. As you might expect, there are several different kinds of rosacea laser treatment available on the market, so I had to do some research on the subject. I discovered that choosing the right one comes down to a combination of factors, including the severity of the scarring and the amount of money I was willing to spend. In cases where the scarring is more or less superficial, over-the-counter creams and ointments may be able to help. For more serious cases, advanced rosacea laser treatment such as prescription medications and laser therapy.

Another thing I learned is that rosacea laser treatment can help lessen the effects of scarring, but most likely won’t remove the scars completely. Even so, I saw dramatic improvements in the before and after photos that my dermatologist showed me during my consultation. But my dermatologist also reminded me that each patient’s case is different, and that results will almost certainly vary from person to person. Nevertheless, I had already made up my mind to undergo rosacea scar treatment.

Overall, I have to say this was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am happy to report that my skin’s appearance did improve as a result of the rosacea laser treatment I chose, and now I feel like a whole new person. If your skin is causing you embarrassment and preventing you from enjoying your life, I recommend checking out some rosacea laser treatment today.