DAILY HEALTH NEWS - November 5, 2007
In This Issue...

Saving Lives
Dr. Stengler's Medical Mystery: Getting to the Root of Rosacea -- The
Real Reason Why Her Face Was Red.....


Dr. Stengler's Medical Mystery: Getting to the Root of Rosacea

Rosy cheeks are adorable on children playing in the snow, but for the
14 million Americans who suffer from the irksome and persistent skin
condition called rosacea, having reddened cheeks, nose, chin or
forehead is embarrassing and at times painful. Many people never
visit a doctor for treatment of this facial redness, which is
sometimes accompanied by pimples, because they don't realize it is a
telltale sign of a medical condition. This was how "Maria," a 42-year-
old stay-at-home mother, initially responded to the unwelcome changes
in her skin. Her husband had been sent on a dangerous military
assignment and within a few weeks of his departure, Maria's chin and
forehead began to break out and turn red. She assumed this unusual
eruption was a result of her anxiety about his safety, but after he
returned several months later, her skin condition remained. At that
point she began to realize this was more than stress in action or
adult acne.

Maria initially consulted with a dermatologist who told her that she
was suffering from rosacea, which typically affects people between
the ages of 30 and 50. He explained to her that at present there is
no cure for the condition although some patients find the problem
diminishes considerably over time, since it is often due to stress,
dietary or environmental factors. Unfortunately, for other patients
the opposite happens -- their rosacea gets worse, causing physical
discomfort and leaving them so self-conscious they become reluctant
to go out in public. When Maria agreed that treatment was in order,
the dermatologist presented her a lengthy list of possible medical
approaches including both oral and topical medications. He wanted her
to take an oral antibiotic such as tetracycline, in an initially high
dosage that would be tapered off. But this attempt to kill the
bacteria backfires, since even the good antibiotics lose
effectiveness over time as bacteria becomes resistant -- so she could
also use one or more topical creams such as metronidazole
(MetroCream) to reduce inflammation and kill or prevent bacteria
growth. Another option would be topical antibiotics including
erythromycin or clindamycin (Cleocin) both of which also often become
ineffective over time. Other possibilities include topical tretinoin
(Retin-A) or oral isotretinoin (Accutane), both prescription
medications that treat acne but with significant side effects.

Maria felt overwhelmed by the dizzying array of medications, since
she knew these medicines have risks. She had visited Mark Stengler,
ND, a number of times in the past and because he is a naturopathic
physician, she hoped he might be able to treat her rosacea naturally
rather than with standard prescription drugs. When she called for a
consultation, Dr. Stengler told her that rosacea can often be helped -
- sometimes even eradicated -- by using natural medicines to treat
one of several possible root causes including food sensitivities or a
hormone imbalance.

TREATMENT -- STAGE 1

Because Maria was already on a natural form of the hormone
progesterone to control her irregular menstrual cycle, Dr. Stengler
did not consider any other hormone treatment. Rather he started her
on the following, all at once, a regimen that had been successful
with many of his patients previously:

Burdock root -- for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effects
that heal the skin.

Fish oil -- combination omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA to reduce
inflammation in the skin.

Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) -- helps reduce skin inflammation.

Betaine hydrochloride capsules -- these vitally important digestive
enzymes are used to help improve stomach acid levels, stimulate the
liver and pancreas, and promote absorption of protein and minerals.
This results in improved digestion, which means less inflammatory
reaction by the immune system.
Additionally, Dr. Stengler advised Maria to avoid common triggers of
rosacea flare-ups including spicy foods, alcohol and hot beverages.
He also reminded her to avoid too much sun exposure, wind, emotional
stress, hot baths, caffeine and coffee, since these can be triggers
as well.

TREATMENT -- STAGE 2

Maria stayed with the regimen for four months, but had only mild
improvement. Consequently, Dr. Stengler decided to take a more
aggressive approach, since rosacea acts differently in different
people. She stayed only on fish oil and GLA, and he prescribed a
topical facial cream that contained alpha lipoic acid (ALA) and
vitamin C, both with anti-inflammatory properties, to be prepared by
a compounding pharmacy. She was to apply this to the affected area of
her face twice each day.

Her rosacea improved noticeably with this new treatment and by the
end of eight weeks it had virtually disappeared. At the end of a year
Maria's skin was still clear. She was able to discontinue use of the
topical ALA cream, but Dr. Stengler says he has other patients who
use it on an as-needed basis for occasional flare-ups.

IN SEARCH OF THE CAUSE

Researchers continue to pursue the causes of rosacea, and it looks
like there are several. In fact, a study just published from the
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, found that
overproduction of two inflammatory proteins results in excessive
levels of yet a third protein that can cause rosacea symptoms. When
the researchers evaluated levels of this third protein in rosacea
patients, all had higher-than-normal levels. But, as Dr. Stengler
points out, researchers must first learn more about overproduction of
the triggering proteins. Some studies have also indicated that a
stomach infection caused by the H. Pylori bacteria might be
associated with rosacea and many natural medicine practitioners
suspect that low stomach acid may be a cause as well.

In the meantime, Dr. Stengler says that while conventional medical
treatment can help manage symptoms, most of the products prescribed
have potential side effects, including the digestive problems caused
by antibiotics, possible weakened immunity, skin irritation and sun
sensitivity from pharmaceutical topical and oral treatments.
Therefore, he doesn't advise use of such conventional medications
long-term. Instead he prefers a well-rounded holistic approach, which
is the way he treated Maria. He also reminds anyone with rosacea to
use natural skin products as much as possible, noting these are less
likely than synthetics to exacerbate the rosacea. They should also be
sure that all facial products, soaps, moisturizers and sunscreens are
free of alcohol or other irritating ingredients such as fragrances
and preservatives including methylchloroisothiazolinone and
methylisothiazolinone.

Source(s):

Mark A. Stengler, ND, a naturopathic physician and leading authority
on the practice of alternative and integrated medicine. He is
director of the La Jolla Whole Health Clinic, La Jolla, California,
and associate clinical professor at the National College of
Naturopathic Medicine, Portland, Oregon. He is author of the
newsletter Bottom Line Natural Healing, www.DrStengler.com.

source:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/rosacea-support/message/97787