Retinal Problems (additional)

[Guest guest]

>However i have known a number of diabetics and severely nearsighted

people who experienced retinal detachment.

Maybe I should explain why I'm asking this question so it doesn't appear

to be some flakey thing out in left field. I was reading about

chalazeon (in relation to rosacea) on a website a friend mentioned

(WebMD). She had mentioned she had this problem. I wanted to read more

about rosacea so I did a search of their site. It turned up a number of

hits, amongst them this page on systemic lupus:

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/1680.51581

I couldn't resist a glance to see how it referred to rosacea and I

noticed mention that reduced blood supply to the eye can lead to

problems with the retina, leading to an increase in the number of

retinal problems amongst people with lupus. Anyway, I got thinking that

if " inflammed blood vessels can lead to decreased blood supply " in

people with lupus, would they not also be at risk of doing so with

people who have rosacea? Hence my question.

I should mention I don't have diabetes, severe myopia or a family

history of eye problems. The retinal specialist (who successfully

reattached my retina using retinopoxy) told me I had holes too numerous

to count in one eye and a compete retinal detachment in the area. A

nurse told me the odds were 1 in 40,000 of having that type of problem.

Upon reading that little bit about lupus, I got wondering about the

problems with blood vessels and how it might relate to other health

issues I'm having.

I'm also wondering (although probably in the wrong forum) if it is

possible that early stage lupus could present as something as vague as

rosacea. (Keeping in mind that in my instance I have IBD and blood test

positive for inflammatory factor.) cea appears to be a possible

symptom of lupus but any photos I've seen of lupus patients show a very

specific reddening pattern with very dark red blushing not a generally

reddening of the cheeks like I have. Am I mistaken to thinking that the

wolf bite pattern is only on the very top of the cheeks and that it's

bright red?

Maybe what I really should be wondering about is why it is that I'm

looking for something new to stress over if stress is supposed to keep

my face red

Thank-you sincerely for your reply. I do appreciate it.

[Guest guest]

, retinal detachments are more common with a family history or

in the nearsighted or with eye trauma, but as your nurse told you,

they can happen to anyone. They typically involve changes or

abnormalities in the vitreous humor (the fluid that fills the eye and

is attached to the retina) or structural abnormality in the retina.

It sounds intuitive that retinal detachments should be related to

underlying vascular abnormalities, but they aren't. Diabetics can

develop vitreous humor changes, not only vascular changes.

The flush of lupus involves the cheeks, but usually looks different

enough from rosacea that most physicians can tell the difference by

appearance alone. If not, there's a history, physical exam, and/or

blood tests to help sort it all out.

There is certainly an association between a host of immune/connective

tissue disorders and a minority of patients with inflammatory rosacea-

type skin, and a percentage of patients with several chronic local

skin conditions, including rosacea, have blood tests that demonstrate

non-specific chronic inflammation -- though, as do many people

without evidence of any chronic skin condition. Tossing around all

these relationships may feel like it will help understanding rosacea,

but it's more about understanding the immune system, not rosacea.

Fortunately, compared to virtually any of these systemic disorders,

rosacea has the safest and most successful treatment. (I know, hard

to believe. )

But these medical unknowns aren't eternal unknowns, questions about

rosacea isn't like asking religious and ethical questions. They are

knowable to us, and researchers will eventually figure it all out.

That, together with clinical studies, will provide safer and better

treatments, but probably not a cure.

To several people here: I'll try to offer some medical perspective to

public posts when I can, but I can't answer private emails. Please

understand.

Marjorie

Marjorie Lazoff, MD

[Guest guest]

, retinal detachments are more common with a family history or

in the nearsighted or with eye trauma, but as your nurse told you,

they can happen to anyone. They typically involve changes or

abnormalities in the vitreous humor (the fluid that fills the eye and

is attached to the retina) or structural abnormality in the retina.

It sounds intuitive that retinal detachments should be related to

underlying vascular abnormalities, but they aren't. Diabetics can

develop vitreous humor changes, not only vascular changes.

The flush of lupus involves the cheeks, but usually looks different

enough from rosacea that most physicians can tell the difference by

appearance alone. If not, there's a history, physical exam, and/or

blood tests to help sort it all out.

There is certainly an association between a host of immune/connective

tissue disorders and a minority of patients with inflammatory rosacea-

type skin, and a percentage of patients with several chronic local

skin conditions, including rosacea, have blood tests that demonstrate

non-specific chronic inflammation -- though, as do many people

without evidence of any chronic skin condition. Tossing around all

these relationships may feel like it will help understanding rosacea,

but it's more about understanding the immune system, not rosacea.

Fortunately, compared to virtually any of these systemic disorders,

rosacea has the safest and most successful treatment. (I know, hard

to believe. )

But these medical unknowns aren't eternal unknowns, questions about

rosacea isn't like asking religious and ethical questions. They are

knowable to us, and researchers will eventually figure it all out.

That, together with clinical studies, will provide safer and better

treatments, but probably not a cure.

To several people here: I'll try to offer some medical perspective to

public posts when I can, but I can't answer private emails. Please

understand.

Marjorie

Marjorie Lazoff, MD

[Guest guest]

, retinal detachments are more common with a family history or

in the nearsighted or with eye trauma, but as your nurse told you,

they can happen to anyone. They typically involve changes or

abnormalities in the vitreous humor (the fluid that fills the eye and

is attached to the retina) or structural abnormality in the retina.

It sounds intuitive that retinal detachments should be related to

underlying vascular abnormalities, but they aren't. Diabetics can

develop vitreous humor changes, not only vascular changes.

The flush of lupus involves the cheeks, but usually looks different

enough from rosacea that most physicians can tell the difference by

appearance alone. If not, there's a history, physical exam, and/or

blood tests to help sort it all out.

There is certainly an association between a host of immune/connective

tissue disorders and a minority of patients with inflammatory rosacea-

type skin, and a percentage of patients with several chronic local

skin conditions, including rosacea, have blood tests that demonstrate

non-specific chronic inflammation -- though, as do many people

without evidence of any chronic skin condition. Tossing around all

these relationships may feel like it will help understanding rosacea,

but it's more about understanding the immune system, not rosacea.

Fortunately, compared to virtually any of these systemic disorders,

rosacea has the safest and most successful treatment. (I know, hard

to believe. )

But these medical unknowns aren't eternal unknowns, questions about

rosacea isn't like asking religious and ethical questions. They are

knowable to us, and researchers will eventually figure it all out.

That, together with clinical studies, will provide safer and better

treatments, but probably not a cure.

To several people here: I'll try to offer some medical perspective to

public posts when I can, but I can't answer private emails. Please

understand.

Marjorie

Marjorie Lazoff, MD