Re: Re: The role of heredity in the severity & type of symptoms

[Guest guest]

kevc wrote .......definite bias for rosacea occurring in the northern cooler

climates where there are extremes of temperatures between winter and summer

unlike Mediterranean ....

This made me recall a story I heard on NPR radio yesterday about a girl in a

small town that went to Beijing for a couple of years and when she came back

to her hometown her cheeks had a " permanent redness from the cold winters "

(may not be an exact quote but close).

Re: Re: The role of heredity in the severity & type of

symptoms

> About rosacea inheritance:

>

> I heard from my dermatologist that it now believed that rosacea is a

genetic

> disease rather than an inherited condition like blue eyes, blonde hair,

bad

> eyesigh etc. Like acne the defective gene/s can be passed on through the

generations

> but can also skip entire generations.

>

> In my case my parents, grand-parents, uncles/aunts from both sides of the

family

> all had very good skin. None had rosacea or any signs of acne. All my

uncles

> and aunts children have good skin. I and three brothers had persistent

acne

> well into our thirties and forties. I then developed rosacea two years ago

and

> one of my brothers looks like he has also got it. My only sister did not

have

> acne at all. In our case it seems that it is transmitted through the male

line

> and appears to be selective in hitting isolated families.

>

> I come from Ireland and rosacea is sometimes referred to here as God's

curse

> on the Irish because so many people suffer from the condition. Climatic

temperature

> also is believed to play a major part in rosacea and there appears to be a

definite

> bias for rosacea occurring in the northern cooler climates where there are

extremes

> of temperatures between winter and summer unlike Mediterrarean countries

and

> the tropics where climatic temperatures are almost consistent througout

the

> year.

>

> Having said that there is no concrete proof that it is genetic until the

defective

> gene/s that causes it is/are identified. It's just a general belief that

genetics

> plays the major part in the onset of rosacea. If the gene is identified

presumably

> there would then be hope for some cure for future generations.

>

> There appears to be very little research into the causes of the disease

and

> most efforts seems to go into inventing concoctions alleged to control it,

some

> of which are weird to say the least. cea sufferers are a vulnerable

group

> because the disease is not life threatening. If it was life threatening we

would

> not be too concerned with appearance only about how long we'll live. It

affects

> self-image and we are prepared to pay fortunes to try out any whimsical

cream

> or diet in desperation. When these do not work as alleged, we delete them

from

> our to-do list and go on to try something else at another financial

outlay.

> I went through lots the treatments over two years until I went on low dose

Roaccutane

> costing me about US$20 per month and I've been clear of rosacea

pustules(not

> cured) for well over a month now. I's a miracle how quickly my face

cleared

> up after three weeks compared with two years on anti-biotics and gels that

were

> costing me about US$40 per month and which had minimal effect. I can now

look

> collegues in the eye instead of turning the " good side " of my face towards

them

> when they must have thought I was behaving strangely. I now take ten

minutes

> to shower, shave and get ready in the morning - it used to take a full

hour

> of applying ice cubes to swellings, applying women's blemish coverup to

try

> to hide the redpatches, often washing my face a second or third time when

I

> was not satisfied with my artistic work and then I would start all over

again.

>

>

> >

> >

> >FWIW As far as I know no one in my family has rosacea except me!

> >

> >

> >>

> >> I've noticed that many times when people describe their own

> >> experience with rosecea, they also mention one or more relative

> >whose

> >> symptoms or progression were similar if not identical to their

> >own.

> >>

> >> Before I get my hopes up too much, can anyone tell me if it's

> >logical

> >> to assume that more often than not, this is precisely happens? I

> >> mean, for those of us who KNOW that a relative of ours had or has

> >> rosecea.

> >>

> >> How predictive might family history be in the COURSE and/or

> >SEVERITY

> >> of an individual's condition?

> >>

> >>

> >> THANKS!

> >

> >

> >

> >--

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> >

> >See http://www.drnase.com for info on his recently published book.

> >

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> >

> >