DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I am 63 years old and currently suffering from rosacea. Yes, suffering. It’s ugly. This is the second time it has erupted. I first had it more than 10 years ago. Is it unusual to get it at my age? What triggers it? What’s the cure? I am currently taking doxycycline and MetroGel. I have treated it now for 10 days and see only a small improvement. I avoid going out in public because of my appearance. — Help

ANSWER: The first outbreak of rosacea (rose-AY-she-uh) most often takes place between the ages of 30 and 50, but no age is off limits. You were close enough to 50 to fit in the common age bracket. Rosacea is a chronic illness. In a way, you are unusual; for 10 years, it lay dormant without any treatment. Most often, it requires constant treatment.

Triggers for breakouts are spicy foods, alcohol, sunlight, extremes of temperature and emotional situations that cause blushing.

Rosacea appears mostly on the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead and eyelids. The skin turns red in all or some of those places. Pimplelike eruptions are found in the same areas, as are telangiectasia (tell-ANN-gee-ek-TAY-zuhs), purplish-red small blood vessels that look like threads in disarray.

The cause of rosacea is unknown. It might be due to an attack on the skin by the immune system.

“Cure” is too strong a word to use with rosacea. Containment and control are more appropriate. You are getting standard treatment. MetroGel (metronidazole) is applied directly to the skin. Doxycycline is an antibiotic usually taken in doses less than those needed for the standard treatment of infections. They’re not the only treatments, but you’re rushing things by expecting clear skin in 10 days. Be a lot more patient.

Rosacea can affect the eyes, reddening them and drying them. They feel like sand has been thrown onto their surfaces. An eye doctor handles this aspect of rosacea.

Contact the National Rosacea Society at 888-NO-BLUSH or online at www.rosacea.org. The society will provide you with the latest information on this not-uncommon condition.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: After several ultrasound exams I was diagnosed with liver cysts. I have had a scan about every year since. A doctor aspirated one of the cysts, but it came back. What are liver cysts? Are they routinely removed? — R.K.

ANSWER: A cyst is an enclosed sac containing fluid or semisolid material. They’re found in many places, like the skin and in many organs. Since the wide use of scans and ultrasound, doctors have discovered that liver cysts occur in 4 percent of the population. More women have them than do men.

The majority of liver cysts are not cancer and produce no symptoms. A cyst less than 2 inches in diameter is almost never cancerous. An ultrasound can accurately tell if a cyst is malignant. If it cannot, then a scan can. If neither is able to make the call, examining cyst fluid for cancer cells is an excellent test. Unless special techniques are employed to keep the cyst collapsed after fluid is drained, it almost always comes back.

I believe it’s safe to say your doctor feels that your cysts are not cancerous. Such cysts can be left alone.

TO READERS: Many older people are troubled by dizziness and imbalance. The booklet on these subjects explains them and their treatment. Readers can obtain a copy by writing: Dr. Donohue — No. 801, Box 536475, Orlando, FL 328536475. Enclose a check or money order (no cash) for $4.75 U.S./$6 Can. with the recipient’s printed name and address. Please allow four weeks for delivery.

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: I have a slightly leaky heart valve, and I have an ejection fraction of 65. What is the ejection fraction? Is 65 good or bad? I am 85. — A.K.

ANSWER: It’s more than good; it’s excellent. It means that with each heartbeat, your heart pumps 65 percent of the blood in it. That’s a very good pump you have. Not many people your age have such an ejection fraction.

Dr. Donohue regrets that he is unable to answer individual letters, but he will incorporate them in his column whenever possible. Readers may write him or request an order form of available health newsletters at P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. Readers may also order health newsletters from www.rbmamall.com.

Copy the Story Link