Posted on 08/30/2012 1:03:01 PM PDT by neverdem
Scientists may have finally found what sparks the inflamed and reddened skin in people suffering from rosacea: tiny mites that crawl across most of our faces, unseen and unfelt.
The new finding may eventually lead to more effective treatments, researchers say.
As it turns out, the mites, which spend daytime hours in the glands that produce sweat and sebum, harbor a certain kind of bacteria in their digestive tracts. When the mites die, the bacteria spill out into the glands, according to a new report published in the Journal of Medical Microbiology.
Thats not a problem for most of us, says the studys lead author Kevin Kavanagh, a researcher at the National University of Ireland. But when people have an especially heavy infestation of the little bugs, the release of bacteria can set off rosacea.
In normal skin, the density of mites is low, Kavanagh explains. In rosacea there is a high density and therefore a large number of bacteria are released. We believe that the high level of bacterial toxins overwhelms the immune response and leads to the inflammation. It is interesting to note that [the mites] do not have an anus and therefore all their waste is stored until they die and then it is released in one go.
Skin problems only occur when mites die while in the glands during the day. At night they pop out and crawl around the surface of the skin often in search of a mate. Kavanagh notes that the mites can cover a lot of ground moving as much as 4 inches before heading back to the glands.
Kavanagh and his colleagues came to their conclusions after reviewing the available literature on rosacea and mites. Looking at all the findings together, the researchers realized that the most likely culprit in...
(Excerpt) Read more at vitals.nbcnews.com ...
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Memories (just like the rest of us).
...but some poor folks east of here got some heavy flooding.
Calling William Jefferson Clinton!
He took away three basic food groups.
Maybe latitude and vitamin D? Maybe genetics? Maybe some combination of the two?
Thanks for the link, I think I will check them out too...
mites (shudders- scrubbing face with cloth.... eewwwwwww)
Excellent point. My Irish father had it, not my Mediterranean mother.
Isn’t it amazing...all these remedies that we might already be using for their *advertised* benefits.
I’ve recently learned a bit about the uses of vinegar...and I am very pleased.
They cause Demodectic mange in dogs.
I will try this next week..thanks for the tip. Nothing else has worked, seems less expensive than other things i have tried. Would be great to pass on to my daughters if this works :).
Olive Oil in the diet. Olive leaf is an immune system builder.
I hope-hope it does work for you! Couldn’t be less expensive, especially if you are given prescription drugs.
As I mentioned upthread, my mom was so self-conscious about the condition, and tried everything her docs suggested...I wish I had known then...
LOL! [giggles] Very good!
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