Nutritionally Speaking: What Causes a Red Nose?

Dear Dr. Meinig: A year ago a dermatologist told me I have Rosacea and that the only means for controlling it is tetracycline. This did clear up, but soon it returned. I had bowel problems from the drug so I decided the cure was worse than the disease. Now it (Rosacea) has increased. What to do? Thank you for any help. – No Signature, Oak View

 

Dear No Signature: Rosacea, also called Acne Rosacea, pertains to a noticeable reddening of the nose and at times the cheek bone area, forehead or chin. There is often swelling of the nose accompanied by the appearance of red blood vessels on the surface of the skin. Pustules and acne irregularities without black heads or white heads may also be present. Women are more victims, but men have more severe manifestations.

There appears to be no question that alcohol is causative in some patients. Public knowledge of the association of a red nose to alcohol is strong enough to create embarrassment to the majority of sufferers who, for the most part, do not drink.

The condition becomes more intense by use of alcohol, and also by use of coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, nuts, and foods that are very spicy, and hot or cold. A number of nutritional approaches have proved to alleviate the problem in one to six months.

Elimination of sweets, refined cereals, breads and grains, hydrogenated vegetable fats and oils, caffeine products and soft drinks, and replacement with fresh vegetables; one or two raw salads each day, fresh eggs, fish, poultry or meat, and 100 percent whole grain products will assure more adequate nutrition to body cells.

It has been reported that many Rosacea sufferers have insufficient digestive enzymes and therefore, even when they follow an excellent diet, do not utilize their food properly. For example: fats are not available for cells to use if insufficient bile is produced by one’s liver, while starch and carbohydrate digestion needs pancreatic enzymes. Protein and calcium are unavailable if hydrochloric acid in the stomach is deficient, so all of these digestants must be evaluated in searching for the cause of the breakdown of body chemistry. Any tissue having abnormal appearance of function calls for investigation, not only of the adequacy of our diet, but also the ability of our system to process it properly.

Vitamin treatment has numbers who swear the symptoms disappeared after reasonable trial period of one or more of the following: Brewers yeast, or other B-complex, Liver or Liver tablets, vitamin A and D (Cod liver oil), 300 mg. Pantothenic acid, vitamin E, and B6. One nutritionist reported some cases improved on 5 mg. vitamin B2 in 14 to 30 days. Small doses of Zinc may also be helpful, but should be limited to a brief period of use.

A number of others report that the lactobacillus acidophilus tablets and/or liquid doses stopped the problem. The friendly bacteria contained in this product help restore normal intestinal activity. One of their tasks is to manufacture some of the vitamins we need. The lactobacillus acidophilus bacteria are present in many foods but are particularly abundant in yogurt and buttermilk.

Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer can be happy about his appearance, but when Rosacea patients have tried most of these remedies and still have this affliction, they are far from happy. An additional cause that is often overlooked is Allergy. Most people still think of allergy as only causing runny noses, sneezing and itchy eyes. Actually, allergies to foods and environmental substances have now been proven to cause most of the various symptoms and illnesses that occur in the body.

There are a number of new allergy testing methods that have opened up whole new avenues of discovery in why people are ill. Blood and sublingual tests have simplified some of the procedures. The four or five day fast under medical supervision followed by the introduction of one new food every three hours produces startling results in disclosing food allergies.

Rotation diets, where one doesn’t repeat eating a food any more often than once every four to seven days, stops many allergy problems because that much time lapse after consuming a food, often allows the body to build up resistance and eliminates the allergic reaction. In some cases with severe allergic reactions, abstinence from the offending food for longer periods will be necessary.

Many victims of this problem accentuate the difficulty with frequent washing of the face with strong soaps and detergents. Washing every two to three hours with just plain water would rule out the harm caused by an allergic reaction to any soap or item that contacts the skin.