New survey shows most Canadians cannot identify rosacea, a common skin condition affecting 2 million adults
VANCOUVER, March 30, 2015 /CNW/ - Many Canadians are unable to recognize rosacea, a skin disorder causing redness on the face that affects more than 2 million adults in this country.
In a recent survey commissioned by the Acne and Rosacea Society of Canada, 7 in 10 Canadians shown an image of a person with persistent redness in the central face – the #1 sign of rosacea – were not aware this was due to rosacea.
"Since rosacea appears on the face and can last for years, there can be significant emotional effects such as social anxiety, lack of confidence, embarrassment and in some cases, depression," Vancouver dermatologist and president of the Acne and Rosacea Society of Canada, Dr. Jason Rivers explained.
"If you cannot recognize the signs of rosacea, you won't suspect you have it or seek treatment, prolonging the emotional effects," he added. "There are safe and effective treatments to bring rosacea under control and minimize the effects. Studies have shown people feel happier, healthier and more confident as rosacea improves."
"There are also a lot of self-care measures that can help keep rosacea at bay such as good skincare and avoiding everyday triggers that set off the flushing and blushing of rosacea," Dr. Rivers said.
The survey also revealed differences in knowledge of rosacea between Canadian women and men.
"We saw that women have better knowledge of rosacea and that's good news because women 30 to 50 years old are at highest risk. However, some 43% of men said they had never heard of rosacea. It's important to point out that men also get rosacea and tend to get more severe symptoms," Dr. Rivers added. "Men should be aware of the signs and seek early treatment if rosacea is affecting their life."
Another survey finding was there is little awareness that red bumps and pimples with persistent, central facial redness are another sign of rosacea.
"The type of rosacea with redness and spots is often confused with adult acne. When drug store acne treatments are used, rosacea can often be made worse with more irritation, redness and dryness. Getting a correct diagnosis from your family doctor or dermatologist is important to getting this condition under control and seeing improvement," said Dr. Rivers.
During Rosacea Awareness Month, Canadians are encouraged to learn about rosacea by visiting www.RosaceaHelp.ca, a website of the Acne and Rosacea Society of Canada, a not for profit organization led by Canadian dermatologists.
Videos about the new survey and rosacea awareness are featured on the society's YouTube channel via this link www.youtube.com/channel/UC3uzskJ4g2PDl6iyWZ5cUEg/videos. Rosacea tips and insights can be found at the Rosacea Help Facebook page.
About the Acne and Rosacea Society of Canada:
The society, a new, national, not for profit organization led by Canadian dermatologists, offers hope and help to sufferers by providing independent, reputable and current information on these conditions and raising awareness. For more, visit www.RosaceaHelp.ca/about-the-society
About the survey
From March 4th to 5th, and March 18th to 19th, 2015, two online surveys were conducted by Vision Critical, each among 1,500 randomly selected Canadian adults who are Angus Reid Forum panelists. The margin of error – which measures sampling variability – is +/-2.5%, 19 times out of 20, for each survey. The results have been statistically weighted according to education, age, gender and region (and in Quebec, language) Census data to ensure a sample representative of the entire adult population of Canada. Discrepancies in or between totals are due to rounding.
Full survey results available at www.RosaceaHelp.ca/for-media
Rosacea images and Rosacea Fact sheet available at www.RosaceaHelp.ca/for-media
Video on survey results available at www.youtube.com/channel/UC3uzskJ4g2PDl6iyWZ5cUEg/videos
Available for interviews:
Dr. Jason Rivers, Vancouver dermatologist and president, Acne and Rosacea Society of Canada
Dr. Ben Barankin, Toronto dermatologist and spokesperson, Acne and Rosacea Society of Canada
Dr. Shannon Humphrey, Vancouver dermatologist and spokesperson, Acne and Rosacea of Canada
SOURCE Acne and Rosacea Society of Canada
Image with caption: "In a recent survey by the Acne and Rosacea Society of Canada, when shown this image of persistent redness in the central face - the #1 sign of rosacea - 7 in 10 Canadians were unable to recognize rosacea. (CNW Group/Dr. Jerry Tan)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20150330_C3561_PHOTO_EN_13691.jpg
or to organize interviews: Sue Sherlock, Communications, Acne and Rosacea Society of Canada, 604-985-9184, [email protected]; Lowell Hall, Ireland and Hall, 416-887-1636, [email protected]
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