Helicobacter Pylori Can Cause Rosacea

Nobody knows exactly why rosacea develops, but what we do know is that the process of "inflammation" is of paramount importance.

More recent scientific evidence suggests that the kind of inflammation in rosacea is associated with the generation of molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS).

When patients apply skin medications that contain antioxidants like vitamins, C, E and flavonoids to areas affected by rosacea, the symptoms are often reduced. These antioxidant nutrients work to quench ROS.

A growing body of research indicates that H pylori infection may have a role to play in rosacea as well as some of the other skin disorders because it causes a great deal of inflammation in the stomach and intestines that may "overflow" into other areas of the body.

An excellent article on H pylori and skin conditions appeared in the European Journal of Dermatology, in 2009. The paper reported that:

H pylori is more common in patients who have rosacea than in patients who do not have the skin condition.

H pylori can increase levels of nitric oxide (NO) in the blood or tissues. This may lead to dilation (opening-up) of the skin blood vessels or inflammation and immune system changes that lead to the development of rosacea. Nitric oxide produced as a result of H pylori may cause the "flushing" of facial skin.

Successful H pylori treatment can reduce the symptoms of rosacea, or even completely alleviate them.

Reading this information it would be easy to point the finger at H pylori as the sole cause of rosacea. However I believe that anything in a person's body that creates an inflammatory response has the potential to cause skin conditions.

Foods such as gluten, chemicals in food and water, intestinal parasites or bacteria other than H pylori, yeast and fungal overgrowth and nutritional deficiencies could all theoretically lead to skin conditions such as rosacea because they can all cause inflammation.

Even mental and emotional stress or lack of sleep can increase inflammation in the body. It is therefore prudent to take a look at your complete diet and lifestyle if you have "unexplained" skin disorders of any kind.

My recommendations regarding a course of action would be to first eliminate foods like gluten, processed sugar, soy and cow's milk for 60-days.

I also recommend that you seek professional guidance on running comprehensive stool analysis to see whether you have any hidden digestive infections such as H pylori or parasites. You could also look into running IgE and IgG food allergy testing, again under the supervision of a qualified professional.

Make no mistake, skin conditions do not always have obvious causes. In order to clear the symptoms, you have to address the cause, which sometimes means thinking outside the box. If you feel we can help in any way, please do get in touch.