Going to the doctor for any medical condition or treatment can be a daunting experience. The paperwork, the waiting, the waiting... and some more waiting, usually followed by a rushed appearance by the doctor.

It's true: doctors are overworked. It's common for a doctors office to treat a mind-boggling number of patients per day, every day, all year long.

This means that when it's time for the doctor to see you, the more you know what to expect and the more prepared you are to work with the doctor, the more effective each minute will be.

In this hub, we'll look at what that means for rosacea patients when meeting with a doctor to discuss rosacea treatment options.

For the benefit of readers who might not be quite familiar with rosacea, let's quickly review some of the basics.

Rosacea, pronounced "roh - ZAY - sha", is a skin disorder characterized by inflammation of the face. This leads to a blushed, red facial appearance. It can also lead to other symptoms, such as an acne-like appearance, bumps, visible blood vessels, and more. The area effected can extend down into the patients neck and sometimes on their back.

Millions of people have rosacea, although many only suffer from its mildesy symptoms. Some of these people are able to use simple make up to mask the redness and use little, if any, treatments.

For those without mild rosacea, treatment is another story. Often a life long affair exists between spiraling treatment plans and a patients symptoms. Patients usually start with antibiotics (often the same ones used to treat acne) before trying other treatment types, which commonly include the use of laser and lights to treat rosacea.

It effects middle aged white women more than any other demographic, but it is still found in both men and women as well as people of different races and ages.

There is no known cure for rosacea nor a firm understanding of why and how it develops.

When consulting with a doctor on rosacea, he or she will ask you a number of questions that will touch of different aspects of your condition, it's causes, and how it manifests. Spend some time thinking about this information beforehand so you will be ready to discuss it with your doctor. The following questions will give you an idea of what will likely be discussed at your doctors appointment.

• When did the symptoms first occur?
• Describe your symptoms.
• What seems to make them worse?
• What seems to make the better?
• Have you had success with any treatment plans before?
• What rosacea treatments have you tried?
• Have you identified any triggers for yourself?
• Have you kept a log of your symptoms and what you were doing at the time they flared up?

As you can see, the doctor will want to know what you are experiencing, what triggers might be involved, and what has helped you before. Thinking about this for yourself in advance for the doctor will make for a more effective diagnosis on what to do next.

Ah, but medicine is not a way one relationship!

At least it shouldn't be. Patients should feel confident and able to ask questions directly to their doctors. Your participation is only to your benefit so don't be shy. Here are some things you might want to ask your doctor. Feel free to write a note down of questions or subjects you want to touch upon and bring them to your appointment in view of the doctor.

• What's another option we could do for the next step in place of the one discussed?
• Are you able to prescribe medications that have a cheaper, generic alternative?
• What's your experience been with over the counter rosacea treatments?
  
• What's your experience been with natural and so-called natural rosacea treatments?
• What sort of successful treatments have you seen working in other patients?
• Is it necessary to run any tests? If so, what tests and what will they tell us?
• What can I do today for relief of my rosacea inflammation?

In formulating a treatment plan, the most successful rosacea patients are those that take responsibility hand in hand with their doctor for their treatment. Being prepared with what the doctor needs to know and being pro-active by asking questions and keeping up to date with the situation will help you to come up with an effective treatment plan. While some doctors might be threatened by this type of patient, most welcome it, as it makes everyone's efforts more effective when it comes to the number one goal for all parties: reducing the severity of rosacea's symptoms.