Rosacea...What to look for?

What show you look for?

Rosacea can vary substantially from one individual to another, and in most cases, some rather than all of the potential signs and symptoms appear. Rosacea always includes at least one of the follow primary signs, and various secondary signs and symptoms may also develop.

Primary Signs

• Flushing - Many people with rosacea have a history of frequent blushing or flushing. This facial redness may come and go, and is often the earliest sign of the disorder.

• Persistent Redness - Persistent facial redness is the most common individual sign of rosacea, and may resemble a blush or sunburn that does not go away.

• Bumps and Pimples - Small red solid bumps or pus-filled pimples often develop. While these may resemble acne, blackheads are absent and burning or stinging may occur.

• Visible Blood Vessels - In many people with rosacea, small blood vessels become visible on the skin.

Other Potential Signs and Symptoms

• Eye Irritation - In many people with rosacea, the eyes may be irritated and appear watery or bloodshot, a condition known as ocular rosacea. The eyelids also may become red and swollen, and styes are common. Severe cases can result in corneal damage and vision loss without medical help.

• Burning and Stinging - Burning or stinging sensations may often occur on the face. Itching or a feeling of tightness may also develop.

• Dry Appearance - The central facial skin may be rough, and thus appear to be very dry.

• Plaques - Raised red patches, known as plaques, may develop without changes in the surrounding skin.

• Skin Thickening - The skin may thicken and enlarge from excess tissue, most commonly on the nose. This condition known as rhinophyma, affects more men than women.

• Swelling - Facial swelling, known as edema, may accompany other signs of rosacea or occur independently.

• Signs Beyond the Face - Rosacea signs and symptoms may also develop beyond the face, most commonly on the next, chest, scalp, or ears.

These signs and symptoms are then categorized in 4 subtypes, which are described below:

Subtype 1 (Erythemmatotelangiectatic Rosacea) - Characterized by a plethora of features. There is a persistent facial redness on the nose and cheeks, flushing with sweating or triggers, telangiectasias (visible, enlarged blood vessels in the skin), rough and scaly skin, and sensitive skin (intense burning, itching, stinging sensation when certain skin care products are used).

Subtype 2 (Papulopustular Rosacea) - Characterized by papules (red pimples) and pustules (pus-filled pimples) in the presence of flushing on the central face. These pimples resemble typical acne. Rosacea differentiates from acne because there are no comedones (black heads) present in rosacea.

Subtype 4 (Ocular Rosacea) - Characterized by ocular manifestations such as dry eye, tearing and burning swollen eyelids, recurrent styes and otential vision loss from corneal damage.

Many patients experience characteristics of more than one subtype at the sae tie, and those often may develop in succession. while rosacea may or may not evolve from one subtype to another, each individual sign or symptom may progress from mild to moderate to severe. Early diagnosis and treatment are therefore recommended.