What is Rosacea?
Rosacea (say “roh-ZAY-shuh”) is a very common skin disease that affects people over the age of 30. It causes redness on your nose, cheeks, chin, and forehead. Some people get little bumps and pimples on the red parts of their faces. Rosacea can also cause burning and soreness in your eyes.
Some people say that having rosacea keeps them from feeling confident at work or in social situations. If your rosacea bothers you or has gotten worse, talk to your doctor. Getting treatment can help your skin look and feel better. And it may keep your rosacea from getting worse.
Different forms of Rosacea
There are four forms of rosacea, which are defined by the following range of symptoms:
- Mild (Erythematotelangiectatic) The main symptoms are facial flushing and redness, which may be present only sometimes. In addition, there may some swelling, burning and stinging, roughness, and visible red blood vessels.
- Moderate (Papulopustular) This is a more advanced form of rosacea that is marked by persistent redness and pimplelike bumps (often mistaken for acne), as well as burning and stinging.
- Severe (Phymatous) In some individuals, rosacea may affect the nose, causing the skin tissue to thicken (giving an enlarged appearance) and become bumpy. This advanced form of rosacea is called rhinophyma.
- Ocular rosacea In addition to skin symptoms, rosacea may also affect the eyes and eyelids. It may cause redness to the surrounding skin tissue but also burning or stinging, dryness, light sensitivity, blurred vision, and watery, bloodshot eyes.
Symptoms of Rosacea
Signs and symptoms of rosacea may include:
- Facial redness. Rosacea usually causes a persistent redness in the central portion of your face. Small blood vessels on your nose and cheeks often swell and become visible.
- Swollen red bumps. Many people who have rosacea also develop bumps on their face that resemble acne. These bumps sometimes contain pus. Your skin may feel hot and tender.
- Eye problems. About half of the people who have rosacea also experience eye dryness, irritation and swollen, reddened eyelids. In some people, rosacea’s eye symptoms precede the skin symptoms.
- Enlarged nose. Rarely, rosacea can thicken the skin on the nose, causing the nose to appear bulbous (rhinophyma). This occurs more often in men than in women.
Who gets Rosacea?
Around 1 in 10 people in the UK are thought to develop rosacea. This is a lot of people, but many cases are mild. Symptoms may first appear in your early 20s, but the usual age that symptoms appear is in your 30s-50s. Rarely, rosacea can affect children. Women are more commonly affected than men. However, rosacea is often less severe in women than in men. Rosacea is more common in fair-skinned than dark-skinned people.
