Rosacea Symptom and Common Signs

Rosacea is a common skin disorder which is often misunderstood as acne. Many people face this potentially life-disruptive skin disease at early forties and up to even late sixties. Otherwise known as “the curse of Celts” in Ireland, this disease is quite prevalent among white complexioned people who are mostly women. It is unfortunate that most of the patients remain indifferent about the appearance of rosacea symptoms at its early stage, thereby enhancing severity of the disease in most of the cases. Here you would get an overview of the associated symptoms of rosacea which could help you to take necessary preventive measures so as to nip the disease in the bud.

Symptoms of rosacea vary from person to person and it might appear sporadically in a person. The following signs and symptoms are quiet frequent among the patients especially at the early stage of rosacea and if anybody exhibits any of these signs it is preferable to visit a professional medical practitioner at the earliest. The flushing or blushing, which is also known as erythema, is nothing but an episodic arrival of redness associated with a sensation of burning or warmth throughout the affected areas. It is believed that the reason behind this flushing of facial and neck areas is due to the sudden flow of excess blood through the mesh of blood vessels which in turn dilate to accommodate the overflow. As the disease progresses the facial redness becomes persistent and might bear a resemblance to a blush or sunburn which would not fade away like initial flushing.

Rosacea patients often exhibit the sign of visible red lines throughout the affected areas, especially during flushing episodes. These red lines are known as telangiectasia. This skin condition involves the swelling of the blood vessels under the facial skin which appear as thick red lines on the facial area especially on the cheeks. The flushing of rosacea often brings on redness associated with upsurge of fluid in the tissues of the face. This agglomeration of fluid usually takes place above the nasolabial folds which are nothing but the creases from the nose to each side of the mouth. This situation eventually leads to an appearance like “baggy cheek.” It is believed that in some patients this swelling process might trigger the growth of surplus tissue on the nose, appearing it to be a large, swollen, and bumpy olfactory organ. This symptom often appears in men if rosacea is left untreated for a long time.

Many patients are found to be affected by this symptom of the eye. This is also known as ocular rosacea. This inflammatory eye condition often causes a persistent burning or grainy sensation in the eyes. It mainly manifests itself as burning and tumefied eyelids with tiny inflamed bumps. The eye lashes might come off and this could be combined with watery or bloodshot eyes. The ophthalmic signs of this rosacea symptom often vary widely, which might include blepharitis, conjunctivitis, hypopyoniritis, and keratitis. The patients of rosacea usually tend to get dehydrated more than the normal human beings. Study shows that normally the body of rosacea patients contains 65% of water whereas eyes contain 96% of water. The “dryness” in the eyes leads to dry eye syndrome which often accompanies watery eyes with sandy and or itchy feelings. Rosacea symptoms might extend to other parts of the body including neck and chest. These are often found to be redness and thickening of the skin. You might also face some physical symptoms like stinging and itching.

Juliet Cohen writes articles for Acne Treatment. She also writes articles for Blackheads.