Identifying Rosacea
If you suddenly notice that your cheeks are bright red, burning, itching or breaking out in irritated pustules, you may have a common skin condition called rosacea. Many people mistake rosacea for bad acne or even for wind burn or a sun burn. These are not the same as rosacea and if you notice a chronic problem made worse by certain skin products, foods or other triggers, then you need to make an appointment with your doctor. Chances are, you have rosacea.
What Rosacea Looks Like:
The first step in identifying rosacea is looking at the skin on the face. While there are varying degrees of this skin condition, all rosacea patients have the similar symptoms. Most commonly, a person that suffers from this skin condition will notice inflamed and red skin that swells especially on the cheeks and around the forehead. While not as common, rosacea can also affect other areas of the body including the back, chest, eyes, neck and scalp. At first, a person that has rosacea may notice that he or she will blush easily. This is because it is more pronounced in those with fair skin. After some time, the rosacea will progress and can actually become worse if left untreated. This is often the case for many people because they do not even know they have this problem.
Once the rosacea begins to progress and no treatment is sought, the person may begin to see that they have a persistent flush or redness of the face and pustules or pimple-like bumps covering the face. If you suffer from this problem you may mistakenly believe that you have a problem with acne. Visible blood vessels are also quite common for the rosacea patient. Sometimes, even worse, the rosacea can affect the nose and can disfigure the nose to the point of needing plastic or corrective surgery.
There are several other common indicators of rosacea. Dry skin on the face is quite common. Many times, this dryness will not go away or is difficult to correct with facial creams and lotions. In fact, some facial products may actually make the conditions worse and cause more irritation and dryness. If you have the dry skin due to rosacea, it is often better to find out what is recommended for you or to try hypoallergenic and fragrance free products.
Acne is another common symptom of rosacea. Thee are not the same type of acne you get when you are a teenager. Instead, this acne is more like very small red bumps and sometimes contain put and other times do not. Dry red lines on the face is yet another common problem. This is due to the small blood vessels under the skin. Itching and irritation is another very common problem for many suffering from this problem.
If you suspect you are suffering from rosacea, then it is important that you see your doctor. This is a progressive disease that only worsens if it is not treated properly. Once you get the right treatment you need, you will find that you can better control this skin problem.
Possibly related posts:
