8 Facts About Rosacea

Rosacea is a common, chronic auto-inflammatory skin condition that causes red facial flushing and acne-like bumps. Even though nearly 16 million Americans have the condition, many of them are completely unaware of it. People often tend to attribute their constant rosacea blushing to sensitivity, allergies or rashes. Let’s take a closer look at rosacea so people can better identify the condition:

1. The main symptoms of rosacea include: red or pink flushing of the facial skin (predominantly the nose and cheeks) from dilated blood vessels, small bumps and cysts or rashes.
2. The tiny red lines that appear on the faces of many rosacea sufferers are called telangiectasias. Telangiectasia is a prominent feature of other types of skin conditions such as scleroderma as well.
3. Rosacea cannot be cured but it can be easily managed with medications and creams such as antibiotics. Laser surgery may help in some cases.
4. Other complications or characteristics of rosacea may include: an enlarged, bulbous nose, intermittent facial inflammation and frequent eye problems such as conjunctivitis.
5. Rosacea ‘flares’ are often brought about by certain triggers such as medications, temperature fluctuations, alcohol, certain foods (like strong spices) or stress.
6. Famous people that have rosacea include former president Bill Clinton, Renee Zellweger and Prince William.
7. Rosacea predominantly occurs in fair-skinned people. It strikes women more often, but men more severely. Rosacea can hit at any age but it most often surfaces between 30 and 50.
8. Though it is most often an independent condition, there have been correlations drawn between rosacea and various autoimmune disorders such as celiac disease, multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes. It has also shown links with such disease as heart disease, depression and high cholesterol.

That concludes our closer look at this widely misunderstood skin condition. If you have questions about rosacea or any other medical inquiries, our board-certified DocChat physicians are standing by 24/7/365. Thanks for visiting!