A General Picture of Rosacea

A general picture of rosacea can encompass different stages. It varies from a pre-rosacea stage that is characterized by frequent bouts of transient facial flushing/blushing, which dissipates quickly, to an advanced stage as manifested by rhynophyma, a bulbous enlargement of the nose. The intermediate stage of rosacea is characterized by facial redness (with prominent dilated blood vessels) and swelling that may persist for weeks or months and become permanent on the nose and cheeks. During bouts of bad flares, patients may experience pulsating facial pain and much discomfort that lasts for days, disrupting their normal lifestyles. Inflammatory outbreaks of papules and pustules are a frequent occurrence at this stage. A most distressing symptom is their intolerance to topical preparations. Their skin becomes red, stings and burns upon application of certain products, particularly acne preparations, cleansers, sunscreens and cosmetics. Rosacea may also affect the eyes with symptoms including irritation, dryness, crusting, tearing, foreign body sensation, swelling of eyelids with loss of eyelashes, appearance of inflammatory papules, conjunctivitis and light sensitivity. It is not uncommon to have ocular rosacea undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

From:www.lindasy.com/rosacea.html