Rosacea (pronounced roe-ZAY-she-uh) is a common skin condition that causes blushing or flushing and visible blood vessels in your face. It may also produce small, pus-filled bumps, this is often called Acne Rosacea. These signs and symptoms may flare up for weeks to months and then go away for a while. Rosacea can be mistaken for acne, other skin problems or natural ruddiness.
Rosacea can affect anyone. But it’s most common in middle-aged white women. There’s no cure for rosacea, but treatment can control and reduce the signs and symptoms.
Facial blushing or flushing. Rosacea can cause a persistent blushing or flushing in the central part of your face. This is often made worse by specific triggers such as extremes of temperature, hot or spicy foods, sun exposure and alcohol.
Visible veins. Small blood vessels of your nose and cheeks break and become visible (spider veins).
Swollen bumps. Many people with rosacea also develop pimples on their face that resemble acne. These bumps sometimes contain pus, this additional symptom is referred to as Acne Rosacea.
Burning sensation. The skin of the affected area may feel hot, tender and painful at times.
Eye problems. Many people with rosacea also experience dry, irritated, swollen eyes and eyelids. This is known as ocular rosacea. In some people, the eye symptoms precede the skin symptoms.
Enlarged nose. Over time, rosacea can thicken the skin on the nose, causing the nose to appear bulbous (rhinophyma). This occurs more often in men than in women.
Scientists do not know what causes rosacea, but there are a number of theories. They know that inflammation contributes to some of the key symptoms, such as skin redness and rash, but they do not fully understand why the inflammation occurs in the first place. It may in part be due to the heightened skin sensitivity in people with rosacea, to environmental stressors, such as ultraviolet (UV) light, and microbes that inhabit the skin. Both genetic and environmental factors play a role in the development of rosacea, and anyone can get it. It is however, known to be more common in:
People with a family history of Rosacea are at increased risk of the condition, although more research is needed to understand the role played by genetics.
