Is This Rosacea?

The many symptoms that mimic rosacea and the many skin conditions with symptoms similar to rosacea can make the diagnosis of rosacea difficult. Learning the difference between the symptoms of rosacea, eczema, acne, lupus and psoriasis is necessary to understanding your skin condition.

What is Rosacea? In its classic symptoms rosacea is patchy flushing (redness) and inflammation, particularly on the cheeks, nose, forehead, and around the mouth. It typically appears between the ages of 30 and 50 and affects more women than men. Because the symptoms emerge slowly, rosacea may initially be mistaken for sunburn, leading to a delay in treatment. Rosacea is a hereditary; chronic skin disorder which most often affects the nose, forehead, cheekbones, and chin. Groups of tiny microvessels close to the surface of the skin become dilated, resulting in blotchy red areas with small papules and pustules.The redness can come and go, but eventually it may become permanent. Furthermore, the skin tissue can swell and thicken and may be tender and sensitive to the touch.

The butterfly rash of lupus can also lead to a mis-diagnosis of rosacea. Lupus may be hard to diagnose. It’s often mistaken for other diseases. For this reason, lupus has been called the “great imitator.” The signs of lupus differ from person to person. Some people have just a few signs; others have more. A common symptom of lupus includes a red rash or color change on the face, often in the shape of a butterfly across the nose and cheeks, which can be mistaken for rosacea.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, Acne is the term for plugged pores (blackheads and whiteheads), pimples, and even deeper lumps (cysts or nodules) that occur on the face, neck, chest, back, shoulders and even the upper arms. Acne affects most teenagers to some extent, but can also affect adults in their 20s, 30s and 40s. While there is no permanent cure for acne, it is controllable. Medications used in the treatment of acne can be too harsh or aggressive leading to the onset of rosacea or acne rosacea. Aggressive acne treatments to reduce oiliness of the skin can result in the flaking associated with seborrheic dermatitis.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, Psoriasis causes the skin to become inflamed, while producing red, thickened areas with silvery scales. This persistent skin disease occurs most often on the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back. In some cases, psoriasis is so mild that people don't know they have it. At the opposite extreme, severe psoriasis may cover large areas of the body.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the word Eczema is used to describe all kinds of red, blistering, oozing, scaly, brownish, thickened, and itching skin conditions. Eczema is associated with dry, rough, red, itchy, skin dryness, crusting, flaking, blistering, cracking, oozing, or bleeding. The most common symptom that people complain about is the itch that is a side effect of eczema. It's sometimes called the 'itch that rashes', meaning that once you start scratching, you develop a rash.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, a substance called urushiol, found in the sap of Poison Ivy, Poison Oak and Poison Sumac, causes Poison Ivy Rash. Toxicodendron dermatitis, also called Allergic phytodermatitis or Rhus dermatitis is an allergic contact dermatitis that occurs from exposure to members of the plant genus Toxicodendron. In North America, this includes poison ivy, poison oak, and, much less frequently, poison sumac. In those who are sensitive, urushiol causes a reaction in the form of a line or streak of rash (sometimes resembling insect bites) within 12-48 hours. Blisters and severe itching will follow redness and swelling. In a few days, the blisters become crusted and begin to scale. The rash will usually take about ten days to heal, sometimes leaving small spots. The rash can affect almost any part of the body, especially areas where the skin is thin.

Insect Bites and Stings can produce local inflammatory reactions that may vary in appearance. Acute reactions may appear as hives; more chronic reactions may appear as inflammatory papule (circumscribed, solid elevations on the skin) or may be characterized by a blister or blisters.

It is possible for these skin conditions to co-exist making successful rosacea treatment a very difficult endeavor. Treating rosacea or other skin conditions need not involve an endless round of laser treatments and antibiotics, it can be as simple as modifying your lifestyle to include positive rosacea health and skin care habits. The treatment of rosacea or any skin condition must involve treatment of the whole body. The key to controlling rosacea is awareness and early intervention.