Rosacea Symptoms

The symptoms of rosacea can vary substantially from one patient to another, and may include various combinations of rosacea symptoms and/or other related facial skin symptoms.

These rosacea symptoms include:

1) Facial redness or diffuse redness is one of the most common symptoms of rosacea and frequently appears before other signs and symptoms develop. The redness can be located anywhere on the faical area but the cheeks are the most common location.

2) Telangiectasis also known as spider veins may become noticable on the faical areas. This is caused by small blood vessels becoming enlarged and emerging closer to the top of the skin. Telangiectasia usually appears on the cheeks and nose. Rosacea spider veins may appear as fine red lines interweaving just below the surface of the skin.

3) Rosacea Papules are small, red bumps without pus. The bumps are a result of the flushing. Over time, flushing results in leakage of inflammatory cells out of the blood vessels and into the skin.

4) Rosacea Pustules are dome-shaped, fragile lesions containing pus that typically consists of a mixture of white blood cells, dead skin cells, and bacteria. Facial pustules are small, red, inflamed, pus-filled, blister-like lesions on the skin surface.

5) Frequent facial flushing leads to increased movement of water and proteins across abnormal blood vessel walls resulting in swelling in the facial area.

6) Burning sensations on the skin. Many people define their rosacea as a hot burning sensation on the skin similar to what sunburn might feel like. In the early stages of rosacea this burning sensation may come and go. In the later stages of rosacea, the effect can become more constant. The burning sensation of rosacea may last anywhere from hours to days at a time.

7) Ocular rosacea is thought of as a red, irritated, sandy feeling in the eyes. The eyes may also have a swollen, watery appearance. Studies suggest that eye (ocular) symptoms may occur in over half of rosacea patients reported they developed eye symptoms related to their rosacea.

8) Rhinophyma is a form of rosacea that is characterized by chronic redness, inflammation, and increased tissue growth of the nose. The nose is quite red and inflamed. There is also evidence of swelling, and the skin often appears thickened with large pores, resembling the peel of an orange.