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Rosacea

Rosacea

What is rosacea? — Rosacea is a skin condition that causes redness and raised, red bumps on the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, or eyelids. Rosacea is a long-term condition that can get worse over time.
Rosacea happens most often in adults ages 30 to 60.
What are the symptoms of rosacea? — Rosacea affects the cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, or eyelids. Symptoms include:
Redness
Blushing easily
Raised, red bumps with or without pus in them – Bumps from rosacea can sometimes look like acne, but they aren't acne.
Tiny, swollen blood vessels on the skin (called "telangiectasias")
A burning or gritty feeling in the eyes
A red, swollen, and rounded nose
Sometimes, people's symptoms are under control. Other times, symptoms worsen and flare up. There are some things that might make redness on the face worse. Examples include:
Eating hot or spicy foods, or drinking hot drinks
Drinking alcohol
Being too hot or cold
Sunlight
Stress and other strong emotions
Is there a test for rosacea? — No. There is no test. But your doctor or nurse should be able to tell if you have it by learning about your symptoms and doing an exam.
How is rosacea treated? — Treatment for rosacea has 2 parts. The treatments do not cure rosacea, but they help control symptoms and prevent flare-ups.
Treatment involves both:
Medicines – Doctors can use different medicines to treat rosacea. The medicines can come as gels, creams, or lotions that go on your skin, or as pills that you swallow. You will likely need to take or use medicines for a long time.
Lifestyle changes – To help control your symptoms and prevent flare-ups, you should:
•Avoid the common triggers listed above and any other triggers that you know worsen your symptoms
•Use mild, unscented face cleansers to wash your face
•Wear sunscreen every day
•Avoid using products on your face with alcohol, acid, or other ingredients that could bother your skin
What if my symptoms are severe or don't get better? — If your symptoms are severe or don't get better with treatment, you will probably need to see a skin specialist (called a dermatologist). The specialist will talk with you about other possible treatments.
What if I want to get pregnant? — If you want to get pregnant, talk with your doctor or nurse. Some medicines for rosacea are not safe to take during pregnancy. Your doctor or nurse will make sure that your medicine is safe to take.
All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete.
This topic retrieved from UpToDate on: Mar 30, 2020.
Topic 16652 Version 7.0
Release: 28.2.2 - C28.105
© 2020 UpToDate, Inc. and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.

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