Do You Have Rosacea or Acne?

So you have acne, or at the very least, pimples. You’re sure of it. The redness on your facial skin and the pustular outbreaks that are so unsightly and painful are a dead giveaway. Therefore, you start self-medicating. You’ll do anything to rid yourself of this dreaded complaint. But it’s strange how your condition doesn’t appear to be responding to any treatment you’ve tried, but undeterred, you keep going. Meanwhile, you’re becoming more miserable day by day.

Get a Professional Opinion

Before you go and diagnose yourself as having pimples or acne, it’s important to get a professional opinion. Go to your doctor, and if they can’t ascertain what your complaint is, they can recommend that you make an appointment with a skin specialist. Why is this important? You may think that your acne/pimple condition is obvious and that going to see a specialist is a waste of time. Think again. Did you know that there is a skin condition called rosacea that is often mistaken for acne or pimples? It’s always better to be absolutely certain about what your condition is.

What is Rosacea?

This is a skin condition that’s often misdiagnosed as acne by its sufferers. This is because some of the symptoms of the condition resemble those of acne. These symptoms include:

• Redness and flushing on the skin
• The appearance of pustular sores on the cheeks, nose, and forehead
• Swollen and sensitive skin

In fact, this is a more common condition than people realize. Rosacea has several types, and it’s possible to have more than one type simultaneously. Types of this condition include:

1. ETR or the Erythematotelangiectatic Variety: This variety of the complaint is indicated by visible blood vessels and redness and flushing of the skin.
2. The Papulopustular Variety: This is also called the acne variety of the complaint as it closely resembles acne.
3. Rhinophyma: This rare variety of the complaint is characterized by thickening skin on the nose. It is often found along with another type of rosacea.
4. The Ocular Variety: This variety of rosacea affects the ocular or eye area. It causes eyes to be bloodshot and watery. The eyes could also feel dry, itchy, and gritty, with diminished vision.

As we can see, there are a number of manifestations of this very distressing condition. It is quite easy to see how a sufferer could misdiagnose some of these symptoms and imagine that they are suffering from acne or at least pimples, when in fact, they are not. That’s why it’s important to see a doctor when skin complaints like rosacea manifest themselves. With the correct diagnosis, it is much more likely that the complaint can be treated successfully.

Successful Treatment

To treat this upsetting skin complaint successfully, it is important for the sufferer to keep something in mind – rosacea is not yet fully understood. Doctors and scientists have been unable to ascertain its causes. It is known and understood that it often occurs in cycles, sometimes appearing for several months and eventually clearing up. It may reappear at any time, and there is also no known cure. However, it has been seen that with correct treatment, the symptoms can be controlled and minimized as far as possible. That’s why the correct diagnosis is so important. The sooner the condition is correctly handled, the sooner the symptoms can be controlled, giving considerable relief to those who suffer from it.

A management plan should be devised along with a medical professional that includes antibiotics in both oral and ointment form and avoiding certain products. The patient may also need to record foods eaten and cosmetics used as this could