Ocular rosacea is one of the most common forms of rosacea. The term ocular relates to the eye, and so the primary symptoms of ocular rosacea do indeed all focus around the eyes of the person.
This is in contrast to the other manifestations of rosacea. For example, Papulopustular Rosacea relates to the presence of acne-like bumps, Phymatous Rosacea deals with the enlargement of the nose, and Erythema Rosacea (technically called Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea) points to the persistent redness as the main symptom of rosacea, whereas a person with ocular rosacea has to deal with eye-related symptoms.
The most common symptoms include persistent eye irritation, a feeling of dryness in the eyes, general soreness in the eyes, and redness in the eye and on the skin around the eye. Persons with ocular rosacea may also experience the false sensation that there is an object present in the eye, such as an eyelash.
Treatments for ocular rosacea center around alleviating the pain and discomfort felt in the eyes, and as such, include the following:
- treating the eyes with warm compresses
- using artifical tears to keep the eyes hydrated and from drying out
- using eyedrops to keep the eyes hydrated and from drying out
- washing the eye and areas around the eyes with water
In addition to these treatments above, which are specific to ocular rosacea, medical treatments such as antibiotics that are used across the board to treat the different types of rosacea (and acne as well), along with over the counter rosacea skin care products may be used to alleviate these symptoms. It’s also important for persons with ocular rosacea to have an awareness over what causes their symptoms to increase or manifest (see Rosacea Triggers) and to accordingly avoid such things as much as its reasonably possible to do so.
In addition to the symptoms described above, persons with ocular rosacea typically experience some level of overall facial redness and discomfort that virtually all persons with rosacea have, no matter what subtype of rosacea has been identified.
