The term rosacea is used to describe a set of symptoms related to facial redness and red bumps that are often misinterpreted as acne.
(Note: Acne and rosacea are two different conditions, and although related, are not the same. For more information, see Rosacea and Acne.)
Actually, the term includes different types, or variants, of rosacea. In this article we’ll take a look at these different types of rosacea.
1. Ocular Rosacea. The term ocular refers to the eyes. Ocular rosacea is a subset of rosacea where the symptoms are most present in the eyes (and the eyelids) of the patient. This typically means the person experiences persistent irritation in the eyes, along with dryness and redness. Additionally, this may also include itching and burning sensations as well.
2. Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea. The first word here is a mouthful but take a closer look and you may notice that it includes a more common term often familiar to those with rosacea: erythema. Erythema describes the condition of permanent (or near permanent) redness of the skin. For patients with this type of rosacea, the prominent symptom is facial redness, which is overall one of the most common symptoms of rosacea. Sometimes Erythematotelangiectatic Rosacea is also marked with visible blood vessels on the surface.
3. Phymatous Rosacea. This type of rosacea is one of the more well known even though people aren’t aware of the actual name for it. It is most often associated with what’s known as “rhinophyma”, or, more simply, a large, bulb-shaped and red nose. Unlike most types of rosacea, phymatous rosacea is largely more common in men than it is in women. While it’s cause remains unknown, the theory that it’s related to high alcohol consumption is a myth. This is one of the more rare types of rosacea.
4. Papulopustular Rosacea. This symptoms of this type of rosacea is often incorrectly confused as bad acne. This is because this type of rosacea leads to the formation of what’s called papules and pustules on the face – red bumps, including red bumps containing pus.
The different types of rosacea that have been identified point to the suggestion that there may be different causes and conditions that lead to their development. It is not yet been positively identified or agreed upon as to what causes rosacea to develop in a person, although a number of theories abound, including genetics and a history of rosacea in the family, the presence of certain peptides, certain intestinal bacteria types, and the high presence demodex mites.
