A recent National Rosacea Society survey of 978 visitors to rosacea.org helps paint a picture of the typical rosacea sufferer on the web, and provides insights into how the disease affects them.

Persistent facial redness and bumps and pimples were the most common signs and symptoms of rosacea among those online, with 75 percent of respondents reporting they had either or both of these symptoms. Flushing was the next most common sign, followed by dry skin at 60 percent, burning and stinging at 53 percent and eye irritation at 49 percent. Forty-four percent of patients had visible blood vessels, and just around 20 percent experienced swelling and skin thickening. 

Twenty-seven percent of respondents said their condition was mild, 60 percent said it was moderate, and 13 percent said their rosacea was severe. Interestingly, when the results were divided by age group, patients under 30 experienced more symptoms of rosacea, though they were slightly more likely to have mild or moderate rosacea, and patients over 70 experienced fewer symptoms though they were slightly more likely to be severe. 

Overall, online rosacea sufferers are well educated, with nearly 23 percent having gone to trade school or an associate’s degree program, and more than 54 percent having earned a bachelor’s degree or higher — including 8 percent with a doctorate or other advanced professional degree. 

Although rosacea is often described as typically developing between age 30 and 60, nearly 19 percent of those surveyed were diagnosed before age 30, and 15 percent were diagnosed after age 60. Twenty-seven percent were diagnosed between 30 and 39, 23 percent were diagnosed between 40 and 49, and 18 percent were diagnosed between 50 and 59. 

A little over 8 percent of respondents said they had not been diagnosed with rosacea by a doctor, but the number was much higher among sufferers under the age of 30, with around 20 percent of that age group saying they didn’t have an official diagnosis. The only reliable way to address this chronic disorder is to see a dermatologist for a professional diagnosis and appropriate care. 

If you want to share tips you’ve learned along your journey with rosacea, please email them to itworksforme@rosacea.org and we’ll share them with other patients on the It Works for Me section of the website. Please also consider taking part in our current survey on Doctor Patient Communication.