Insensitive questions about facial appearance can be a double whammy for rosacea sufferers — the questions may not only cause embarrassment, but can lead to stress that may make the symptoms even worse. Fortunately, however, rosacea patients can usually bring this potentially destructive cycle to a halt by reacting positively, according to psychologists familiar with dermatological disorders.

The many potential signs and symptoms of rosacea may so closely mimic other skin disorders that it has often been called "The Great Impostor." The National Rosacea Society (NRS) has designated April as Rosacea Awareness Month to alert the public to the warning signs of this chronic and conspicuous condition and to emphasize the importance of seeking medical help.

A recent patient survey by the National Rosacea Society has documented the importance of compliance with medical therapy, as 88 percent of the respondents said their symptoms reappear or increase in severity if they fail to use their medication as directed.

In the new survey, 74 percent of 658 respondents said they take their rosacea medications as prescribed by their physician. Another 17 percent said they sometimes use their medications as prescribed, and only 9 percent reported they do not follow their doctor's orders.

Q. Can rosacea be on the lips as well? If so, what can be done to treat them?

A. There have been no reports in the medical literature of rosacea on the lips, although the bumps and pimples of rosacea may appear around the mouth. This can be treated with standard therapy for rosacea.

Another common disorder called perioral dermatitis may also occur around the mouth, and is associated with small bumps, as well as scaling and peeling. This condition can often be effectively controlled with appropriate treatment.

Some articles about rosacea, particularly those reporting results of scientific studies, may contain unfamiliar medical terminology. Here is a list of some frequently used rosacea terms and their meanings.

• Blepharitis: Inflammation of the eyelids.

• Chalazion: A lesion on the eyelid due to plugging of the meibomian glands.

• Edema: Swelling from abnormally large amounts of fluids in the tissues.

Clarence Halpny's wife Marilyn suspects that he had rosacea most of his adult life because his nose was almost continually red and swollen with excess tissue, a hallmark of subtype 3 (phymatous) rosacea, when the two first met while he was in his early 60s. Although they were soon married, it wasn't until Clarence began experiencing frequent outbreaks of pimples that she convinced him to seek diagnosis and treatment.

An analysis of hospital data in Tunisia found that subtype 2 (papulopustular) rosacea, characterized by redness with bumps and pimples, was the most commonly diagnosed form of rosacea in this Arab North African nation.¹