A pair of new studies help establish the relative prevalence of signs and symptoms of the eyes of rosacea patients (ocular rosacea), as well as the importance of medical therapy.

Each year, the National Rosacea Society (NRS) designates April as Rosacea Awareness Month to educate the public on the impact of this chronic and widespread facial disorder that is estimated to affect more than 16 million Americans.

“The earliest signs of rosacea are often overlooked because people assume they are temporary and will go away,” said Dr. John Wolf, chairman of dermatology at Baylor College of Medicine. “Unfortunately, without medical treatment the effects of rosacea often persist and become increasingly severe.”

Most clinical practice guidelines for rosacea identify the primary objective as clearing the visible signs of rosacea, while unseen symptoms such as burning and stinging are not always addressed even though they add to patients’ burden of disease and lower quality of life, according to a review of studies on burning and/or stinging in individuals with rosacea recently published in the European journal Acta Dermato-Venereologica.¹

It may be tempting for rosacea patients to stop treatment once their signs and symptoms have cleared up. But studies show that when used consistently according to directions, long-term medical therapy can slow or halt the progression of the disease and help maintain remission.

Although it is now known that there is no connection between acne and rosacea, the term “acne rosacea” was once frequently used to describe the bumps (papules) and pimples (pustules) of papulopustular rosacea, and the misleading term is still sometimes used today. This has often led to confusion by the public, and rosacea sufferers with bumps and pimples may mistakenly diagnose themselves as having acne. The two disorders require different treatment, however, and acne medications may cause rosacea symptoms to get worse.