Diagnosing Rosacea

There are no standard diagnostic tests to definitively diagnose rosacea. A diagnosis of rosacea generally determined based on clinical symptoms and after ruling out other similar conditions such as sunburn, acne, psoriasis, eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, lupus or medication induced skin reactions.

Rosacea occurs primarily on the face but may be found to spread to the neck or ears in more extreme cases.  The symptoms include flushing that may come and go eventually becoming more permanent, redness and skin irritation, swelling of the reddened areas of skin, itching, burning, pain, skin tightness, bumps and possibly acne-like pimples. Factors such as medications, sun exposure, heat, environmental conditions, exercise, sweating, exercise, stress, spicy food and dehydration can cause the symptoms to worsen or flare .