Rosacea, a chronic skin disease that appears as a butterfly rash across the nose and cheeks and may also make the face swell and create sores that closely resemble acne. It generally affects only those who are over the age of 30.
It tends to run in families and has a strong genetic connection. It isn’t a result of alcohol abuse however alcohol can greatly exacerbate the condition. It can appear to be a severe case of acne with a rash as well as pimple like sores.
The skin will thicken and patients will be challenged to keep the symptoms at bay. Sadly, rosacea is often misdiagnosed as lupus. Lupus on the other hand, is an autoimmune disease. It occurs when your immune system attacks tissues and causes swelling, pain, inflammation and damage to the body. Lupus has similar symptoms to rosacea such as fatigue, joint pain, a rash and often a fever and for this reason the two are often misdiagnosed as the other condition.
The main reason that patients are misdiagnosed with rosacea is that they have a skin rash that looks very similar to that of rosacea. Rosacea attacks the face and patients who have similar symptoms are often treated for rosacea before a lupus diagnosis is ever made. As additional symptoms begin to appear it becomes more clear to doctors that patients are not having rosacea at all, but rather have the condition referred to as lupus.
Rosacea sufferer will have a bulbous nose in later stages and will appear to be blushing more often than not. Acne like sores can be seen on the face and the skin begins to thicken and turn reddish in color.
Severity can vary from patient to patient and even in the same patient according to how severe the flare up is. Symptoms will come and go in a cyclic pattern and some activities will cause flare ups which can be very painful, embarrassing and uncomfortable.
Lupus on the other hand, has many other symptoms and will include organ malfunctions, stiff joints and is actually a form of arthritis. Medication can help to stall the progressions of the disease and sometimes patients will spontaneously go into remission and have no symptoms for many many years. Since lupus can affect the organs in the body, it’s very dangerous when a patient is misdiagnosed as they may not be getting the proper treatment to stop organ damage.
This can cause long term effects in the body and patients will have to endure severe pain, discomfort and be on wrong medications which won’t be doing them any good. It’s important for patients and doctors to work together as a team to properly diagnose rosacea and that of lupus. Patients need to know what the symptoms are of both conditions and report them to their doctor in a timely manner to assist the doctor in a proper diagnosis.
One way to do this is to tract the symptoms. What was going on prior to the symptoms? If you’re getting a rash every time you go out to the park, you may have rosacea.
Keep close track of when your symptoms occur, what you were doing, your mood and any other events or activities that you may have been involved in. Sunlight, stress, weather changes, alcohol, spicy foods and the like can all trigger rosacea rashes.
A patient suffering form lupus won’t have these triggers when they are having symptoms. If a doctor suspects lupus he or she may begin treatment before a full diagnosis is made if they aren’t seeing any improvement.
Rosacea will actually go into times of remission or fewer symptoms. Doctors can help to regulate medications and work toward this goal. Rosacea is also frequently diagnosed as acne. Once a proper diagnosis is made patients can enjoy a fairly clear complexion as the proper medications begin to work in their favor. A few lifestyle changes and following the proper diet can go far in helping the person to find relief. It’s sad to find a misdiagnosis of rosacea is actually lupus.
Lupus is much more debilitating and challenging to live with than rosacea. Thankfully, once either condition is properly diagnosed, proper treatment can begin. Relief from the symptoms can be just a moment away to a patient once they are diagnosed. If you suspect you have such a condition tract your symptoms for a week or so and make an appointment to see your doctor or dermatologist.
Take your list of symptoms with you and discuss the probability of what you may have. It’s important to get a proper diagnosis and only you know your symptoms so share them with your doctor for best results. Never hide symptoms even if they seem trivial, they may be the key to unlocking your specific condition.