A new survey from the National Rosacea Society (NRS) provides new data on the impact of the physical pain associated with the skin disease.
Of the 1,709 patients surveyed by the NRS, almost 93% of respondents said they had experienced physical pain as a result of the disorder, including burning (76%), itching (two-thirds of respondents) and stinging (61%). Other physical discomfort resulting from rosacea included tightness (45%), swelling (44%), tenderness (41%), tingling (32%), prickling (25%) and headache (19%).
The new NRS survey also evaluated which body sites were most often associated with discomfort from rosacea, as well as which subtype of rosacea led to the most pain. Among the various body sites affected by this very common skin disorder, the NRS survey shows that the cheeks were the most common site for rosacea-related discomfort (85%), followed by the nose (58%), the eyes (45%) and the chin and the forehead (both sites were cited by 42% of participants). Other areas that were affected by rosacea-related discomfort included the scalp (21%), the neck (18%), the ears (15%) and behind the ears (11%).
Nearly three-quarters of respondents (71%) agreed that medical therapy had helped to improve the outward signs of rosacea, and almost as many patients (70%) said that medical therapy had also reduced the physical discomfort of the disease.
“The physical pain of rosacea is often overshadowed by the changes in appearance and the emotional impact of the condition, but all aspects deserve to be addressed,” says Julie Harper, MD, FAAD, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at the University of Alabama – Birmingham. “Ideally, medical therapy combined with avoidance of individual triggers can help to bring about a remission of symptoms, which will reduce both the emotional and physical toll of the disorder. A gentle skin-care routine with products that are designed specifically for sensitive skin may alleviate some of the physical discomfort associated with rosacea.”
